[Lotus99]

So I went ahead and changed my OEM rotors and pads to Stoptech slotted and Street Perf pads. I had read on Turner's website their description, which sounded great.

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/t-bu...rake-pads.aspx

Especially how their initial bite was the same as OEM ("very good"), which I loved.

But now, after having done the bed in routine 3 times (3 sets of 10 stops, 60 to 10 MPH, with 10 minutes of cool time in between each set), I can't say it's improved a lot. Initial bite has improved, but it's nowhere close to the OEM's.

Also, I recall that with the OEM pads, if I was slowing down at a stoplight let's say, and pedal pressure was consistent, but I decided half way thru braking to increase the pedal pressure, it seemed like there was still lots of power left, and could slow the car quicker.

But with these Stoptech pads, if I get on harder mid way, it doesn't seem to have that much left in it, which is disappointing.

Anyone else can share their experience?

Will anything improve?

If you want the OEM bite get the OEM pads, nothing comes close, the OEM pads put close to 20% of bite immediately, a lot of other pad compounds like the Stoptech pads try to be a lot more linear, some people like this, some don't.

If you decide to switch brake compounds make sure to scrub your rotors with green scotch pad and brake cleaner to remove the old compound then rebed.

Better yet would be to use to a brake hone tool with soap and water as lube.
http://www.brushresearch.com/brushes.php?c1=6 <---- Medium

[ajsalida]

You should expect to trade off some initial feel for repeated fade resistance. So, after a few hot laps at your local track day, I would hope when the stock pads are cooked, these will keep going. Comparing how they feel at a stoplight is not the right metric.

[M3 Esq]

Re-bedding them won't help. I run the Stoptech street pads on my M3 with stock rotors. I did not bed them in initially. You need to get a little bit of heat in them before they really bite and from what you are describing, there is not enough heat in them when you make your stop. They are really designed for high performance use, meaning driving where you are making repeated hard stops. You typically will not have that in normal street use, where you are only using the brakes at stop lights and to slow the car in traffic. I actually have not found there to be much difference betwen the initial bite of the stoptechs and OEM, but my brakes are different.

[Lotus99]

Originally Posted by ajsalida

Comparing how they feel at a stoplight is not the right metric.

I guess not, though in a way, the OEM's "felt" like they had more stopping power than these, in those situations - like there was more left in them at any given pedal pressure, than the Stoptechs, but that's probably just in my mind. I suppose if one was to measure the actual stopping distance in feet, under equal conditions, for OEM and Stoptech, would they be the same?

At this point I guess I might just put up with it then, as I'm not about to change brand new pads out. Too bad they're mis-advertised, as Turner says they are equal to the OEM's in terms of initial bite, but also work well at the track - which I do a few days a year - so I thought I'd have the best of both worlds. Sucks consider that 95% of my driving is in the city, with 10 miles each way mostly to work and back.

I called Stoptech also to get their perspective, and the guy did say that he didn't think they'd have the same initial bite, because they're not soft as the OEM compound.

He asked to find out if they bled the brakes again after the rotors were installed, because even though you don't technically need to, he often finds it does help as some air sneaks into the lines.

So I'll give them a few hundred more miles to see if anything changes, and maybe ask them to bleed them again, and see where it is.

[ajsalida]

Originally Posted by Lotus99

I guess not, though in a way, the OEM's "felt" like they had more stopping power than these, in those situations - like there was more left in them at any given pedal pressure, than the Stoptechs, but that's probably just in my mind. I suppose if one was to measure the actual stopping distance in feet, under equal conditions, for OEM and Stoptech, would they be the same?

Hard to say as someone else pointed out they have to come up to temp, and then you have to test them in conditions they are meant to be used in. If you've ever driven a race car with semi-metallic pads they can feel awful and sound horrible until they're up to temp.

The test is on lap 20 or whatever of your last track day session, at the end of the main straight heading into turn 1 from 140 MPH (or whatever), down to 40, does it feel good and are you confident in them? I doubt you will be with the stock pads.

I do not think you're going to improve braking distances from say 60 MPH to zero, if that is what you expected. Everything else equal if the ABS is kicking in you are tire limited. It is only when issues of repeated fade or heat dissipation come into play that brake upgrades can be evaluated (assuming proper balance etc).

edit: and like everything there is a trade off. In this case you trade off street level feel at street level g's for some more competence and wider margin of safety on the track. Also a lot of people use stickier tires on track days and it is nice to have brakes that can keep up with them. I don't do them anymore in this car, but it was not unusual to wear out a set of hi-perf pads in one day on sticky tires. Friday at the Track at Summit Point you used to get 4 hrs of wide open track time for $100.

[robc1976]

Love mine, especially when logging... slowing down from a 140 mph log is a great improvement over OEM. Brake dust is the same as OEM.