Currently run EBC Green Fronts. Had EBC Green rears but a wear problem killed the right rears so I switched back to stock rears. The fronts have lasted me about 25k miles and look like a good 10k more, so really no complaints at all.

Heavy searching turned empty results. I like the low dust of the EBC. I am going to do more autox/track days from now on so I'm looking in to competition pads. Searching found:

EBC Green Stuffs
EBC Red Stuffs (but who offers them?)
Ferodo DS2500
Ferodo DS3000
Hawk Performance Ceramic
Hawk HPS Street
Hawk HP + Race

The Ferodo DS3000 and the Hawk HP + seem more competition biased than for street use. I am looking for something more aggressive than the EBC Greens. I Like the idea of the EBC Reds, but don't know where to find them. What are my options for street>track type pad with low (comparable to Greens) dust? Will the Ferodo DS2500 be too aggressive?

 

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In my area, MINIs that autocross, do lapping on the track, and drive on the street use either Ferrodo DS2500 or Mintex M1144 pads front and rear with stock rotors. Both types of pads will dust more than EBC greens but performance is much better. M1144 will wear down a little faster but be less hard on the rotors compared to DS2500.

HawkHPS brake pads worth a look-
http://outmotoring.com/mini_cooper_h...brake_pad.html
Quote:
Hawk Performance HPS brake pads are formulated to run cleaner and release extremely low levels of dust in normal street driving.

Featuring: High friction/torque hot or cold, Gentle on rotors
Very quiet, low noise, Improved braking over OE pads,
Extended pad life.

Or
http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=EZ3&url=/brakes/results.jsp&category=Pads&scat=Pads&scat=Rotors&sc at=Lines&scat=BigBrakeKits&autoMake=Mini&autoModel =Cooper+S&autoModClar=&autoYear=2003&brand=all&per fcat=perf&perfcat=track&x=74&y=21

 

The EBC Green and Hawk Ceramic are basically equivalent. A step up would be the Hawk HPS. The EBC Red's are discontinued. Ferodo 2500's, 3000's, and Hawk HPS+ are dual-purpose pads and are dustier and noiser than the Hawk HPS's

Don't forget to check out the low prices on Hawk and EBC Green pads on the Detroit Tuned website!

Cheers,
Ryan

 

Ryan,

The Hawk HPS are dustier than EBC's, but stop better?

Just wondering, because the $7 doesn't really matter.

 

In our brake test- 72 passes on our track a day - no wheel cleaning - the EBC actually dusted worse under intense Auto X use, compaired to HPS.

Alex

 

If you're looking for pads to reduce brake dust on the wheels, then definitely look at the Mintex Redbox. I've run quite a few different types of pads on our MINIs, and out of them all, the EBC's were the worst (by a long shot - almost as bad as the stock pads - I think that they should be sued for false representation as it really is that bad), and the Mintex Redbox were the best (by a long shot). Not to mention that the Mintex pads are less than half the price of all the other pads (i.e. you can get the fronts and the rears for the same price as just the fronts in the other pads).

Just my $0.02...

 

Hawk Performance Ceramic works VERY well in lower dust applications. Nice firm pedal feel also!

Alex

 

Hi Alex,

I've never tried the Hawk pads so I'll have to take your word for it. I do know that lots of folks try and sell the EBC pads as "low dust" pads and it's total rubbish. They're no better than the stock pads really. Maybe I'll give the Hawk pads a try next when the time comes.

Thanks for your commments.

 

My observation after switching to the Green pads was not that the volume of dust decreased, which I think it did marginally, but that the type of dust changed. The stock dust was very dark and large in particle size. The Green pads generated a dust that was lighter in color and much finer in particle size.

The result for me on white S-lites was going from needing washing every day to washing once a week. The dust from the green pads was harder to notice from a few feet away, but the dust from the stock pads was very evident from quite a distance.

Braking performance was certainly equal to, if not greater than the stock pads.

Bill

 

Friction = dust. Ceramic and kevlar make less, and its usually tan in color, not carbon colored.

Alex