Pad upgrade

[Andyk]

Sure it's been spoken about a million times but what is the best pad upgrade for fast road use using the standard discs. Looked at the specialists and each one has said something different....so any experiences.

[SpineOnABap]

In order of preference from my own experience - Pagid RS14, Pagid RS19 (if you can find them), Ferrodo DS2500
Take your pick, they're all great.
The only things I'd avoid like the plague are anything EBC and Pagid RS29. In my experience they're pretty pretty rubbish.

PS - is it just me who hates the phrase "fast road" :bigcry: There's no need for it (not having a go at you, Andy :thumbs: but whoever started it needs to be shot :bigcry: )

[Andyk]

[quote
PS - is it just me who hates the phrase "fast road" :bigcry: There's no need for it (not having a go at you, Andy :thumbs: but whoever started it needs to be shot :bigcry: )[/quote]

HeHe..yes you are right....what silly phrase, now you mention it....fast road must surely be a track......

Thanks for advice. Do you get any brake squeal with any of them?

[SpineOnABap]

Yes, lots of squeal. That's the trade-off of any high-performance pad. They don't 'like' regular town-style driving, and over a week or two will get noisier to the point of pain :bigcry: However, if you give them a monstering then it'll shut them up. I do a bedding-in type procedure every couple of weeks to keep them in check

[Andyk]

OK thanks. So looks like will have to put with a bit of sqeal. Will pop down to Simpsons next week see what they can do.

[Mark CSL]

andy I use red stuff front and rear and they are great
Value and work well

I have ferodo ds2500 in now and think
The red stuff are just as good for half the money

[Andyk]

Mark the red stuff certainly seems great value...I like that....against the others. Do they last well and what about squeal with them.

Spineonabap, you don't rate the red stuff then...any reason.

[Mark CSL]

The red stuff front and rear cost £80 for the standard CSL pads
And £86 for the big brake kit on my CSL
And they dont make any noise they lasted 6 trackdays

but so do the ds2500 that cost £177+vat for the fronts :banghead:

You do the maths but i like value for money
also the best move for the standard calipers is to fit uprated hoses and castrol racing fluid this makes the standard pads alot better if you ask me :thumbs:

[rs32]

the OEM Textar pads are indeed pretty rubbish - I had the Pagid Blues on the previous M3 and they squealed like mad after while but the braking performance was excellent.

probably going to try the DS2500's when my free BMW set run out or start annoying me too much - the CSL standard setup gives exactly the same problems as the normal M3, too much heat build-up and fade after about 3 seconds use.

Performance Friction pads are supposed to be as good as the Pagid's but without the squeal - so maybe worth a try as an alternative ?

[SpineOnABap]

You do the maths but i like value for money

Yeah but you use Lo-Spec calipers so EBC are fine for you :gayfight:

:bigcry:

[SpineOnABap]

Performance Friction pads are supposed to be as good as the Pagid's but without the squeal - so maybe worth a try as an alternative ?

Apparently yes :thumbs: Not tried them myself but a lot of the serious boys run them on the CSL. A lot of people also run the Pagid RS29, and seem happy with them, but my own experience was that they're terrible. Fade too easily and fall to bits. Which is odd as 'on paper' they should be as good as the RS19.

[Mark CSL]

You do the maths but i like value for money

Yeah but you use Lo-Spec calipers so EBC are fine for you :gayfight:

:bigcry:

Come to knockhill and we shall see if your APs are better than my
Lo-spec Calipers LOL ( now theres a Challenge ) :whistle:

[Andyk]

Are the standard callipers the same as a standard M3, as the red stuff is pretty cheap compaired to others and direct you get 10% discount.

I'm with you Mark I like value for money and from what you say they seem to fit the bill.

http://www.ebcbrakesdirect.com/car/parts_pad.asp?part=pad&make=BMW&model=M3&year=3%2E2+%28E46%29+%282000%2D2006%29

[david]

I had some EBC Yellow stuff on standard Csl brakes, well I found them pretty good for OG brakes, got even 11 laps on the ring with them and was happy on the setup (standard Csl with EBC pads)

[Andyk]

Thanks David thats a great help...seems the way to go.

[Mark CSL]

Yes the pads are the same as the standard M3 E46
just the front discs are bigger :thumbs:

Yellow pads are for track and are too hard for every day driving i found.
And not great when cold but brill when HOT on a track

[Andyk]

Red it is then Mark...£116 for rear and front including delivery and VAT..does that sound about right as you quoted £80 for both.

[Mark CSL]

sounds a bit much leave it with me i shall let you know how much i can get them for on monday :thumbs:

[SpineOnABap]

what is the best pad upgrade

... What happened to this requirement?

[Andyk]

what is the best pad upgrade

... What happened to this requirement?

As mine is for the road and not track it would seem from the comments that these will fit the bill for a small amont of money. If not then I will have not spent much rather than pay a shed load more and find they are not what I'm looking for....plus I will say with Mark having 3 CSL's and doing plenty of track work and do trust his judgement some what....not that I'm saying everyone else is wrong mind you so thanks for all the advice....but we shll see.

Plus I suppose the other thing I need to think about is that I do not do alot of miles...my journey to work is aroung 4 miles so with most of the upgrades the pads will not get warmed up.

[Andyk]

sounds a bit much leave it with me i shall let you know how much i can get them for on monday :thumbs:

Cheers Mark that would be great :thumbs:

[SpineOnABap]

As mine is for the road and not track it would seem from the comments that these will fit the bill for a small amont of money.

Ahh, yes you did say it was for road use (for some reason I went off down the track route). You'll probably be fine then. In the future though if you want to track it and want a top spec pad which will serve you well at brake-heavy circuits such as Donington or Oulton Park, then the Pagid RS19 / RS14 are perfect tools for the job. From my own experience you can do 80+ full-on laps a day and not worry about them (as long as you've also upgraded the fluid).

Also, all the pads I mentioned work great when cold (I have the same sort of daily trip as you). I upgraded mine in 2004 just as I'd had the CSL for a year, and did hundreds of trackdays all over the country (but not Knockhill), so have fully evaluated the Pagid options in road and track conditions :)
The only downside is the noise (squeal) but it can be worked around.

[Andyk]

As mine is for the road and not track it would seem from the comments that these will fit the bill for a small amont of money.

Ahh, yes you did say it was for road use (for some reason I went off down the track route). You'll probably be fine then. In the future though if you want to track it and want a top spec pad which will serve you well at brake-heavy circuits such as Donington or Oulton Park, then the Pagid RS19 / RS14 are perfect tools for the job. From my own experience you can do 80+ full-on laps a day and not worry about them (as long as you've also upgraded the fluid).

Also, all the pads I mentioned work great when cold (I have the same sort of daily trip as you). I upgraded mine in 2004 just as I'd had the CSL for a year, and did hundreds of trackdays all over the country (but not Knockhill), so have fully evaluated the Pagid options in road and track conditions :)
The only downside is the noise (squeal) but it can be worked around.

Will bear that in mind thanks.

Will it be worth upgrading to braided hoses and the brake fluid as well.

[Mark CSL]

braided hoses and the brake fluid is 1 of the first thing you should do
if you are not going down the big brake kit road :thumbs:

[Andyk]

braided hoses and the brake fluid is 1 of the first thing you should do
if you are not going down the big brake kit road :thumbs:

Thanks will do it at the same time then. :thumbs:

[Andyk]

So where is the best place to get the hoses...Thorneys want £60 for a set (front and back) where as Goodridges own site want £70...ANyone use anyone else.

[Mark CSL]

You get them from ebay
Andy i can get the pads for £85 + postage i would think about £5 postage
if you want them let me know and i shall order them for you :thumbs:

[Andyk]

You get them from ebay
Andy i can get the pads for £85 + postage i would think about £5 postage
if you want them let me know and i shall order them for you :thumbs:

Cheers Mark yes that would be good.

Let me know how you want paying and I will PM my address to you.

:thumbs:

[Rags]

I just got my discs from Cotswolds cheltenham for £311 delivered
PF pads and Goodridge hoses for £125 delivered from Coord Motorsport.
Not bad!