Brakes Wheels 1st Gen Tires Most liked posts in thread: Which Brake pads do you use ?

You are correct, heck we only install redstuff on R55 R56 R57 Cooper S in the shop. I just posted the R53 link cause AliceCooper that started this thread has an R53.

But here is the R56 link if it helps
EBC Red Stuff R56/JCW pads - Way Motor Works

 

Seriously, check out the Cool Carbons from Bavauto.com.

Best pads I have ever had on my MINI.

 

I run Yellow stuff. I think they do well daily and also do well on the track. They produce more dust thamn the reds but it is a difference in braking between the two as well. I am currently running Yellow up from with reds in the rear and like it quite a bit.

 

Well, if you are daily driving it I think green stuff are best. That is what I use on ATE premium slotted rotors. (Both the front and rear axles)

 

OEM's pads are dusty and not that good if you push your car.

EBC REDS are great pads.

 

Currently I am running Carbotech 1521 bobcat pads with SP Performance slotted rotors. So far the stopping has exceeded my expectations.

 

I think that a lot of guys including me have a modding bug; this is why we want more than OEM, but I definitely wouldn't say the OEM set up is overkill especially if you don't have the JCW. You wouldn't have to run your brakes as hard on track days if you did have a bbk.
I have a JCW so the price for pads and rotors were negligible when compared to OEM when you know you are getting something better. That's my .02 :cornut:

 

The OEM pads are a very decent pad for street use and some short term heavy use. I burned thru my oem pads in a single track day. Couldn't handle the temps I was getting. Thus the reason for better pads. Tried a set of both the Hawk HPS and HP+ pads and hated them. Worse fade than the OEM pads and no real "feel" to them. Been using the Cool Carbons and I couldn't be happier. VERY capable track day pad and I have never had a fade problem while twisty driving like I did with the Hawks. And if you are getting more than a weekend on your OEM pads at a track day, I can assure you that you have not been really "pushing" your brakes. Not that you need to push them to have fun, but they won't last very long on my car.

As to the prices from the dealer....they will always be substatially higher simply because they have a large operation to pay for. Parts and service dept's pay for the dealership.

 

OEM's dusty and fade after 1.5 Dragon runs.

Cheap replacement Ceramics from local brake shop not dusty, perform the same, fade after 1.5 Dragon runs.

Hawk HPS even less dusty, perform the same, and fade after 1.5 Dragon runs.

EBC Greenstuffs dust somewhere in between the Hawks and the Cheaps, brake better in town (more powerfully) for a grocery-getter, have not yet been on the Dragon, and based on some educated friends' testing I'll be getting Reds for that task!

Oh, and minidave, you've got bigger brakes than a stock R53.

 

I ran OEM pads and rotors for my first few track days and MANY autocrosses. I agree they work just fine. I used my "free" brake change service in the midst of that. So I got to play on fresh rotors/pads/fluid. :thumbup:

However, on trackdays, I found the pads faded towards the ends of my sessions. Swapping to the EBC reds stopped that issue. Of course that along with new tires lead to boiling brake fluid which was a whole other issue... lol!

Cold I'd say OEM pads brake better than Reds. Once you get a couple stops (normal DD stops; nothing nuts) the Reds grab a tad better (more "bite" I guess?). All things being equal for DD OEM (or reasonable replacements) will do very well.

If yer gonna beat on'em like you and I do then I'd say the Reds are a good purchase. Added benefits of less dust and longer life over the OEM pads are nice extras.

 

Performance Friction 01 track pads, performed astonishingly well aside from some squeal, no fade whatsoever, new rotors cracked after four days on the Dragon and half a track day.

There's always a trade off. If you want the best performance, use track pads for track days, autox pads for the Dragon, and street pads for the street. Otherwise stop asking for the best pads and settle for less.

 

I think the OEM stuff is crap.... my truck stops better than my MINI :lol:
Next time I need brakes I am upgrading.

As for the dealership stuff? I actually love my local dealer... they have always helped me out and treated me great. I don't get my car repaired there now since it's not under warranty and I am quickly rolling down the aftermarket hill. Helix gets all my business I am lucky to be fairly close to them.

But any oem parts I need I buy from them. They know that dealerships have a hefty markup and try to discount their stuff as much as possible for me. Many times our (Dave.0 and I) parts guy sells us stuff at cost

 

FWIW... Some folks in this thread are comparing apples and elephants.

1st gen stock mini front calipers and pads are tiny, and undersized for performance driving... Leading many of us to seek better pads with much more heat tolerance.

BMW recognized this, and made the 2nd gen stock MCS brakes functionally equivalent to the 1st gen JCW brakes.

For track or dragon use, you might just as well compare 1st gen brakes to Corvette brakes, as to 2nd gen MCS brakes. All are different animals.

So, YES, 2nd gen OEM brakes are good enough for most people. And YES, 1st gen OEM brakes are NOT good enough for many people on this forum.

My 1st gen car has 2nd gen front brakes, with Red Stuff. Bliss.

 

Jealous

 

I have seen a set on FIRE after one full lap of not riding the brakes. While the speed limit was still 45. Not that that has anything to do with it. :devil:

 

ran those pads and their rotors, expensive and didn't last
there are MUCH better stuff out there we have tested in street and race situations.....

 

What are BBK (Front) users using on the rear for mostly street use?

 

Hawk HPS

 

Low Dust?

 

On my R53, I was running Hawk HPS pads all the way around for 20k miles or so. I was pretty happy with 'em as a performance street setup.

After that, I went to the standard Wilwood BBK up front and continued with the Hawk HPS in the rears. I'd swap out the front pads for track work (would leave street pads in for rain track days). I think I was running PolyB pads up front for the street and BP-20 pads for the track when using street tires. When I put on some racing tires, I'd move to the BP-10 pads because the BP-20s weren't keeping up by the end of the session. For Auto-X, I was still unsettled on pads, though I didn't do a lot of Auto-X. I couldn't get enough heat into the track pads early in the course for good hard stopping but the street pads would be hot and fading by the end.

I started with ATE fluids and by the time I got to the end of my 'blue' track training (one step past the green/noob level) it was the weak link in the chain (still on street tires). Once I was in yellow, it was running out on my about 10-12 minutes in to the session and I had a few 'oh crap' moments. I was running an expensive-as-hell $30/bottle stuff (1.25 bottles per bleed) that I can't remember the name of right now, but it was holding up well, even to the higher performance track brake pads and track tires.