Re: Brake pads

[Robert Phillips <r3rfp@dax.cc.uakron.edu>]

On Fri, 3 Feb 1995, Andrew Shea wrote:

>  Just took my 4000cs out for a drive.  After some thought, I've decided
> I want to do something (small) about my brakes.  I just had (a couple
> months ago) new rotors put on.  Found out later that I could have gotten
> drilled rotors for the price that the garage charged me for the solid
> rotors.  Needless to say I have a new mechanic.  Anyhow, what will the
> benifit be, if any, of going to new pads?  What brake pads are out there

First, flush your brake fluid regularly.  I cannot stress this enough.  
Old brake fluid collect water, which not only corrodes internal 
components, but lowers it's boiling point, leading to more "vapor lock" 
and brake fade.  A good DOT 4 fluid is the best for the street.  I have 
found Castrol LMA DOT 4 to be very good to me.  Girling also makes a DOT 
5 fluid that is NOT SILICONE, which is distributed by Autotech, a VW 
tuner.  

Next, the stock pads don't work bad, but the Repco Metalmasters work 
great.  These are not "race" pads, and therefore do not require long to 
heat up to work well.  I am currently running them in Ohio in 20-30deg. 
temps and they work fine.  They do, however, work better in the summer 
when they can heat up a little more.

The next step, which many others have done, and I plan to do this spring, 
is to replace the rubber flexible lines at the wheels with a stainless 
steel braided line.  The rubber lines flex with each application of the 
brakes, which reduces the efficiency of the hydraulic brake system.

I am told that the drilled rotors don't make that much of a difference 
unless you run the car at very high speeds *very* hard.  They are of no 
use to me, as the would bump my Autocross class from stock to somewhere I 
would not like to be.
				---Bob