Which brake pads? (again) (Red stuff, yellow stuff, blue stuff, Ferodo DS2500)

[andydckent]

Hi,

I've seen a few topics about breaks recently and read up on this and other sites but I am still unsure of what the answer is.

I need a new set of rear brake pads and have decided to do the fronts as well. I've noticed recently that braking is a bit poorer than it had been so I guess the garage was right. I was planning to replace them with something uprated as the general consensus seems to be that the OEM ones are not very good (but they are cheap).

There seem to be some very mixed reviews on here and other sites of what is best. What I would like is improved braking for day to day and occasionally spirited driving so it would be nice if they gripped well when cool (I don't ever do track days).

I had ruled out Yellow Stuff as for track, excessive dust, poor grip cold.

I was considering Red Stuff but there seem to be reports of being bad cold, not lasting and not being any better than standard?

Someone in another thread mentioned something about 'blue stuff' but I can't find them if they exist for VR4??? (edit just fround some front only though, opinions)

I have just read some recommendations for Ferodo DS2500 but they are twice the price, is it worth it over other pads and do they do the job?

What are peoples thoughts on the above and have I missed anything worth considering out?

Many thanks!

Andy



Also should probably note that I don't plan to upgrade the rest of the brake setup at the moment.

[MarkSanne]

I've used Ferodo DS2500 for quite a few years. They do a good job, but they do leave much, much brake dust. Which is a PITA to get off my multispoke wheels! I've recently put on a set of original Mitsu's and I actually like them pretty much too, but again: brake dust alert!

[orionn2o]

http://www.ebcbrakeshop.co.uk/mitsub...x_p1242519.htm

Blue stuffs for VR4

[WOODY72]

I'm facing the same situation myself Andy. I want to replace the pads all round, because the rear pads are really dusty and i think they are genuine Brembo pads. But the front are coloured blue, and i dont know the make either (maybe Pagid), but i've had bad fade with them on the road, so i dont think they are anything special. Mark 4 has suggested Mintex 1166 race pads for the front as he has had good results with them, so i'll probably go with them. I really dont think the rear pads are as important, so maybe Mintex 1144 road pads will suffice.

[John TheAntique]

I'm currently using OMP on the front. More than happy, no squeal, no fade and very little warming required. About £35

[chris g]

Orange stuff now available from, guess who...?

Whether VR-4 fitting...

Supposed to be great from cold, no dust or noise...

MLR reviews good...

[CANDEE]

If you are only doing street work then the bluestuffs on the front and yellows on the back could be a go. They drove very well from cold, and kept on getting better with speed. They also didnt seem all that dusty either, but they were only on the car for 400k's..

I cooked a set of blues on the front(std brakes) at a trackday, but my dust seals are toast so that probably didnt help. lol

[VR457]

You shouldn't rule out Yellow stuff. I have had them for a year, the braking is 50% better than original, if i can think of a number. Subjectively it's a lot better, does not fade in fast street driving, works fine from cold, no squealing, little brake dust.

What's not to like?

[Chris.W]

Went with the mintex 1155 all round using std set up. Quality pads, really good stopping power from cold, once at tep could put the car on its nose, no squeal, no fade and little dust. Down point is the 90 odd quid for the fronts, but hay what price safety?
Only advice is find a quiet road to bed them in propperly. Escentialy beeing a fast road/motorsport item they bed in differantly to std pads. Accel to 60-70mph then stamp on the middle peddle till at a full stop, repeat 3 times jobs a goodun pads bedded nicely. This dose not glaze up the mintex pads coz as stated they designed as a motorsport item, unlike std ones which would be ruined after doing this.

[andydckent]

OK thanks everyone for your suggestions and recommendations.

I have decided to try the Bluestuff front, yellowstuff rear combination and will let you know how I get on.

Does Chris.W's method of bedding in work with these type of pads or which method is recommended?

Thanks!

Andy

[CANDEE]

I never bedded mine in, just drove it to the track and got into it... The new EBC's are supposed to have a bed-in compound on them that means that they dont need bedding in at all..

Here is an excert from their website: In street use the torques will not normally be enough to generate vibration during bed in but drive safely for 200 miles gentle brake use to bed in your new brakes and test them to performance in a safe and quiet road environment until you have total confidence that they are bedded. Hitting the brakes too hard too soon can not only shorten pad life it may cause loss of brakes and an accident. Bed brakes in progressively.

[VR457]

I was under the impression that like Chris you got up to a fast speed and then hit the brakes, slowing to about 5mph rather than full stop. (x3)

[horndog]

You should follow what the manufacturer recommends, each pad may be different.

[WOODY72]

Surely, with all pads, shouldn't they be run in gently until they take on the shape of your discs, or you will get hot spots in one place, cos i know i did. The discs had a burnt blue mark in the centre of the disc surface!

[VR457]

Disc score happens when you bring the car to a stop from high speed. Just let off before coming to a stop, rolling forward and avoiding stopping until disc cools down.

[Chris.W]

To be fair i was sceptical about this method at first but seems to have worked well for me. Plus had brand new discs on as well.
Altho in all honesty i tend not to use the brakes that much, usualy either downshift or leave plenty space to coast to a slower speed.

[Jesus-Ninja]

Bit of a thread revival, but I thought I'd post my findings / options of YellowStuff. I moved to these from Mintex 1155s recently.

I definitely rate the Mintex over the YellowStuff. I have seriously lunched my way through the pads over the last 10 days / 600 miles, of which about 200 are country lanes, 200 are motorway and 200 are A Roads. I tend to brake late and hard.

At operating temp they seem to be OK, but from cold they lack bite and I cook them too easily The former I can live with, it's to be expected of a pad which is required to operate at high temps, but the latter is no use to me. I've faded them 2 or 3 times now, quite disturbingly so: pedal is still solid, but the car just feels like it's not going to stop for that T junction at the end of the hill. I did have great clouds of smoke coming from both front hubs, to be fair. Pads, Discs and Fluid are all new. That said, once they've cooled down, it's business as usual.

I suspect it's not so much a slight on EBC, as it is on Mitsubishi. The car is under-braked in terms of disc size and pad area. The stock set up is OK for normal road driving where your biggest concern is being able to emergency stop, but it struggles with enduring repeated abuse. Either way, my current set up isn't going to do well on track.

I'll look at cooling either way, but it'll be back to Mintex, or even DS2500 (which I've used and abused with great results). I'll possibly looking at bigger discs with the stock calipers.

[VR457]

I found yellowstuff quite good but did not subject it to that level of torture. I am puzzled by the lack of bite when cold - i thought it was quite good. With no experience of Mintex or Ferodo however that is something to factor in.

The bite from the yellowstuff has now gone, in one year and about 10k miles. I'm up for getting the Bluestuff NDX unless the case for the others can be made stronger.

[Jesus-Ninja]

I will probably try DS2500 on the legnum after these. I've not run them on the VR4, but did on my S14. I ran oversized discs on that, but with the stock calipers, and LOTS of cooling. Couldn't fade them at all.

I may yet hang on to the brembos and facelift hub carriers I've been trying to sell though!

[CANDEE]

Nick the factory brakes are waaaay under-sized for our cars being pushed.. Even the subby boys with the 4 pot brakes and 294's are having the same issue as we are with cooking pads(and they have lighter cars), but with the Brembo's or other setup they have no problems at all..