Ok, I'm in need of some new FRONT brakes. I don't want to pay Mini $700 to do it, so I may do it or have one of my mechanics do it much cheaper. What are the best ones (at least resonably priced) with the least amount of brake-dust?

 

define 'best'

and tell us how to measure brake dust

popular ones in the past 6 months are

CarboTec

EBC green

EBC red

and Hawk

search on any of these for 'details'

I've been using EBC Green on all my MiNis since 2004 . .. . they have consistently dusted WAY less then the factory pads.

 

Thanks...the EBC ones are actually green/red, correct? I have a Blue car, so not sure it would look ok. I have white wheels (well, my summer wheels), so that is why I was curious about the dust issue. I just didn't want to end up with some crap pads.....seems like HAWK, EBC are what I've seen. So, where is the best place to get them?

Also, I bought the car used and the rear's where done a while ago, fronts have not been. Is it better to do al 4 at once?

 

I put a set of Akebono Euroceramic pads. I think they were around $70. Much easier to modulate than stock pads, no squeaks, and they produce almost no brake dust at all.

Tom

 

+1 on EBC Green

 

Still vote for factory. Going to be replacing my front brakes tomorrow along with the rotors and decided to go with all factory parts.

 

EBC Reds here, great braking and LOW dust.

 

EBC Greens and Zimmerman solid rotors from Way Motor Works. ~ $600.00 for all 4 rotors, pad sets and brake wear indicators.

The brakes on a Mini are very easy to change yourself. Do all 4 at once, using matching components, unless you know you need different braking characteristics front and rear.

 

color in EBC relates to performance, not some designer paint thing. Green are mildest/closest to OEM, red's more like sport street, yellow yet more aggressive. The painted pad backing plates are only modestly visible within the brake calipers anyway, and they get kind of dust covered too.

You don't say which model you have either. Some pads may not not available for the S. For example, Mintex is a relatively low cost pad, but may not be available for the S even though there is a catalog listing. Like EBC reds and Carbotech Bobcats (a fairly expensive performance pad), it is much lower dust than OEM.

Typically pads are only changed per axle (front and rear), unless they are fairly closely worn on both ends or if you are changing compounds pretty significantly.

 

good description of the various EBC pads here

http://new.minimania.com/web/Item/NMB1112/InvDetail.cfm

fronts and rears typically wear at significantly different rates and I've never considered it necessary to change both axles if one is worn. I've run EBC green up front and OEM in the rear for many a mile with no problem. dealers only replace one axle at a time under maintenance plan . . .

WRT EBC color - not enough shows thru to make much difference and by the time the are bedded and the EBC 'special coating' is gone they all look grey!

You might find them at a larger auto part chain, it depends on where you live. PEP Boys carries EBC but I usually have to order for MINI even thru the store - or I did last time I tried. Many many online sources and you can comparison shop but if you do don't look at price alone, include the shipping as prices will vary widely on that. Just about anywhere in the US you should get this in 2 to 3 working days via USPS priority mail for around $10. If the seller charges more you just discovered where they are making their $$

It is also very very possible that you can get a very decent pad from your local autopart store. I put Duralast pads on my 02 just b4 I sold it and they worked just fine, and were on the shelf at AZ for a fraction of the cost of a fancy pad like EBC. Expect a set of front EBC's to run in the $90 to $100 range depending on your year.

 

+1 on the akebono euroceramic. Reasonbly priced, very quiet, virtually dust free and they stop real well.

 

We have converted all our cars (except the mini) to EBC green and they are fantastic.

 

I recently changed to CarboTech

Ultra low dust and really good stopping power! LOVE IT!

 

Finally--someone who actually beds in their pads!

Really, pads aren't going to be a huge factor on "stopping power,", you're not going to dramatically decrease your braking distances with a pad (in fact a too "aggressive" pad may do exactly the opposite--it's cold temp bite may not be very good, and if the pads aren't balanced, screwing up your brake bias may make you feel like you're stopping quicker, by diving the nose, when in actuality you've added a few feet to stopping distances.

Wanna stop quicker? Get stickier tires, plain and simple.

What pads will do is work better over different temperature ranges. An "aggressive" track pad works terrible on the street, because it needs to be in the proper temperature range to bite. A street pad will stop better in this situation, but will be terrible on the track because it over heat.s

 

I would say much the same. I would try to hold the compounds front to rear close to each other, but nonetheless a decent ABS system with individual wheel control should be compensating for this near the lock up point, if not sooner if it keeps track of front to back relative suspension movement and has a proportioning adjustment below the ABS threshold. As you say, for everyday non-track driving for a given car it then comes down to tires (and road surface), not pads.

 

EBC Red! Definitely 50% less brake dust very noticeable improvement in stopping distance. I am sure about fade since I haven't really had the opportunity to use them aggressively yet. I was really shocked how good they are. I paid $130.00 locally, You can probably buy them cheaper on the Internet. My rear pads are still stock and at the end of the week my rear wheels are twice as dirty as my fronts

I have no tracking problems and yes I bedded my pads

 

I agree with this completely. Spoken like a true track experienced person. What you look for on a street pad is consistent brake modulation, lack of squeal and low dust. Your stopping distances are not going to change much as it does depend on tires. What feels like shorter brake distance is likely the initial bite, something you can get if you stomp on the brakes harder. There is a lot more braking power that most people on the street would not come close to using, all the way up to threshold braking. If you do not compare the different pads at/near threshold, it would be difficult to say one pad gives you shorter distances than another.

I generally like Carbotechs because I have gotten used to their consistent modulation and would recommend them over EBCs, which I have also tried but find them a little vague for me.

 

Why? You can vary the brake bias with your choice of brake pad compunds with different cf. I do this all the time for the street.

The ABS usually will not do anything until the point of lockup and then modulates the wheel(s) that is locked. You might be talking about the other brake sytem controls that is part of the Mini alphabet soup.

 

between carbotech, hawks, and ebc green/red would anyone be able to tell me which produce the least brake dust and which are the cheapiest? and is there a significant difference between these brands in performance, dust, or price?

 

Carbotech's are the best for dusting IMHO. They usually aren't the cheapest, but the price isn't too bad, and they are incredibly gentle on the rotors, so the cost of the pad is offset there. You get what you pay for...

 

+1 on Carbotech Bobcat 1521 for dust and good brake modulation. I think they run about $125 approx for the front. You do get what you pay for but they do last and they are rotor friendly.

 

EBC Reds for me! EBC claims a +40' shorter stopping distance with no other changes from 100mph and after proper bedding in and 8K miles, I believe them! No noise, very little dust and great brake feel over the OEM brakes. I also have their slotted/dimpled front rotors and they make a BIG difference in foul weather or heavy braking.

 

If they're claiming that I'd run away. Fast. No way that pad will drop your stopping distance 40 feet, wishful thinking, putting it mildly. That's going to take stickier tires, and probably a drop in weight at the least.

 

EBC's claim is based on witnessed tests conducted at the Motor Industries Research Assc. (MIRA) facilities in the UK.

 

Can you provide a link to that EBC test. I think it would be interesting to look at.