kdanie
01-24-2004, 07:49 PM
I just installed my new Porterfield Carbon/kevlar pads (R4S compound PN 822) this morning. They make a noticeable difference in stopping power and my previous experience with them has shown they create very little dust so I'm looking fwd to not scrubbing my wheels so often.
I wanted to do some real testing before and after against the stock brake pads but the roads are all wet this morning so it wouldn't work and I wanted to get them on.
I used up .040" of the stock pads in less than 4000mi. in less than 2 months. I'm pretty hard on brakes so the factory pads would have lasted only about a year and probably distroyed the rotors at the same time.
The R4S compound is Street/autoX and brakes very well when cold with great pedal feel and modulation. If you didn't know, the quickest braking is achieved just before the ABS kicks in, that's a fine line to reach. I have also found the R4S pads to be very rotor friendly.
How much $$? I paid about $75 for the set but I got a discount because I bought 2 other sets for my other cars, my mini van that has run them before and my BMW that can always use more brakes. I tried a set of Carbon/metalic (Rabestos, if I remember correctly) that cost the same but wore them out in a year and they ruined the rotors too. I'm not using them again!
A couple of tips if you install a set of these.... Have your rotors turned before you install them unless your car is very low mileage. Once installed, take a test drive and do 2-3 moderate stops, then let the pads/rotors cool completly. If you overcook the brakes on a new installation they may squeek a little when applied lightly.
Why would I replace my pads on a nearly new car? Well, I like to drive fairly agressively but more than that-my daughters drive the cars too. Many parents buy a VOLVO and turn their kids loose knowing that if they get in an accident they will likely survive. I take a different route to safety, I put my kids in cars that handle well, brake better than most and teach them to drive well so they can AVOID the accedents to start with.
ken
I wanted to do some real testing before and after against the stock brake pads but the roads are all wet this morning so it wouldn't work and I wanted to get them on.
I used up .040" of the stock pads in less than 4000mi. in less than 2 months. I'm pretty hard on brakes so the factory pads would have lasted only about a year and probably distroyed the rotors at the same time.
The R4S compound is Street/autoX and brakes very well when cold with great pedal feel and modulation. If you didn't know, the quickest braking is achieved just before the ABS kicks in, that's a fine line to reach. I have also found the R4S pads to be very rotor friendly.
How much $$? I paid about $75 for the set but I got a discount because I bought 2 other sets for my other cars, my mini van that has run them before and my BMW that can always use more brakes. I tried a set of Carbon/metalic (Rabestos, if I remember correctly) that cost the same but wore them out in a year and they ruined the rotors too. I'm not using them again!
A couple of tips if you install a set of these.... Have your rotors turned before you install them unless your car is very low mileage. Once installed, take a test drive and do 2-3 moderate stops, then let the pads/rotors cool completly. If you overcook the brakes on a new installation they may squeek a little when applied lightly.
Why would I replace my pads on a nearly new car? Well, I like to drive fairly agressively but more than that-my daughters drive the cars too. Many parents buy a VOLVO and turn their kids loose knowing that if they get in an accident they will likely survive. I take a different route to safety, I put my kids in cars that handle well, brake better than most and teach them to drive well so they can AVOID the accedents to start with.
ken