Front Brake Pad Reccomendations

[brittania81k]

I know this is probably on here somewhere, if so, direct me there. I need new front brake pads. I have an 03 P5. I am a "spirited" driver. I autocross monthly. I currently have no suspension mods. It is very hot, humid, and rains a lot where I live. I don't want to spend a ton of money. I don't care about dusting. I don't want to have to worry about brake fade or if I need to make a panic stop on the street. Basically, I want something that'll work on the street and autocrossing. And I also need to know where to find the reccomended pads. The only performance parts places we have here only do honda's and acura's. HELP! (dunno)

 

[funktownp5]

Hawk HP pads, have a stronger bite than stock. I dont autocross but i havent faded

them either. I think Pepboys stocks them but i got mine from TireRack. I think my front

set cost $70.

 

[Mike R]

Second that. I have hawks. Just be very aware of the nubs on the back, the shims, and the anti rattle clips. Replace the antirattle clips. Mazda has them for like 11 bucks forthe set of 4 for the front. It'll save your rotors.

 

[kurt]

I have a set of Porterfield R4S pads on the front. Used them at a track day and have kept them on (3 months now) ever since. I have no complaints. They ran me ~95 bucks.

Change your brake fluid, no matter what pad you get, for best results.

 

[Action Jackson]

Hawk HP+ pads. I still have them on for the street.

They've never faded on the track. And in the rain they can still lock up.

 

[NJP5Guy]

hps are supposed to be for the street. its not recommended using the hp for street.....at least from what i've read.

 

[brittania81k]

I ordered my new brake pads. They haven't come in yet. I asked some SCCA racers (not autocross, but real racing)who run the Alfa Romeo Race Shop my boyfriend works at in Houston, and they reccomended PORTERFIELDs. They have used them on both street and race cars. Once, one guy took a set off of his street car and stuck them on a car that was being used in a 12 hour enduro, and the pads were dead when it was over, but they made it through the race. And they had been on the regular car for a while already. I'll post my results with them when they come in and I get them on my car. If anyone is interested in getting Porterfield pads, I can point them in the right direction.

I also see that KURT mentioned the Porterfields. Mine aonly set me back around $70 because I got them at cost, since my bf works at the Alfa shop, but $95 sounds like a good price otherwise. KURT, did you put them just on the front or on the back too? I have high expectations of these pads, and I will definately be posting my impressions later.

 

[kurt]

I only put the Porterfield R4-S's on the front. Stock rear pads provide more than enough stopping power for my application.

I still have them on my car, and 8k miles later, they still about 75% of the pad left. The rotors aren't grooved and they're still noise-free.

PS. post your impressions in this thread

http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=117091

 

[Captain KRM P5]

i have a brand new set of hawks, front pads, unused and in the box i will let go for $59 shipped

 

[Canecreekfreak]

Get the same brake pads for the front and rear, and change them out at the same time. If you don't, they won't be evenly matched and you'll end up losing braking power. I don't remember where I read this, but at the time their explanation made sense.
The fronts will end up doing more work than the rear, and therefore the balance will be off and your braking distances will be greater 'cause the rears aren't doing as much. You may say that the rears don't do alot anyways, but lengthening your braking distances by as little as 5 feet can mean the difference between stopping short and running into someone. (wow)

 

[The Short Bus]

Hawk HP pads, have a stronger bite than stock. I dont autocross but i havent faded

them either. I think Pepboys stocks them but i got mine from TireRack. I think my front

set cost $70.

Hey everybody with Hawk pads:
my ceramics didn't come with shims - did you use the ones off the OEM pads or what? Neither Napa nor Checker in my area has shims.

 

[hotrippr]

Hey everybody with Hawk pads:
my ceramics didn't come with shims - did you use the ones off the OEM pads or what? Neither Napa nor Checker in my area has shims.

YES I read in a How-to that you need to keep the shims off the OEM. So dig them out of the garbage.

 

[The Short Bus]

YES I read in a How-to that you need to keep the shims off the OEM. So dig them out of the garbage.

Thanks, that's this weekend's project so I'll be ready.

 

[hotrippr]

Here is the How-to for MP3. http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43890&highlight=change+pads I would think it is pretty much the same for the P5. I dk I havent changed my brakes yet at 44k. I do alot of "timing" the stop lights and dwnshifting..