So I have an 03 cooper S that needs new pads and rotors. I'm plannning on stock rotors because I don't plan on tracking or autocrossing it, although if I have the opportunity I might take it. For pads, last time I replaced the pads, I went with greenstuff pads and I've been happy with them, the braking feels good, and the dust is ok. I live in the mountains of Colorado and I raced go-karts and cars for about 12 years so I get to play on mountain roads fairly frequently and I like to play hard. I'm also harder on brakes than average because of the grades and hills that I'm always on.

I can't decide between the greenstuff and the redstuff pads. I'm happy enough with the performance of the greenstuff, but I still get a fair amount of brake dust which annoys me, so I'm tempted to go with the redstuff because it seems like the performance for daily driving is fairly comparable, the dust is less, and if I really want to get out and push them, I can. Does anybody have any experience to the contrary?

 

I have used EBC products on another car - not my Mini. Because I was impulsive and thought I was smarter than I realy was, I first purchased their yellow pads and used them on "standard" rotors. They chewed up my rotors and had to do another brake job long before the pads were worn. I should have upgraded the rotors to use the yellow pads. It was an expensive lesson, but I purchased new "street" rotors and used their red pads mainly because they advertised them as having virtually no dust. Well, they do dust but nowhere near as bad as stock pads. I like them and will use them on my Mini when I need to replace them. I have zero complaints with the product. But they do dust - they are not totally clean.

 

I would recommend power slots and EBC reds. I have the power slot and green combo and love them but have heard that the reds are even better. As far as going OEM on the rotor, take a look at Way MotorWorks to see if you can find a better deal. When I was in the market for new rotors, an "upgrade" was actually cheaper than stock.

He does have a Zimmerman package.

http://www.waymotorworks.com/wmw-ebc...0-r52-r53.html

I'm guessing that you are a 1st Gen.

 

The Zimmerman cross drilled rotors and EBC redstuff. Great combo..Good for daily driver or high spirited driving.
Low dust but watch does accumulate washes off easily.
Reds are ceramic and greens are kevlar base I believe.
Got mine way WayMotorWays.......

 

I was looking into ebc yellowstuff pads for my 2010 JCW. So it wouldnt be a good idea to use these pads with the OEM rotors?
i use this car mostly for autox and track days, but would like to be able to use it on the street too.
I have just under 10k miles on the clock, so I don't know if its worth investing in a full set of pads and rotors yet or just wait on the 'free' maintenance period to be over first.

i know standard practice is to replace rotors when putting new pads in, but has anyone ever just replaced pads on the same set of rotors (given they are in decent condition)?

 

I'm from the old school when you could turn rotors but from what I'm gathering the Mini rotors (and probably most newer cars as a whole), use what's called throw away rotors. They are softer and should not be turned. So, given all that when I replaced mine I did both. Brakes are one of those things you really need to work well.

 

I'd measure your rotors and see, I've found that with just normal street driving, the oem and greenstuff pads, the rotors last me 2 sets of pads. With more agressive pads and driving, yours might not last as long.

 

II have had yellows before on my last car with upgraded rotors and lines. For track use it would be a good idea. For daily drving it would not be. As for autox that is iffy. The reason being is that they need to warm up to be warmed up to be able to use to their max. For the best braking I really think everyone that is considering getting new pads should always get new rotors. Especially if they are upgrading their pads. It is just one of those things on a car that why would you skimp out on. If you go for the cheap ****, like turning your rotors, and the brakes fail well you are justed ****ed. Just saying.

 

i agree, brakes are not the place to skimp out on.
so you say the yellowstuffs need time to heat up? they brand these as "Ultra High Friction Pads for Race, Trackday and Street Use" but that might be a stretch huh?

 

So, reading this thread, and lots of others, I have never been able to find a definitive statement on brake rotor/pad pairing. I have been doing brakes for 12 years, and have done extensive testing on a number of different products, and here are some of my experiences:

1. Rotors: First - never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever, and I mean NEVER just slam new pads on old rotors. There are several things that are important to consider. Minimum thickness, warping, and surface condition. If you want to re-use old rotors, at a minimum you MUST: Check for minimum thickness (usually stamped on the inside of the rotor or hat), and re-surface them. If they are still above the minimum after machining, they are safe to use for normal driving when paired with OE pads. Second - Ceramic pads and OE rotors are a bad combination. Ceramic pads stay cooler because the heat is pushed into the rotors, which will quickly warp OE stuff. Final thought on rotors - EBC's Sport dimpled and slotted are the gold standard, you will not go wrong with these babies.

2. Pads - EBC's line is spectacular, all are way above OE standard. Choose Green for average/normal driving, Red for spirited driving, or if you want no brake dust, and Yellow ONLY if you are either incredibly familiar with how these brakes are intended to work or if you are primarily using the vehicle for track days, etc.


For my Mini - EBC Sport Rotors and Redstuff pads shortened my stopping distance over OE from 60-0 by 22 feet. Also, there is no fade at all after repeated thrashings.

For my 06 GMC 3/4 ton Duramax tow vehicle - EBC Sport rotors and Greenstuff 7000 pads, 60-0 stopping distance reduced 40 feet, and repeated thrashings towing 10,000# all through the rocky mountains have yielded no warping of the rotors and incredibly long brake life (45,000 miles and the pads are still 2/3 there).

For my wife's 2010 Toyota Highlander - EBC Sport Rotors and Greenstuff pads are sticky as can be, reducing the 60-0 by 15 feet, with better pedal feel, although there is some brake dust.

Lastly - if you don't know all the nuances of brakes, please pay a professional to do it for you. Your life and the lives of others depend on it!

 

I'll be switching out my front rotors and brake pads this weekend. I chose EBC redstuff for the pads and I'll pair it with some Brembo rotors. I had half the thickness of the OE rotors left and it pains me to "throw them away" but I know that Mini discourages turning the rotors. My options were to go cheap and reuse the rotors or pay an extra $100 and enjoy the peace of mind that comes from doing a job as well as I can. Considering how much money I have tied up in this car, it was an easy decision.

 

Good choice - Brembo is trusted and will definitely serve you well. You did the right thing not using Mini rotors with those pads. Mini/BMW rotors are designed specifically to work with organic pads. Ceramics overheat them and they will warp 100% of the time.

I think BMW brakes are about as perfect as you can get from the factory for the average driver, but you must use their pads, and you must be willing to tolerate a ton of brake dust on your wheels...