Guys, I need your input on brake pads.

Dar-Dar

Dar-Dar

Mordorator
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9,901
North NJ
Vehicle Model
Civic Si
Body Style
Fiji Blue Pearl Coupe Coolest Member Since: May 15, 2011
My car is currently running on thin front brake pads and it's needs replacing. I'm searching around for new ones on Corsport and I'm looking to get either the Hawk HPS, Hawk Performance Ceramic, and EBC Redstuff. I'm only going to use them for regular driving. I just need your inputs on which brake pads to get. Thanks all.
 
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last time I was about to purchase one of these pads, the company asked me "why I was ordering them instead of the OEM honda replacements". I was rather confused, and expected they were better. The company basically told me to buy the oem honda replacements, and they didn't even offer them for sale (so they LOST a sale by telling me this). All they sold were aftermarket pads such as hawk. So, needless to say, I didn't buy aftermarket pads. I have no experience with either of those to comment, but hopefully someone can chime in. Obviously the company wasn't just out to make a sale, so I trusted that they truly felt the oem pads were of higher quality.

Interested to see others reactions/experiences
 
I did a few research and it seems like Red Stuff is like a hybrid between the HPS and the Hawk Performance Ceramic with good stopping power, very low brake dust, and long life. The only bad part is that the bed-in usually takes less than 1,000 miles and it will squeak/squeal during the 1k. I'll just give this one a try.
 
I just bought the Redstuff along with the Corsport cable bushings. I can't believe I didn't get them yet. :facepalm:
 
I'm surprised Robert hasn't chimed in on this yet...

webby said:
last time I was about to purchase one of these pads, the company asked me "why I was ordering them instead of the OEM honda replacements". I was rather confused, and expected they were better. The company basically told me to buy the oem honda replacements, and they didn't even offer them for sale (so they LOST a sale by telling me this). All they sold were aftermarket pads such as hawk. So, needless to say, I didn't buy aftermarket pads. I have no experience with either of those to comment, but hopefully someone can chime in. Obviously the company wasn't just out to make a sale, so I trusted that they truly felt the oem pads were of higher quality.

Interested to see others reactions/experiences
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Assuming you guys are talking about brake pads for 8th-gen Si's, it sounds like the sales person was actually being honest with Webby. Out of the selection that Dar-Dar listed, none are worth it. The only pads that are a worthwhile street application upgrade aside from our stock pads are Axxis Ultimates/ULT's. I am running EBC Greens, and although they do provide better performance (slight, however), they are not worth the dust and noise they produce.

Dar-Dar said:
I just bought the Redstuff along with the Corsport cable bushings. I can't believe I didn't get them yet. :facepalm:
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Dar-Dar, if you have not installed/unpackaged them, I would return them. One of my friends with an H22-swapped Accord used these in conjunction with Brembo OEM-replacement rotors and the pads ate through the rotors in a few months of use. Not worth it.
 
I heard the Axxis ULTs are more for aggressive/track use and I would need to get aftermarket rotors for them. I also don't drive too aggressive on the road/highway. Did your friend use the Red Stuff for regular driving or did he auto-x with them?
 
Sounds like you should just get OEM/OEM-replacement pads then. Why are you feeling the need to buy aftermarket if you're not wanting/needing to improve your braking performance? Yes, the Axxis Ults are more aggressive and can be used on the track, but I know some other Si owners who use them on a daily basis on normal roads with no complaints. As far as I'm aware, my friend never Auto-X'ed/tracked his car; only drove it on the street.
 
I just want to try something different that's not OEM and see what the difference really is in terms of brake performance. I guess I'll keep looking around for more options. Thanks for the inputs.
 
is there something specific you expected robert to say?
 
Not really. I'm open to all answers since this is the 1st time I'm changing the brake pads.
 
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I replaced my front rotors and pads cause I was having the "warped rotor" sensation. I went with hawk hps pads on recommendation from the guys at corsport. Resurfacing the rotors was going to cost me the same as buying new ones and doing it myself. I posted a review of my purchase over at 8th and didn't get a single response which I why I decided to come here. People who actually care!

In any case....
Hawk HPS Brake shoes - Price was nearly that of OEM so I gave em' a shot. Think OEM would be fine since I DD only.

Low dust, low noise, good brake feel, a bit more bite than OEM. Perfect in my opinion. I get no brake noise when stopping. These pads do make noise in one situation however. They squeal between 0-1 mph. If you are inching forward at a stoplight and they are not heated up they squeal a little. Other than that there is no noise. When you first start the car and back out of a parking space they will make noise when you stop and again when you put it into drive. So it's just a couple seconds of noise. If you are in stop and go traffic and they are heated up a little they won't make noise, sit for a while they will everytime you start and stop. It's really more of a groan than a squeal. It's not super high pitch. I will probably use them or OEM next set depending on price.
 
HPS are really horrible pads IMO. They are no better than stock, and are essentially OE replecements. If you are looking for an upgraded street pad then EBC green or red are more than adequate. I put greenstuff on my mother's pilot and redstuff on a friend's Si.

For a DD, there will be no improvement in stopping power. If I was buying new pads, I would want a little more bite(higher coefficient of friction) so I can actually stop when some dumbass cuts me off because they are too busy talking on the phone.
If installed correctly, HPS, green and other street pads will not squeal. Make sure you use antisqueal or other substitute on the guide pins and between the pad-back and the backing plates. Always follow the manufacturer bedding procedure, as all pads are constructed differently. If the pad layer is successfully transferred evenly onto the rotor then there will be no reason for noises.

As an aside, if you change pad compound or manufacturer it's advisable to have the rotors turned or replaced.

Also, as Jared mentioned the Axxis/PBR ULT's are a higher performance street pad ( note: not track pads). I run nothing less than these on my street cars and they are my personal preference in terms of brand, minus the Performance Friction Z-Rated pads, but I don't think they are available for these cars.

The higher the coefficient of friction, the better the stopping power, at the expense of more dust and more rotor wear. Unless you buy swiss-cheese rotors then they should last at least 3-5 sets of pads before they are thinner than the recommended minimum manufacturer limit..
 
Thanks for the input. I will definitely do the bed-in procedure once I get the brake pads.

How was the Red Stuff on your friend's Si? Did he/she also change the rotors? Did it eat away the brake rotors like Jared's friend's Accord?
 
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