digam100

Hello. I have a 2003 CIViC ES8 with stock rotors. I want to upgrade the pads. eveyrthing is stock. i need just the pads as i loose brakes easily as it overheats.

i dont mind my wheels getting dirty, i need pads that can keep up with my daily driving. I do not go to the track.

B serious

iTrader: (1)

Stoptech Sports are probably a good bet.

I'd pair them with a new set of blank rotors. Make sure you bed the pads properly.

Lots of other pads will work. But the ones I've mentioned also work well on the street.

What fade are you experiencing? Actual pad fade? Or a mushy pedal?

Calif_Kid

Do you know the last time the brake fluid was completely replaced and flushed? I've heard that moisture eventually can get into the fluid, so if the fluid hasn't been replaced for a long time, then eventually the moisture out near/in the brake calipers can boil due to the moisture and reduced boiling point over fresh fluid. One time, I replaced the front pads on my 2000 Ford F150 truck, and I then started bedding them in, and the brakes got hot enough that I could barely brake. I then figured that the brake fluid was really old, so I replaced it, and that fixed the issue. I've heard recommendations about replacing the fluid every few years, but that may be overkill. - Jim

Doodasi

Brake fluid is hygroscopic. It is supposed to soak up moisture for good reasons. Your fluid is sealed. How would it get in there, unless your cap is off, or venting? Basic ceramic pads are fine. They last, are quiet, and don't work as good as semi metallics. Not a very tecnhnical thing for a daily driver in my opinion. Ceramics lower customer noise complaints. End of story.

B serious

iTrader: (1)

Ceramics are junk. Quiet, low dust junk. They last a long time...but you're sentencing yourself to a long time with shitty brakes.

They also are more prone to causing brake pulsing from smearing themselves all over the rotor.

If he's looking for a decent pad and is fine with some harmless dust that washes off...stoptech sports work great.

They won't last as long as ceramics. But they're quiet...and the brakes will actually work.

You've got a lot of disdain for your poor customers lol. Maybe its time for a vacation.

Doodasi

Naw. They're not race car yayas. They just complain if they have squeaky brakes. Nobody likes a complainer. I won't have to see them for a while for a brake job either. You got good pricey racey brakes. They are nice, no question.

Warping rotors from smearing material on a rotor? That's a new one. I would like to see that.

Calif_Kid

Info about how moisture eventually gets into the brake system/fluid and the effect that can have on braking performance is mentioned at Why Change Brake Fluid? | Workhorse Parts & Service and many other websites. What I'm getting at, is that maybe on the car in question, the brake fluid hasn't been changed in say 7-14 years, so it could easily cause issues if the brakes are being used hard enough vs just a single hard stop. As far as brake fluid goes, I think that DOT 3, 4, or 5.1 are OK, but I would not use DOT 5 as it is silicone based. - Jim

B serious

iTrader: (1)

Naw bruv.

Stoptech sports are cheap. Like $20-45 per axle. They *kind of* work on a track. They resist fade quite a bit more than like...a Hawk HP+....but they're not fade resistant enough to be track pads.

They're also NAO...not semi metallic.

And...idk how one "warps" a rotor using brake pads. Smearing deposits are what causes brake pulsation.

Unless you're talking about physically warping a rotor using the lug bolts or dropping the car on the rotor or something.

You're not going to warp a rotor with heat. The pad is going to just get too hot and smear itself.

B serious

iTrader: (1)

I forgot to mention Raybestos EHT's. COT dang I'm impressed with them. They make shitloads of torque (seriously like....shitloads).

And they're silent. IDK how long they last. And there's a little bit of dust (it washes off).

But they're cheap, well made, and come with hardware.

They're classified as "hybrid" pads. Seems like its a new wave that OEM's have adopted.

I guess ceramics work for the type of person that values low dust and long life rather than brakes that actually stop the car.

But...again...OP asked for some sort of improvement in stopping.

He's gone AF now though.

Doodasi

Race car ya-ya is a song from Cake.
Lol!!!

I read that fluid article. The science sounds right. Maintenance is a good idea. The rest is.... Eeeh... OMG the dip strip! Ppm of copper lol!!! The only copper in brakes is the flux in the line used for welding the seam when they roll the steel.

B serious

iTrader: (1)

Yeah yeah. Dice hanging from the window like ********* and all that.

I was responding to this portion:


Stoptech sports aren't expensive.

To actually warp a rotor plane from heat, you'd have to get it to like 2500F. With what? A street pad stops making friction at like? 600-1000F?

A pad can, however...put hot spots on a rotor and case harden that small section of rotor. This happens when a user clamps the brakes after getting them hot (come off a highway, stop at a light). Ceramics tend to hold on to heat. So they tend to do this to rotors more than other pads. That section of rotor now resists wear from braking. Eventually, it becomes a high spot. Wobble Wobble.

B serious

iTrader: (1)

I didn't read the article. But I do agree that fluid fade is very common. Fluid does collect moisture over time. The boiling point reduces....and contamination can cause "blow by" on the master cyl seals. It results in a squishy pedal and makes lines rust from the inside out.

Its a good idea to flush it once every couple of years. DOT3 is totally fine for a street car.

Just be cautious not to push the brake pedal all the way down if you're using a manual method. Use only the "normal" stroke range of the pedal to move the fluid.

OP hasn't answered my question regarding whether his pedal sinks. A squishy pedal is a sign of over taxed fluid.

scottcraft

I put stoptech sport pads and centric rotors all the way around on my em1. $200 to my door from rock auto and they stop my car pretty well.