OP, what's the intended usage? Are you more concerned with reduced dust/noise, bite when cold, reduced fade when hot, etc.? Is this a daily driver, or is it flogged pretty hard every time you get the car out?
racecougar,
This is a daily driver with 90% city driving. 30% of the city driving is in rush hour bumper to bumper traffic with rare last second stops. The car is not used to race to and brake hard at each light.
The car is located in the southeast with flat terrain and temperatures averaging above 75° F most of the year.
In order of priority: stopping power, sound, durability and dust.
They more I read, my preferences so far would be:
1) Metallic brake pads
2) ATE TYP 200 Brake Fluid since it can last up to 3 years before needing to be changed.
Since the car has always used OEM brake pads, my experience with impressive stopping power has always involved someone else's car (i.e, BMWs). When I look at information for pads like Hawk's, I'm can't tell if I'll regret upgrading because some opinions would lead one to believe that you'll be flying through the wind shield every time you touch the brake pedal. Would the increased stopping power only be noticed when both the brakes pads and rotors are upgraded ?
I've never noticed the sound made by the OEM pads that have always been on the car. However, that should be balanced with my never being impressed with their stopping power. If you didn't know that your OEM brakes pads had been replaced with another brand with equivalent stopping power, but allegedly more noise, would the sound difference be that obvious ?
In terms of durability, the pads shouldn't wear out or lose most of their stopping power in the first 20,000 miles with a driver that doesn't constantly ride the brake. Warranties don't appear to be a factor in comparison since most of them are 90 days or 3,000 miles. A few brands offer a limited lifetime warranty, but given all their exclusions, they don't seem to offer any additional value.
I'm not sure that dust is that much of an issue if the car is frequently washed and the wheels cleaned. Even though the car has the chrome LSC rims, I haven't had a problem with keeping them clean.
I've also read the rear brake pads are smaller than the fronts and are difficult to find. Is this true ? Is it better to have a matching set of front and rear pads or can you have a brand in front that's different from the rear.
