Brake Pads..?

Yamaha72

Member
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Mazdaspeed 3
Ok so I think it is time for some new pads, what are some all around good ones that will stop the brake dust and be all around DD pads, nothing extreme just practical but better than the stockers? Also just curious, how many miles did the stock pads last you guys?? I'm pushing 27k and I can feel a slight grind and hear a little noise when I apply the brakes now..
 
Hawk HPS pads serve DD pretty well with improved friction coefficient and easy on rotors...occasionally they will produce a sqeak when they are cold or with light pedal pressure. Only car they did this with me was an EVO VIII...other 3 cars were noise-free. Am told rears wear out before fronts on the Speed3's...you see this ?
 
Cheap..?...Mazda's OEM pads cost more than the majority of aftermarket replacements, excluding track dedicated pads.
 
I ordered one of my favorite pads at 20000 miles. Had done alot heavy braking during my time in the car. started sqeaking a a little bit. Pulled wheels and I have at least five thousand miles left on fronts and the rears have a ton left on pad. So left the stockers on. Excellent performance brakes from Mazda or Ford or Volvo whomever. But the stockers really impressed me so far
 
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Ok so I think it is time for some new pads, what are some all around good ones that will stop the brake dust and be all around DD pads, nothing extreme just practical but better than the stockers? Also just curious, how many miles did the stock pads last you guys?? I'm pushing 27k and I can feel a slight grind and hear a little noise when I apply the brakes now..


I dont know why many guys dont get plenty of miles on OEM stuff.

For example on my 2007 Mazdaspeed 3:
OEM tires 38,100 miles, with 2 auto x and daily driven. Bought new set of Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec, awesome tires.

OEM brake pads front: 38,100 miles with also 2 auto x.

I bought the OEM pads because there is nothing better than them. The only problem they have is the dust, but that means that its breaking good. The OEM Pads manufacturer is FERODO. One of the best in the market..

The OEM set of pads are for sale on $200, but I had a conctact on the Mazda dealer that gave me a good price on the OEMs Ferodo $120...
 
That is a great price on pads. They are much more expensive here. More than 200 a pair! But for wear and tear, i am almost ready for my third set of tires. My first stock ones i burned off quickly because i did not like how they felt at high speed turning. So now i have Nitto, very soft and sticky. At 34000 i am almost ready for a new set. And i do not go to the track hardly at all. I do drive the car very hard on the hilly roads during summer though. With your mods i would think you would have gone through more tires by now.
 
is ceramic a step in the wrong direction if the OEM pads are that good?
EDIT" I LEFT OFF THE "ARE THAT GOOD" SORRY.
 
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I think thats a damn good question. If you are just replacing pads and upgrading to a more race oriented materials the rotor will wear quicker i believe. If you are overheating your brakes while running the car hard, like smoke and brake fade, you should get more aggessive pieces. But it is a trade off. at one end are nice daily drivers that have little dust are quiet and stop well when cold but will fade or glaze when pushed. At the other end is noisy, dusty, and will do nothing when cold plus they will wear faster. I have mentioned before, that the brakes in the Mazdaspeed 3 are some of the best stock brakes i have ever had the pleasure and i would not recommend changing. Bear in mind there are so many pads in between the extremes too. Ebc greens are not so dusty and do a little better with higher heat ranges while being nice to the rotors. If you track the car and daily drive you might want to have two sets of pads! I dont think i helped very much but i always have two cents to throw in the pot!
 
no you have... i've been reading up on it and I agree with what you are saying. 2 sets is a good idea. Right now its my daily.

I had thought about upgrading and then upgrading rotors at a later date when they became worn. What I'm searching for on here is if others have noticed rotor wear or other issue so I've been snooping around for that info too.
 
brakes

Hey Yamaha72 have u looked at EBC brakes the red stuff? I am about to get a set of these for the Speed. Also can someone give me an insight on how to remove the front calipers and change front pads?

http://www.ebcbrakes.com/redstuffinfo.html
I you will need the tool. Seriously. for the rear if you decide to do those. To drive the piston in. I did not know when i went at mine. But you can just get a loaner tool, the good one, from the Advance Auto parts store or someone like. We must have a How To by now around here somewhere
 
but if you wanted to a day or two at the track, burst some quick laps thenm go back to the daily driver, what is the best pad to use?
still the stockones for a day or two at the races, or is there a better pad out there for this DD / day or 3 race baron?
 
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