> I'm just wanting to improve rather than fixc the brakes a little.
> I can get performance but not ceramic pads for the C900 in the UK and
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> for 5% increase, when non-european brands who produce good kit and live
> upto their reputation can be far better for similar money or cheaper.
> I had ceramic pads on my Volvo 740 for a while since they were only
> marginally cheaper than good standard pads.
Ceramic pads are always *more* expensive that standard pads.
> I found they did indeed stop
> well, but they also wore the rotors down at an alarming rate
How did you ascertain that?
> and were starting to squeal when cold with about half the pad left
Brake squeal has very little to do with the pad material. It is
primarily caused by movement of the pad backing (steel plate) against
the caliper piston and/or caliper.
> so I swapped
> over to PBR Deluxe pads and while a little softer they still work quite
> well and they're quiet.
I happen to like the PBR deluxes too. They are a non-metallic pad and
so are rather soft, but give good breaking power and feel and a re quite
kind to the rotors. They also don't throw off as much dust as the
semi-metallic pads.
Because I've been so impressed with the PBRs, I bought a set of PBR
Ultimate Ceramic pads for the front end of my BMW 540i. This should be
a pretty good test of a brake pad as it's a pretty heavy car with
exceptionally strong stock brakes. I have 1/2 worn-out ATE Power-slot
rotors on it now, so I should be able to tell how quickly the rotors
wear down too.
Oh, the PBR ceramics were only ~$10 more per axle than the Deluxe (PBRs
base model).

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James Sweet - 16 Nov 2005 22:29 GMT
>> I had ceramic pads on my Volvo 740 for a while since they were only
>> marginally cheaper than good standard pads.
>
> Ceramic pads are always *more* expensive that standard pads.
Er, I meant the standard pads were only marginally cheaper.
>> I found they did indeed stop well, but they also wore the rotors down
>> at an alarming rate
>
> How did you ascertain that?
A substantial lip at the inner and outer edge of the rotors after only
about 15K miles which didn't form on the last set of identical rotors
after more miles than that, replaced them because one warped due to a
siezed caliper slide.
>> and were starting to squeal when cold with about half the pad left
>
> Brake squeal has very little to do with the pad material. It is
> primarily caused by movement of the pad backing (steel plate) against
> the caliper piston and/or caliper.
Trust me, I tried that. Took the brakes apart numerous times, cleaned
everything up, installed new shims and a good coat of anti-squeel
compound, beveled the edges of the pads, the latter helped for a while
but eventually it would come back, they were fine when warm, but
squeeled in the morning.
> I happen to like the PBR deluxes too. They are a non-metallic pad and
> so are rather soft, but give good breaking power and feel and a re quite
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> Oh, the PBR ceramics were only ~$10 more per axle than the Deluxe (PBRs
> base model).
The PBR ceramics were exactly what I used, with ATE Powerdisc rotors.
Probably a great setup for track use, just less than ideal for my daily
commute.
Malt_Hound - 17 Nov 2005 01:19 GMT
>>> I had ceramic pads on my Volvo 740 for a while since they were only
>>> marginally cheaper than good standard pads.
[quoted text clipped - 43 lines]
> Probably a great setup for track use, just less than ideal for my daily
> commute.
OK, I'll let you know how it goes with (apparently) the exact same set-up.

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NeedforSwede2 - 17 Nov 2005 09:17 GMT
> The PBR ceramics were exactly what I used, with ATE Powerdisc rotors.
> Probably a great setup for track use, just less than ideal for my daily
> commute.
The Akebonos I had on the Celica, with DBA Discs (slot machined Brembo
blanks) were great. The pads showed no signs of wear, and the discs were
still like new after 8k miles. If it was going to be a problem, I would
have expected noticable wear at 8k of the disc, even if it wasn't
terminal.

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NeedforSwede2 - 27 Nov 2005 13:25 GMT
>The PBR ceramics were exactly what I used, with ATE Powerdisc rotors.
It may be down the powerdiscs then?
I've always used the solid ATE discs, and the non Powerdisc wented ones.
But for grooved or drilled you really want to be using anything based on
a Brembo Iron blank.
Even the vented ones seem to weigh twice what anything else does.

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James Sweet - 27 Nov 2005 20:48 GMT
>>The PBR ceramics were exactly what I used, with ATE Powerdisc rotors.
>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Even the vented ones seem to weigh twice what anything else does.
I've been using Brembo rotors on cars I've worked on lately, been really
happy with them. I still have the Powerdisc grooved rotors on one car
but I doubt it really makes a difference for street use.
NeedforSwede2 - 28 Nov 2005 12:31 GMT
> I've been using Brembo rotors on cars I've worked on lately, been really
> happy with them. I still have the Powerdisc grooved rotors on one car
> but I doubt it really makes a difference for street use.
Apart from the wear characteristics if using uprated pads.

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Gary Fritz - 16 Nov 2005 23:18 GMT
> I happen to like the PBR deluxes too. They are a non-metallic pad and
> so are rather soft, but give good breaking power and feel and a re quite
> kind to the rotors. They also don't throw off as much dust as the
> semi-metallic pads.
Just wish they made them to fit a 9-5 Aero. I wanted to use them for the
low-dust benefits, but I just ended up putting OEM pads on the front of my
'02 Aero, because nobody could find anything (including the PBRs) to fit
the Aero. And they're squealing like mad after about 300 miles. :-(
Charles C. - 17 Nov 2005 03:06 GMT
>> I had ceramic pads on my Volvo 740 for a while since they were only
>> marginally cheaper than good standard pads.
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> primarily caused by movement of the pad backing (steel plate) against
> the caliper piston and/or caliper.
Not knowing what the PBR pads are ... you are right about squeal.
However, I am also convinced that I had two break pads on my C900 and
the curren 9000 that it was the pads that produced a finer than normal
dust that clogged them up. In both instances they were/are Mintex.
The current ones might produce a just audible noise on light breaking
... of course it can be the car that is getting a bit more worn ... etc.
One explanation I have come accross is that that dust can make pads
squeal thus they have a cut in the middle of the friction material to
allow dust to escape. No idea if it is true or false.
>> so I swapped over to PBR Deluxe pads and while a little softer they
>> still work quite well and they're quiet.
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> Oh, the PBR ceramics were only ~$10 more per axle than the Deluxe (PBRs
> base model).
Still, they sound a lot more expensive than the car we are talking about.
Charles :-)

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NeedforSwede2 - 17 Nov 2005 09:17 GMT
> Still, they sound a lot more expensive than the car we are talking about.
>
> Charles :-)
In my case it isn't. Even a scruffy C900 convertible is worth a couple
of thousand pounds. A mint one might rarely reach £5-7 thousand.

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Malt_Hound - 17 Nov 2005 17:10 GMT
> Not knowing what the PBR pads are ... you are right about squeal.
> However, I am also convinced that I had two break pads on my C900 and
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> squeal thus they have a cut in the middle of the friction material to
> allow dust to escape. No idea if it is true or false.
I'd have to side with false. The only way that dust could effect the
brake squeal is if it somehow a) makes the pad move laterally more (I
don't think so) or b) gets between the pad backing and the caliper and
allows it to slide more or differently (I also doubt this)

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