Brake Pads - Which pads are right for me?
Just like choosing brake rotors, the answer to that question depends on the type of driving you do.Brake pads generally fall into two types: Street or Race. When choosing a pad, it's important to buy a pad that will best suit the driving you will be doing. Pads are not interchangeable between street and race driving and a true 'dual-purpose' pad is mostly a myth.
All of the street pads that we sell are a performance improvement over the stock OEM pads. We also want pads with low noise, and minimal dust, and a strong bite or "feel" for street driving.
**With any brake pad, proper bed-in is required.**
Street Pads
Standard OEM Replacement (Textar, Ate, Pagid, etc)
Comment: The stock OEM pads perform very well for 90% of owners - they stop well enough, are quiet, and usually have a very direct feel. But most of our customers are looking for a pad that stops just as well or better, with very good bite, but with less dust. We do sell the OEM pads in some situations but we've also worked hard to come up with performance alternatives that are just as good or better than the factory pads.
PBR/Axxis Deluxe
Comment: Deluxe pads are a direct replacement alternative to the OEM pads without offering any performance gain. We do not normally sell these as the PBR Metal Master pads have all of the same attributes but with greater performance capability.
PBR/Axxis Metal Master (our preferred street pad)
Comment: Incredibly, we have been selling Metal Master brake pads since 1995. Also incredible is that we have yet to find a better all-around street pad than these. They have changed owners over the years but the original compound remains the best street pad anywhere, in our opinion. They stock great, have almost zero dust, are quiet, and cheap. It's hard to believe pads that are this good are so cheap but we don't hear anyone complaining!
Hawk HPS
Comment: Hawk's HPS street pads are a high-quality, OEM replacement pad that is designed for daily drivers and street cars. These are comparable with other pads that we sell but are geared mainly for average daily drivers. They have a lot of performance capability but do not have the same feel or initial bite as the stock pads do.
PBR/Axxis Ultimates
Comment: These are the original 'performance ceramic' brake pads with great performance capability, strong initial bite, and cheaper than most other ceramic pads. These work great as a fast street/backroad carving pad that stops well but is not intended as a track pad. They're also good for slow autocross courses that need strong braking under low temps.
Hawk Ceramic
Comment Hawk Ceramic pads are geared for street use with an edge toward performance and long life. The ceramic compound has greater performance potential than stock pads but with less dust and a longer service life. These work great for people who want a high-quality performance pad for their daily driver but do not want the dust and noise from a true performance pad.
StopTech Street Performance
Comment StopTech's Street Performance composite brake pads use a new proprietary compound for excellent braking performance on the street with some capability for light track or autocross use. These also work well as a high-performance daily driver pad. What's great about these pads, besides their performance, is the price - they are the same or less than factory OEM pads!
Pagid Sport (Dark Blue)
Comment Pagid Sport pads are a very aggressive street pad - the closest to a track compound that we sell as a street pad. For reference, supercar manufacturers like Porsche, Ferrari, and Bugatti used the 'Dark Blue' Sport pads as standard equipment. These can be used in a day-to-day application but require some heat and hard stopping to be fully functional.
Track, Racing Pads
Hawk HP Plus
Comment: The 'mildest' track pad - designed to get you to and from the track, with a solid day's worth of driving in between. These pads have a stable torque output over a wide temp range, including low temp situations where other race pads fail to produce friction. That makes these pads perfect for beginners or drivers who do not want an all-out race-only pad. These are loved by newbies and veterans alike!
Pagid RS4-4 Orange
Comment: The Orange compound is one of Pagid's base track pads. If you wanted to step up from the Hawk HP Plus, this would be a great upgrade. These are easy enough on rotors and produce friction at lower temps that you could use it on a limited basis on the street. The Orange pads are often used to balance out brake bias issues on racetracks (usually on the rear with a more aggressive front).
Pagid RS14 Black
Comment: The RS14 is a medium-high friction compound used as a more aggressive pad than the Pagid Orange. It's primarily used as a front pad for touring cars or club racers. Because this does not produce much torque at low temperatures, you would not want to use these on the street.
Pagid RS19 Yellow
Pagid RS29 Yellow
Comment: The RS19 and RS29 Yellow compounds are medium-high friction race compound that provides awesome torque and easy-to-use modulation. These compounds are favorites of BMW Motorsport test drivers on the Nurburgring where strong and consistent braking is critical for testing. The Turner Motorsport Race Team uses Pagid Yellow compounds as well. It's based on the high-friction RS14 compound but with more control and easier to use at the temperature limits. It's so easy to use, many BMW drivers use them to drive to and from the track (noise and dust will be excessive for regular street use).
Hawk HT10
Comment: This race pad is one of Hawk's more aggressive compounds with high torque in a high temperature range. It has more stable torque than the Hawk 9012 Blue, making it easier to use and with less rotor wear.
Hawk 9012 Blue
Comment: A very aggressive racing pad. The Blues put out a lot of torque at higher temps. The modulation to full torque happens quickly which can take some getting used to. But once up to temperature, and with an experienced foot, the braking performance is second to none. A longtime favorite of club racers in BMW CCA, SCCA, and NASA.