StopTech Street Performance Brake Pads - Thoughts?
 

Has anybody here used StopTech street performance brake pads? StopTech claims they are pads that are good for street and occasional auto-cross and track use. That's pretty much what I want... a single pad I use for daily driving... and spirited drives on the street. I will only track my car a couple times during the year.

The problem I'm having is I haven't heard much about these pads. So... what do you guys think of these pads?

http://i26.tinypic.com/2dw7mrr.jpg

we have the stoptech pads on our evo x project car runs on it . works well. only tracked once. felt very responsive bite and no fade.

Placed an order on these... I will report back on how I like them. I read other reviews... and people seemed to like them and said they worked on the track as well as the street. Plus the cost was too good to pass-up.

I am running these on the front. I would not say they are "good" track pads. They squeal HORRIBLY and very LOUD when they get hot. If I had to do it again, I'd have bought track racking pads sooner. These also leave "greasy" coatings on the rotors, but are gentler so far on the rotor wear than OEM's. I have about 15k and the pad life is nice. If you want a one day HPDE, they won't kill you, but they do not inspire confidence with the "pissing" and whining that they make.

I'd tried to buy Axxis ULT's but ended up with only the R's as Axxis apparently stopped producing the ULT for the US market, so I have an odd setup. However, there is no problem with different F/R brake bias with this setup.

While I didn't like them for tracking, they do have good bite as reported, and even under some moderate temps, they didn't really fade. But they sure were embarrassing!

But for $100 or so, I think they only address the occassional track user; if you don't see the track and drive it legally, no life-on-the-edge tailgating or late braking, you'd probably never notice the difference btwn these and Wagner ceramic pads for $50.

I did like the fact that they were pre-cured, didn't require a long break in period.

More review from users would be nice... Im looking for something thats more daily use friendly and non-squealing pads...

I run them on my street Mini S. Good for the street. They're quiet and have pretty good feel. Subaru guys have been saying they can take a bit of a beating but I haven't pushed them.

- Andrew

I did notice the squealing has gone down somewhat after I had the rotors turned. But I still have not heated the StopTech's back up to track levels. I'll do that this weekend at a HPDE "drive for $55" and report to y'all if the squeal returns to pre-turn volume levels.

But in general, all high performance brakes will squeal more than lesser stopping power pads because of the increased grip the pads make to the rotor, and unless the pads are mean to rotors (i.e. track pads), that increased co-efficient of friction comes at the price of more pad material being ablated. That's why my next DD pads will be $50 kind, low dust, low noise, ok/good stopping power and just plain not high-temp, not SUPER stopping capable. With dual pistons or more, it'll still be very good stopping power.

(The StopTechs come with kevlar embedded in them as the "ablative" material that increases the co-efficient of friction without eating too much metal, that's the "greasy" looking stuff on the rotor surface after you get them REALLY hot.)

Cheaper low dust/low noise pads are just not trackable -- ever. Pads are SO easy to swap out, and any tracking should have someone remove all wheels and look for safety concerns first anyway. Can swap all the pads out faster than it takes to just lift car and remove wheels. For $100, the StopTechs try to be everything to all people, but there really is no such thing as that.

What kind of daily use are you considering, on the extreme side?

You need to let us know what the MAX use is, not "more daily" generalized because it only took my StopTech's one moderately length HOT heat cycle to begin to scream/squeal; they began to do it after one fast lap. If you never do that "HOT" fast "HOT" fast "HOT" fast "HOT" driving, the squeal isn't so bad, just the normally reported "squeals" you find in other brake threads that most still find too loud for their preferences.

Yes, they do take a beating if you can handle the noise. Wear levels are actually impressive, haven't seen bad fade. I guess another option can be to turn rotors after the noise level climbs too high ;-) JK!

I agree....although they are sort of marketed as being capable on the track I'd think of them more as slightly aggressive street pads. I wouldn't use them as "real" track pads.

- Andrew

Ah ic good to know...

After bedding in and testing out (both) my new "real" track pads, dang, I see why we don't all have them. You freaking need R-comps or the stock Advan's, something with "R"-like compound tires. I've never tripped my ABS so easily in many many miles. Hope the tires with 8500m can handle one last beating.

Are the Stop Tech pads rebrande Axxis pads?

No, Stoptech used to sell Axxis a lot but these are completely different.

Yeah race pads will do that. :lol:

- Andrew

With the StopTech F and Axxis ULT R, the brake bias is very even, nothing that causes upsets or odd rotation during late braking. The wear is PERFECTLY even between those two, so I can say for the last 17,000 miles that you can combine the two in a DD setup that sees an occassional track day.

Do not buy these pads! I put them on my car with brand new rotors and they vibrate and shake like the wheels is going to fall off. They also don't bite even close to stock and they DO FADE.