I've been told that I could get much better brakes and rotors and install them for cheaper than what MAG wants to charge me ($540 front/$480 back)... and seeing as I'll need them soon, what's everyone got and what do you suggest? opcorn: (I don't make it to the track, mostly just day to day commuting and some spirited driving here and there... ) ps: the new little motorer in the household is hoping to meet everyone sometime soon since it's warming up!
I have the EBC Green Stuff pads on my MC and like them a lot, mostly because they grip well and are low to no dusting...plus they are green and that goes well with my car! lol
I've used Carbotech Bobcats and Hawk HPS on my car. Both worked well. The Carbotechs dusted a little less and never had pad deposits, but they were more expensive. I have maybe 1,000 miles on the HPS so no word on deposits, but they stop well.
Advance Auto has a small sale going on now where you get 15% off your entire order online and free 1 day shipping to store. You could get a full set of Wearever Gold Premium brake pads (ceramic material, 30% less dust than oem, quiet, and longer lasting) for roughly $75 and a set of 4 Wearever rotors for roughly $120. Grand total would be <$200 - 15%= ~$170. Another nice service that Advance offers is renting a brake service kit with all the tools necessary to change your pads/rotors for free- you basically "buy" a rental kit on your credit card for $100 and you get a full refund when you return it. If you've never changed your pads/rotors before, I'm sure someone in our club could offer you some help. I've never changed the pads on a R56, but I can change the pads/rotors on my R53 in about 2 hours and I'm guessing it would be similar in your case. Expect to pay $150-$300 if you were to bring your pads/rotors to a private shop and have a mechanic professionally install them. And as others have mentioned, you could try a set of EBC Green Stuff, Hawk HPS, Carbotech 1521, Ferodo DS2500, etc- but be prepared to spend $180-$250 for pads alone. In my opinion, these aren't needed for everyday spirited driving, but might give you a bit more confidence and bragging rights. Finally, I've been buying my brake rotors off Ebaymotors for the past several years; haha a few of you might think I'm :crazy:. I've been paying $190-210 shipped for 4 Brembo slotted rotors (they usually come with a free set of brake pads f&r, but I never use them). Along with daily driving, I've autocrossed on these rotors for multiple seasons, a handful of open track days, and countless runs on the Dragon and never had any issues. At only $200 a set, I just replace them every couple of years when I'm changing my pads. There are a few older threads on NAM and other forums discussing Ebay rotors if you would like more info.
Hi Rob, I just put EBC green stuff pads on my MINI. I came from using Hawk ceramics. The greens have very good bite for a street pad & less dust than oem. I'd suggest giving Aaron a call at Outmotoring, that is where I bought my pads. If you have any more questions send me a PM. Glad to help.
I loved my Hawks they did not have the initial bite of the OEM pads but the dust was greatly reduced. If you are doing rotors as well I would stick with a non slotted or drilled as they are overkill for a daily driver. Best advice I ever got was to change front and back at the same time and then immediatly get the car to top speed and slam on the brakes. Wait I meant worst advice ever sorry I get those words confused some days
Thanks everyone... So, obviously the brakes from outmotoring will be a nicer setup... but what kind of difference would I see for a DDriver between Outmotring's hawk Ceramics+rotors ($530) vs Aaron's ($300) "budget Kit"vs the Wearever Gold items ($180) listed by Cooper? We're talking about half the cost and with the new little one, I'm trying to not spend much where it isn't needed. That all being said, powerful stopping power is equally important as a safety issue. I'm interested in honest opinions here as either of the mid-grade options above sounds like a good deal, and even the $530 isn't terrible... but if I could save that money, then yea... Thoughts?
I just did all four sets of pads and rotors on my '04. I went with the Wagner brand from Advanced Auto. There is a limited lifetime warranty on the pads and rotors. They seem as good as the OEM stuff. They aren't bedded in yet so we will see, but for $200.00 I am happy.
Stopping distance comes from getting all of the tires to stick at the maximum of their ability, not from magical pads or rotors. Popular name brands with a racing heritage don't have a secret manufacturing process where they cast their rotors differently. You can cryogenically treat a rotor after it has been cast, but that's a whole different subject. From what I understand, slots and holes don't really help cool the rotors and might even decrease the life of your pads, but I like how they look, and that's why I get them. In 2005 I switched from factory S-Lites with runflats to aftermarket wheels/tires- I also put on a set of EBC green stuff pads at the same time. This was my first experience with an aftermarket street performance pad. For the price I paid, I had high expectations. I remember being a little surprised after I first installed them and noticed less bite. They didn't have as much dust as stock, but they seemed to fade just as quickly. Overall I wasn't too impressed and eventually changed them out about a year later to something else. I currently run the Hawk HPS pads and want to try out the Carbotech Bobcat 1521's next.
I agree with Cooper99. Rotors are cheap, just find something that fits. Holes are purely for looks, while slots do improve pedal feel in the rain when the rotors are wet. Pads on the other hand, as soon as "low dust" comes out of your mouth you're gonna lose some bite compared to stock pads. They'll stop the car just fine, you just need more than two toes of pressure. The more you pay, the less dust you'll see. One benefit to buying better pads and rotors is the decreased chance that you'll develop "brake judder," which is that shaking you feel when you get into the brake pedal on pads that are not quite at the end of their life. Variations in rotor thickness or pad material can cause hot spots to show up on the rotor, and the pads will deposit unevenly on the rotor. The pad deposits harden and grow over time, and you end up with a brake pedal that shakes the car. I see this a lot on Toyotas and older American SUVs.
FWIW, I still say the EBC Green Stuff pads are great on an MC [like Carve has] that's basically a daily driver. He stated he doesn't take it to the track, but enjoys twisties now and then. The emphasis is it's his daily driver. I've had my MC to 2 2-day HPDEs [one at Putnam Park, and the other at Autobahn Country Club], to the Dragon and MOTD several times, to car shows [in and out of state], and on other twisties with my Green Stuff pads and OEM rotors. The car has 45k on it and the pads have been on for the last 30k or so and show no signs of needing replacement anytime soon. I do keep my brake fluids changed and did install stainless steel lines, though. I've never had a problem with brake fade on my MC. On my MCS, I have Hawk HPS pads and the OEM rotors, with S/S lines. Since it's my daily driver and track car [Mid Ohio and Putnam Park with BMW CCA] and Dragonslayer, as well as being a heavier and more powerful car, the Hawk pads work pretty well for me overall. However, I have encountered some fade while at the track.
How many miles are on your car? Are you sure you need rotors? My Mini used a set of pads at 40K for the front and 60K at the rear and the rotors were fine when I sold it. And I drove the hell out of that car
Rigid, if the question of if rotors need replaced was directed at me... Then the answer is: Pretty sure. When the baby was born, I didnt drive my Cooper for a couples weeks and they rusted up really bad. Since then (roughly1,000-1,500mi) I still get a grinding feel and a slight vibration when braking at 55-65 mid-hard (other times as well, but this speed/strength seems to be the most repeatable). Told by mag that a couple hard breaks should remove rust. They've yet to get 'shiny' like before...mag also told me they could 'clean' them for free... And then told me they would 'have to' charge me $160 to pull them off and clean once I got there, because of the work to remove them or something... Ugh. That all being said, I told them to hold off and I'd just wait until brakes needed done as I knew it is getting near. So, do I really NEED rotors... Not sure, but I think so?
I did the same thing with my Volvo and it is getting new pads and rotors today. Of course it is also getting new belts and a water pump today as well. I am starting to think the car is cursed I almost had it sold then it started falling apart. So now I am fixing everything and have to raise my price it is just a total nightmare.