Like about everyone else, I'm thinking of switching to ceramic pads to reduce the amount of brake dust that I get. Since I'm so cheap, I was hoping that the stock pads would soon show enough wear that I would be OK with replacing them, but after 22K mostly highway miles the pads look almost new. The rotors, however, are suprisingly worn and will probably need to be replaced at the same time as the stock pads. Are the stock pads especially aggressive or the rotors unusually soft? Has anyone noticed less rotor wear with the softer metal used in ceramic pads? If so, I'm inclined to replace the pads before the rotors wear even further.

On the topic of pad selection, I could use some advice for a 100% street application. Of course I would like no dust or noise, but unlike some I would like to actually increase initial pedal effort. I find that the MINI's brakes are much too touchy for me and I want to end up with a harder, progressive pedal.

Thanks for the input.

 

The stock rotors are very soft....when you replace the factory pads...they will mostlikly be toast.
Ceramic pads may/may not be eassir on rotors...there a so many varibles...as to the dust level..cermics usually make a lighter shade of dust...less like black powder, more like a light co-co color!!
As to pedal force...it sounds like you are actually looking for better modulation...Carbo-tech bobcats are well liked for this reason...but they are not a ceramic, but they do make less dust than oem, and are eassier on the rotors. Akekebono euro pads are nearly dustless ceramics that some like..depends on your driving style!!
A quick search will give you many hundreads of pages on this topic...but be sure to remember most folks only have tried one brand...and it may or may not have matched their driving style, that, and many companys make many similar pads...with sometimes similar names...hawk, hawk ceramic, hawk HPS, EBC makes ultimates, yellows, reds, carboteck makes lots....just compare apples to apples!!

 

+1 on the Bobcats, for the reasons mentioned above. Almost no dust, better controlled/less grabby than OEM but still plenty of bite, and won't chew through your rotors as fast.

 

My stock front rotors lasted 35k miles. But when I swapped my pads recently, I could feel a definite sharp ridge around the edges; where the rotors had worn so much you could literally feel just how much they had worn down; so they are a bit soft.

And the Bobcats are a bit dusty. There were times when my front wheels (stock silver whatevers) turned nearly black. But, I put my brakes through hell. All-in-all they are a good bad, though.

 

Some brake pads are quite soft so they are quite good on the rotors.

I have been running all sorts of Carbotechs from XP10 to XP12s with no extra wear on the rotors. So far in 22K miles, I have gone through 5 sets of front pads and am on my second set of rotors, about 4 sets of front pads to one set of rotors... I replaced the front rotors due to heat cracking at about 18K miles ...

Keep in mind, these are race pads but I also have Carbotech CT1521 on my other car and they seem to be great on the rotors as well.

 

Five sets of pads in 22K!!?? You should be professionally testing for one of the brake pad companies.

Thanks for the replies. I probably should have mentioned that my car is an '09 R56 so the pad choices are somewhat limited at this point. Otherwise I may have just gone with the Akebono Euro ceramics that work so well on my buddy's R53.

 

This describes the Carbotech 1521 Bobcats precisely. And they're available for your brakes.

 

Remember, even Carbotec's websit caution that the RACE compound pads make huge amounts of dust....the bobcat 1521 is a different pad...and well liked for it's feel by many!! Both the Akenonoo pads mentioned, and the Bobcats are well liked...the akebono is a bit of a darkhorse, since most seem to go with the Ebc green stuff or the bobcats...but all 3 are good street pads from all I have seen...all on my short list.

All would be good choices, regardless of the compostion of the pads...Akebono's are likely the ones that make the least dust, but the others seem to offer better feel...just depends on you priorties.
Good Luck!

 

I just had installed Hawk ceramics with new centric rotors on my '05 MCS. The pads feel like they are bars of soap. Very little grip until forcefully applied. Is this normal until they break in?

 

Have you bedded those brakes in or did you just install them & call it done? Pads need to be bedded in for them to work to best effect.

 

+1 on bedding the pads.
I have the Hawk ceramics and the box even gave bedding instructions.
After bedding my Hawks are about like stock pads.

 

Yes, for 400-500 miles until the transfer film is developed.

Alex

 

Let's clear up a misnomer. Brake dust is not pad dust, it is iron dust. What settles on the wheels is actually iron coming from rotor wear. European linings are very abrasive and wear grey cast iron at a high rate. This is what gives them their "bite" and fade resistance. Ceramic pads don't wear the rotor, hence less dust and less bite. But they also have lower friction, hence a little heavier pedal feel. So all this talk of "soft iron" is nonsense. Grey cast iron is pretty much grey cast iron, regardless of where it comes from. To establish a little credibility, I'll tell you that I am a Brake Engineer at one of Detroit's auto makers (aka big three) with 27 years of experience (and yes, I drive a Mini). I recently installed a set of Akebono EUR1204 on my '08 Mini and have virtually eliminated the dust, But the bite is gone, and the effort is a bit higher. Good compromises in my judgement. By the way, the pads didn't fit and required some not so easy modifying. I've written Akebono and hope to get a response.

 

My experience with the Akebonos on my '09 R56 is similar to yours in that the initial bite is reduced and there is very little dust. With my fitment, however, I had no difficulties. I do notice that the pads are enough narrower than stock that I can hear them shift slightly in the caliper when I drive off after braking in reverse.