I have the Helix stage 1 kit up front (Helix SS brakelines, ATE slotted rotors and Super Blue fluid) up front. The kit also came with EBC green pads, but I went with the reds instread. On the rear I have just plain old Advanced Auto rotors and Mintex redbox pads in the back. I really like the Helix kit up front, I only wish i went with something better on the rear, but that was an unexpected middle of a winter snowstorm fix so I had to use the parts I could get the quickest to get my car back on the road.

 

Depends on your priorities for brakes - low dust vs. low noise vs. initial bite vs. modulation vs. stopping distance, etc. You truly can NOT have it all in one pad.

IMHO Carbotech Bobcats are all the pad you'll need for the street. Longboard just put them on his 300hp street MINI (though he DOES have big brakes up front).

Unless you're running R-compound or oversized low treadwear tires, you'll be able to engage the front ABS with any of these pads... so the issue isn't "how much pad do I need for a 210HP MINI" but "which pad has the combination of dust, bite, modulation, rotor-friendliness, price, etc. that I'm looking for".

You'll get as many different answers as there are different pad manufacturers - every mfg has their fans. I've run OEM, Hawks and Carbotechs on my car personally... and more and more folks around here have become Carbotech converts over the past year or so... but they're not cheap.

 

thank you for your input Paul.... i completely understand the concept of brakes pads and rotors. I was just curious of what everyone else recommended. I thank you for your very detailed explanation on what i already know what brakes and rotors do. Just want the best for my mini... like all the mini lovers out there!

 

Well I can't aford a BBK yet. as I am in full maintnance mode right now. So I just had to replace all 4 corners. I went with EBC green stuff pads as I had them before and the EBC rotors. also flushed the system with synthetic and stainless lines. full total improvement over the way it was. it stops so well compared. but I have never used any of the other products mentioned here so I can't really compare to them. But for hard street driving seems to work. I can stop faster than before and it is nice and tight.

 

^^ what he said ECB Green stuff are biggest pile of **** ive ever used i cooked them on the road in a stock cooper FFS and they proceeded to fall apart inside the caliper,

now have carbotech XP8 "man compound" becuase i like noise and dust and scaring the life out of my passengers with how hard you can stop on stock calipers

 

Man compund. I got to get me some of that

 

Don't overlook the deep discount deals that expire tomorrow that I put up in the Vendor area.

 

I slapped on some stoptech slotted rotors and hawk hps pads all around 15,000 miles ago. A few months ago my car started making warped noises as if the brakes were warped. One thing that's different is that my steering wheel does not shake when I am braking. Any ideas on what it could be? The edges are a little rusted but not not to an extreme.