I don't do any autox.

I am a spirited driver and LOVE corners!

I would like to reduce the amount of brake dust.

I would like to hear from other owners who have kept the OEM rotors but swapped out the OEM pads.

1. What did you switch to?

2. Why?

3. Would you use that brand again or try a different brand?

4. Did you keep the OEM brake lines or upgrade to stainless steel?

5. If yes, why?

6. If not, why?

Thanks!

 

1 Mintex Redbox for me, Others use EBC green, Hawk Ceramic pads are also OK. Now I have track/street pads.
2 Mintex are Cheap and they work.
3 Hawk Ceramic Pads next time
4 Initially kept the stock brakelines but later switched to SS lines
5 I didn't really feel that much difference with SS lines.
6 Initially there was no reason to change lines for street use.

7 I do recommend upgrading brake fluid if you do use your brakes alot. Reduces overheating of brake fluid which I found easy to do with stock fluid- esp with heavy braking at High performance driving events or hilly areas (going down).

Stock rotors are fine.

 

I love my Mintex redbox pads- The price is right and dusting is pretty much gone. Although I wash my Cooper every weekend, so it never really builds up anyway-

I though about SS lines and rotors, but they're unnecessary for 98% of driving. If I was tracking the car hard, I may think about a brake upgrade, or even if I had to replace everything and I had the cash to do it at the time. For now, these work great. I would like to upgrade my fluid for a tighter pedal feel, maybe at MITM2. . .

Speaking of spirited driving and loving corners- try not to brake IN the corner. . . never hurts to point out the obvious. . .

 

Do any of the NAM vendors sell Mintex?

If not, where can I find them?

 

EBC Green Stuff on my Cooper. Dusting has been drastically reduced and the pads have lasted thru spirited driving, 2-MOTDs 1-FOTD, 4 track days, 2-MMEs and a whole lot of twisties.

Hawk HPS on my MCS. Dusting is still there, but not as bad as was the OEM. I've tracked the car, taken it to MME and to MOTD. I drive the car everyday, spiritedly.

I am satisfied with the replacement pads on both cars, however I have heard that newer EBCs are different. I'll probably go with Hawk Ceramics in the future, as I have heard they dust even less than what I already have.

I replaced my OEM brakelines with s/s lines, as I heard that with time, the OEM lines bubble. I guess that means they have a tendency to burst eventually.

I replace my brake fluid every 6 months.

 

Mintex reds here:
http://www.helix13.com/mini/products/brakes

http://www.outmotoring.com/mini-coop...rake-pads.html

http://www.promini.com/product-exec/...arch_model/153

http://rspeed.net/product_info.php?products_id=3032
http://rspeed.net/product_info.php?products_id=3033



Note- I bought mine off ebay for $60 shipped F&R about 1 1/2 years ago. Haven't seen that deal since but it can't hurt to check every once and a while.

 

Hawk Ceramics.

 

I see couple guys are thinking of Hawk Ceramics. Are they good for track days and autox?

 

+1

 

EBC must have changed the formulation for the Greens because they were just dangerous on the street before and forget about the track. They were also useless when cold.

Axxis Ultimates are another choice that gets good reviews.

 

Regarding EBC Greenstuff, maybe they had a bad batch. I don't know. I do know that I went through two sets on a Probe GT and two on my MCS. Neither car was stock and both were / are used for frequent autocrossing and used year-round in Indiana. The pads for the MINI were bought in late 2002 and again in 2004. It's possible that some folks had issues getting the pads properly bedded or glazed them. Either will result in reduced performance with any pads.

Dusting was dramatically reduced compared to OEM MINI pads. Pedal feel was improved on both cars, and cold braking was great. Braking was was measureably improved on the Probe, and felt like it was on the MCS relative to stock pads. I never faded the brakes on the Probe, and didn't on the MCS until I'd made a fair amount of drivetrain and suspension mods and started coming into corners much faster on course. Even then I rarely noticed any fade, but the brakes got hot and stinky more often. This was a total non-issue on the street since Indiana isn't exactly known for its mountains. It's hard to overtax even a stock setup on the street here.

These are NOT track pads, and EBC was pretty plain about that last time I looked. They aren't intended to take that kind of heat. That's what Redstuff is for. EBC are street or autocross pads.

I'm currently using Porterfield R4S pads. They are also low dust, and seem to have a bit more fade resistance. Cold braking is not as good as Greenstuff, but once a couple of gentle stops have been made on the street they are fine.

Scott
90SM