Which brake pads for ///M?

[Tcochrane92]

Hi all,

Sorry, I know this topic has probably been done to death, but I'd like to get an updated topic for it (some threads are quite old and new pads have been released since then).

I'm after some replacement brake pads for my Z4M roadster. The car is a toy, so doesn't get use for daily use - so the pads will reflect this.

I'm only interested in brake performance and resistance to fade.
I'm not really interested in brake dust or noise (I don't mind if the pads create dust & acceptable levels of noise)

The car primarily gets used for fast road driving and occasional track days, so it would need to be a road legal pad.

I'm currently looking at EBC red stuff, but have heard good things about Ferodo pads too.

Can anyone recommend some pads please?



Thanks

 

[mmm-five]

If you want a sport/race pad then you’re looking at Yellow-, Blue- or Orange-stuff in then EBC range.

I flip between EBC Orange (£120 for fronts & backs) and Pagid RS29 (£300 for fronts).

The Pagids are better from cold though, but the Blue/Orangestuff produces less dust.

 

[ph001]

Performance Friction

F: Performance friction 0394.11
R: Performance friction 0548.11

https://www.design911.co.uk/fu/prod130800/PFC-BRAKE-PADS-REAR-BMW-M3-E46-01-----E46-CSL--7-SERIES-E38--8-SERIES-E31--Z4-M-COUPE/
https://www.design911.co.uk/fu/prod130799/PFC-Fast-Road-and-Race-Front-Brake-Pads-BMW-E46-M3--E36-M3/

 

[bmwaddict]

Blue Stuff NDX here. Haven't got them to fade yet!

 

[TomK]

Blue Stuff NDX here. Haven't got them to fade yet!

But the op states he wants a road legal pad, so not much use to him.
Tbh though I'm not really sure why he's hung up about that.

 

[Tcochrane92]

Blue Stuff NDX here. Haven't got them to fade yet!

But the op states he wants a road legal pad, so not much use to him.
Tbh though I'm not really sure why he's hung up about that.

Non-road legal pads aren't homologated for road use for safety reasons - for example, an emergency braking situation on low temperature braking assemblies will result in a larger braking distance.
There are other reasons too, as I used to work in the Brakes team in Chassis Engineering in JLR

 

[TomK]

Oh right, my understanding was that a lot of these pads are not road legal because the mu coefficient value is above that allowed for a road pad. I.e. They're too good!

 

[ph001]

as I used to work in the Brakes team in Chassis Engineering in JLR

...and you want recommendations??? Seriously though, the PF pads seem to last forever but somehow cause virtually no disc wear, hardly any dust, totally silent and you will not fade them on the road - not in a million years. At the price point they simply cannot be beaten. Different world to EBC, believe me.

 

[Tcochrane92]

as I used to work in the Brakes team in Chassis Engineering in JLR

...and you want recommendations??? Seriously though, the PF pads seem to last forever but somehow cause virtually no disc wear, hardly any dust, totally silent and you will not fade them on the road - not in a million years. At the price point they simply cannot be beaten. Different world to EBC, believe me.

Let's keep this friendly Pads for OEM applications are different to aftermarket

 

[bmwaddict]

Oh right, my understanding was that a lot of these pads are not road legal because the mu coefficient value is above that allowed for a road pad. I.e. They're too good!

This was my understanding too, 15 percent above oem I believe.

 

[Fishy Dave]

Oh right, my understanding was that a lot of these pads are not road legal because the mu coefficient value is above that allowed for a road pad. I.e. They're too good!

This was my understanding too, 15 percent above oem I believe.

Yes, that's my understanding too. I'm currently working with a well known brake manufacturer who are developing a road legal track pad (not for a Z) and it is an issue dialling down the performance to make sure it is low enough to suit the EC90 regs.