dimitristx

...would you buy? For street/daily use, I prefer dust over squeal, of course.

Thanks!

ryoung

I wouldn't hesitate to use this Pagid street pad again; but from what I hear, the PBR Ceramic is a good pad also.

The Pagid is not dust free; but it is quiet and does not squeal, and it seems to have low rotor wear.

You probably can't go wrong either way.

docmusolf

SO far I like the Freodo DS2500 that a look at that pad

ryoung

My 0-10 rating from street to full race.

OEM:
...... Rating = 0
...... Coefficient of friction probably 0.35
...... You can do better

Ferodo DS2000:
...... Rating = 0
...... cf = 0.40
...... Actually a Federal-Mogul (who owns Ferodo) OEM type compound with Ferodo's name on it. When overheated, it leaves deposits on the rotor, which then feels like a warped rotor. I'm not sure if these are still available, but they're not recommended.

SBS Ceramic:
...... Rating = 1
...... cf = 0.38
...... Low dust. When overheated, the pad becomes slightly compressible, and the resulting soft pedal feels like the brakes need to be bled.

Pagid RS4-2-1 Black:
...... Rating = 2
...... cf = 0.45
...... Excellent high performance street pad. Quiet, but moderate dust. I've never tracked this pad but assume it would be fine at an autocross.

Pagid RS4-2 Blue:
...... Rating = 3
...... cf = 0.48
...... Another excellent high performance street pad, though it may squeal slightly. The pad should be fine at an autocross, but when overheated on track, it melts.

Ferodo DS2500:
...... Rating = 5
...... cf = 0.50
...... This is the closest thing I've seen to a dual use pad, excellent on the street but also light duty track. Expect this pad to squeal occasionally.

I've used all of these, will never again use OEM pads, am currently using and satisfied with the Pagid RS4-2-1, but prefer the Ferodo DS2500. All have good friction when ice cold, usually lacking with full race pads. Also, be sure to use these pads both front and rear for best performance. Click these <A HREF="http://www.pagidusa.com/characteri.html">Pagid</a>, <A HREF="http://www.raceshopper.com/ferodo_compounds.shtml">Ferodo</a>, or <A HREF="http://www.sbs.dk/">SBS</a> links for additional information.

dimitristx

As you're moving up to higher friction pads, don't you need a different brake fluid?

ryoung

In the end, ALL the kinetic energy of the car gets converted into heat. All the heat is generated at the pad-rotor interface, and whether the cf of the pad is 0.3 or 0.6 has no effect on the amount of heat generated or where it goes. If two cars go from 70-0 mph in 6 sec (a 0.5g stop), the same amount of heat is generated at the exact same spot regardless of the pad.

Though the rotor is the primary heat sink, some heat does get transferred thru the pad into the caliper (and brake fluid), which is your point. The thermal conductivity of the pad does have a significant effect on how much heat goes thru the pad and into the brake fluid. The Ferodo DS3000 race pad uses a ceramic compound, has a lower thermal conductivity than semi-metalic pads, and the brakes are less likely to fade because of boiling brake fluid. I assume the PBR Ceramic street pad has the same advantage, even though fade is not likely to be a problem on the street (unless you live in the mountains or drive very aggressively).

Regarding brake fluids -- A higher boiling brake fluid is always better, and some brake fluids are better than others, but more important is that the brake fluid is fresh and dry. The table in this <A HREF="http://www57.pair.com/lane/bfluid.htm">Link</a> shows the wet and dry boiling points of common brake fluids. Ford "Heavy Duty" DOT3 brake fluid has one of the worst wet boiling points, but it's dirt cheap and is what we use in our race car. Since we bleed brakes every race weekend, the brake fluid never gets a chance to absorb moisture, and the dry boiling point is very good.