Warning on EBC Redstuff Rear Pads - don't buy them
- Thread starter jwa1
- Start date
i put ebc crossdrilled discs and red stuff pads on my impreza sti prodrive and i wished that a had'nt because unless you get some heat into the pads ie trackdays etc,put your foot on the brake pedal and nothing seemed to happen.the pads seem to also wear the discs out prematurely and the inner pad didn't make contact with the disc thus ending up with an inch wide rust spot on the front disc which was picked up on the mot so the car failed on that!the only good thing about red stuff pads imo is hardly any brake dust what so ever.
avoid x2
avoid x2
Either tonight or Thurs ill be ripping mine off and stretching out the metal piston clasps so they fit better (they were farr too easy to install in the first place!). This with a liberal coating of grease should do the trick 
If not, my supplier has told Euro Car Parts and EBC and they are prepared to replace them for me pending this change.
If not, my supplier has told Euro Car Parts and EBC and they are prepared to replace them for me pending this change.
jward said:
ok just to share here are my overheated greenstuff:
lets compare if your redstuff pad condition is similar
after i overheated these, the squeak started and it never went away, especially when brakes are warn and slightly pressed. if the brakes are hot however, they were squeaky even when i wasn't stepping on the brakes. Take note these are relatively new pads.
You do realise there has to be an element of play in all disc brake pads, if there wasnt then the pad would bind in the caliper and not function at all.
I do agree however that ebc possibly arnt very good pads, a guy in my office races group N rally cars and recons none of them boys would touch ebc stuff with a barge pole, you pays your money, you takes your chances i suppose.
The OEM pads seem really good, fair bit of dust but they work well and last a good while.
I do agree however that ebc possibly arnt very good pads, a guy in my office races group N rally cars and recons none of them boys would touch ebc stuff with a barge pole, you pays your money, you takes your chances i suppose.
The OEM pads seem really good, fair bit of dust but they work well and last a good while.
EdButler said:Either tonight or Thurs ill be ripping mine off and stretching out the metal piston clasps so they fit better (they were farr too easy to install in the first place!). This with a liberal coating of grease should do the trick
If not, my supplier has told Euro Car Parts and EBC and they are prepared to replace them for me pending this change.
Ed, did you have any joy with this?
I've put Greenstuffs on mine. Ran in gently for 250 miles before doing the hard braking. Then another 1,000+ miles. All seemed to be going well until I got to a Swiss mountain pass, after a descent I stopped at traffic lights and there was some smoke - as you'd expect with the running in.
This clip shows the sort of driving and what was emitting from the wheel afterwards - bear in mind that this was taken after I got out of the car, checked the wheel and then went back for the camera... it was a lot worse!
[youtube]<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GeTASNBPNN4&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GeTASNBPNN4&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>[/youtube]
The brakes are now squealing at low speeds and one of the fronts is rattling over bumps. Haven't had a chance to look at the brakes or speak to anyone yet, just wondered how you chaps were getting on.
Hurrah! Back from the garage, it is actually the caliper spring on mine, not tight enough and is letting the pad move / rattle... probably also accounts for the occasional squeaking.
Ahh sorry about not getting back to you on this one mate 
But glad its sorted!! I hadn't actually fixed my caliper clips yet, as they've stopped squealing... They still rattle but i can kinda tolerate it for now!!
Were your pads destroyed after then, or are they back to normal? Ive had my Redstuffs smoking like that a few times (admittedly on lengthy sessions) but they were always fine again after a few miles...
But glad its sorted!! I hadn't actually fixed my caliper clips yet, as they've stopped squealing... They still rattle but i can kinda tolerate it for now!!Were your pads destroyed after then, or are they back to normal? Ive had my Redstuffs smoking like that a few times (admittedly on lengthy sessions) but they were always fine again after a few miles...
EdButler said:Ahh sorry about not getting back to you on this one mate
Were your pads destroyed after then, or are they back to normal? Ive had my Redstuffs smoking like that a few times (admittedly on lengthy sessions) but they were always fine again after a few miles...
No worries, Ed. They seem to have settled down again now and the rattle is only bad over an uneven surface, should be solved completely with a new spring clip. Am happy to keep these going, but don't think I'd get EBC pads again.
Glad to hear yours have settled too
Here's my 2pence worth.
I have had ebc cross drilled and grooved discs on with redstuff pads for a wee while,and the fronts have quietened down alot since new,and the rears are stil a bit noisy(mainly audible with roof down),but have been better since the lakes/dales meet.
i am also putting it down to the fact that the rear discs and pads were fitted 4weeks after the fronts,and are generally used less when braking/so will prob take longer to qtn down.
If i was buying them now,i would prob fit same discs,but with the ultimax pads/ferrodo's,etc,that are generally qtr than the redstuff,as far as i am aware
I have had ebc cross drilled and grooved discs on with redstuff pads for a wee while,and the fronts have quietened down alot since new,and the rears are stil a bit noisy(mainly audible with roof down),but have been better since the lakes/dales meet.
i am also putting it down to the fact that the rear discs and pads were fitted 4weeks after the fronts,and are generally used less when braking/so will prob take longer to qtn down.
If i was buying them now,i would prob fit same discs,but with the ultimax pads/ferrodo's,etc,that are generally qtr than the redstuff,as far as i am aware
PawnSacrifice said:No worries, Ed. They seem to have settled down again now and the rattle is only bad over an uneven surface, should be solved completely with a new spring clip. Am happy to keep these going, but don't think I'd get EBC pads again.
Glad to hear yours have settled too
When you say "spring clip", it's the thingy attached to the external side of the caliper, right ?
Cause i still have a rattle on uneven surafce roads, which most likely would be pad-related.
I am the EBC dealer in Romania and I can help you clear some things about this brand:
1. If the pads make any noise when you dont touch the pedal, is the caliper or the mechanic fault(for nat fixing the clamps the proper way, etc). The pads SHOULD NOT BE in contact with the disc when you dont press the pedal.
2. The dealer who sold greens to a Z4 was an idiot as these pads are only meant for light sport cars(<1200KG) and no more than 150HP. the resin/lubricant caught fire and destroyed the pads so the squealing is absolutely normal because the pad was hard as a rock after it has been abused.
3. The reds come in many compounds and the old compounds are causing problems when driven hard... EBC admitted this and developed a new compound which eliminates the vibrations caused by the old one. The new compound is DM2026 and can be identified by the /26 found on the pads label.
The pad from the picture is a very old one with E388 compound. All the EBC pads are available in various compounds but most dealers sell the old ones.
4. EBC does not have a brake pad intended for race use only like Ferodo. In real applications where the car is a daily driver and took on the track from time to time, the Yellows are 3 times better than any Ferodos or other brands in the same price range. Always use Yellow with Turbo Groove discs.
From my experience with EBC I would suggest:
-Use Ultimax if you want a very good value pad and a very price effective oem alternative. ultimax should not be compared with OEM pads from premium brands which costs 3 times more. For example, the ultimax are at least as good as any OEM Honda pad but cannot be compared with OEMs from an E39 M5. Try to understand that even if the shape of the pads is the same, the compound differs by application(even if they have the same shape and are interchangeable, the M5 E39 pads will always be superior to the E39 530i ones)
-Use Greens if you want to be able to make a head through the window stop from speeds lower than 120mph. They are only good for 1 stop. Dont ask them too much, they are not for road racing.
-Use Reds for occasionally road racing. They are good for 2 consecutive and brutal stops from 120mph, after this you need to cool them down.
-If you go even near a racetrack, please use Yellow. Used with Goodridge hoses, they will feel like oem pads when cold and are capable to withstand any abuse. For mixed road/track driving, they offer by far the best performance/price ratio on the market.
I have sold over 2000 pad sets and I faced all possible situations. I always ask my clients what pads have them used before, if they satisfied with them and what improvement are they looking for.
1. If the pads make any noise when you dont touch the pedal, is the caliper or the mechanic fault(for nat fixing the clamps the proper way, etc). The pads SHOULD NOT BE in contact with the disc when you dont press the pedal.
2. The dealer who sold greens to a Z4 was an idiot as these pads are only meant for light sport cars(<1200KG) and no more than 150HP. the resin/lubricant caught fire and destroyed the pads so the squealing is absolutely normal because the pad was hard as a rock after it has been abused.
3. The reds come in many compounds and the old compounds are causing problems when driven hard... EBC admitted this and developed a new compound which eliminates the vibrations caused by the old one. The new compound is DM2026 and can be identified by the /26 found on the pads label.
The pad from the picture is a very old one with E388 compound. All the EBC pads are available in various compounds but most dealers sell the old ones.
4. EBC does not have a brake pad intended for race use only like Ferodo. In real applications where the car is a daily driver and took on the track from time to time, the Yellows are 3 times better than any Ferodos or other brands in the same price range. Always use Yellow with Turbo Groove discs.
From my experience with EBC I would suggest:
-Use Ultimax if you want a very good value pad and a very price effective oem alternative. ultimax should not be compared with OEM pads from premium brands which costs 3 times more. For example, the ultimax are at least as good as any OEM Honda pad but cannot be compared with OEMs from an E39 M5. Try to understand that even if the shape of the pads is the same, the compound differs by application(even if they have the same shape and are interchangeable, the M5 E39 pads will always be superior to the E39 530i ones)
-Use Greens if you want to be able to make a head through the window stop from speeds lower than 120mph. They are only good for 1 stop. Dont ask them too much, they are not for road racing.
-Use Reds for occasionally road racing. They are good for 2 consecutive and brutal stops from 120mph, after this you need to cool them down.
-If you go even near a racetrack, please use Yellow. Used with Goodridge hoses, they will feel like oem pads when cold and are capable to withstand any abuse. For mixed road/track driving, they offer by far the best performance/price ratio on the market.
I have sold over 2000 pad sets and I faced all possible situations. I always ask my clients what pads have them used before, if they satisfied with them and what improvement are they looking for.
