e53 braking power is ho hum
 

Ever since I put on the dustless brake pads on
the front I have not been happy with the braking power.
I'm getting close to changing all the pads and whatever else I
need for best results. Any suggestions

change back to the old pagid pads

Unfortunately that is the sacrifice with dustless. You will always lose that initial bite that the stock pads, and most aftermarket ceramic pads have.

Which dustless pad do you have now? I am running Akebono Euros in my M3 and wish I got the "street performance" as this is the best dustless pad they make.

The best non-dustless pad I've tried is definately the Axxis Ultimates.

You could always do a little modding and swap the rubber flex lines to braided steel lines... that mod adds initial bite and might compensate enough to make it feel back to normal.

Just a suggestion.

are you saying that overall stopping power is less than OEM? or you just prefer to have the initial bite of the OEM pad vs aftermarket?

i've been running ceramic pads for years and have never felt that braking power suffered at all; otherwise I would have changed to something else. with ceramic pads, you do loose some initial bite (its kinda squishy), but IMO stopping power is equal.

You can't go wrong with OEM. I personally have the Axxis XBG pads (also known as PBR Metal Masters), which are essentially between the Axxis Delux (low dust) and Axxis Ultimates as far as performance and dust are concerned. I have had them for about 15,000 miles or so and have been very happy with them so far.

I agree with the others that low dust pads typically do not perform as well as other types. It is a trade off. What pads are you using?

All pads have different characteristics for initial bite, pedal feel, and so on. It isn't about whether they are dustless or not, it is just that OEM are being compared to others, which usually have less dust. Making dust does not equal better performance, as the carbon black is not added for performance reasons. If you don't like the performance of the pads you have, try another pad formulation.

My Axxis Deluxe pads on several BMW vehicles, properly bedded in, had no reduction in performance over the stock pads. However, every pad will be different.

go to zechhausen racing and check out there semi metallic pads. they r great. weasel recommend the S.S. brake lines which will definitely improve the response time. good luck

Thanks for the suggestions.....:thumbup:

ive had 2 setys of dustless padds now and i couldnt be happier , as justin said you do give up a little initial bite but heck they're worth it imho !! now what ive found is that the stopping power is a bit better / stronger but
U HAVE TO PUSH THE PEDAL A BIT HARDER THAN NORMAL !!

also do this as im sure you havent done it yet , its called bedding the brakes and its the difference between loving and hating your brakes !! i learned the 1st time around and it was really a nite/day diff !! give it a try !


BEDDING THE BRAKES



Bedding allows your brakes to reach their full potential. Until they are bedded, your brakes simply do not work as well as they can. If you've installed a big brake kit, changed your pads and rotors, or even if you've purchased a brand new car, you should set aside some time to bed the brakes in by following the instructions below. Proper bedding will improve pedal feel, reduce or eliminate brake squeal, and extend the life of your pads and rotors. For more on the theory of bedding, please refer to this excellent article by StopTech: Removing the Mystery from Brake Pad Bed-In.

Caution: After installing new pads/rotors or a big brake kit, the first few applications of the brake pedal will result in almost no braking power. Gently apply the brakes a few times at low speed in order to build up some grip before blasting down the road at high speed. Otherwise, you may be in for a nasty surprise the first time you hit the brakes at 60 mph.

If you have just installed rotors with zinc or cadmium plating, or if the rotors have an anti-corrosion phosphate coating, you should postpone the bedding process until normal driving has allowed your brake pads to polish the rotors clean and removed all traces of the plating or coating.

Read and understand these instructions completely before starting. If you have any questions, give us a call or email. Do not substitute higher speeds for the 60mph called for in these instructions. The heat in your brakes goes up exponentially as you increase the speed from which you brake. If you make repeated stops from 80 or 90mph with street pads, you will overheat the brakes and may end up having to replace pads and/or rotors.

When following these instructions, avoid other vehicles. Bedding is often best done early in the morning, when traffic is light, since other drivers will have no idea what you are up to and will respond in a variety of ways ranging from fear to curiosity to aggression. A police officer will probably not understand when you try to explain why you were driving erratically! Zeckhausen Racing does not endorse speeding on public roads and takes no responsibility for any injuries or tickets you may receive while following these instructions.

From a speed of 60mph, gently apply the brakes a couple of times to bring them up to operating temperature. This prevents you from thermally shocking the rotors and pads in the next steps.

Make a series of eight near-stops from 60 to about 10 mph. Do it HARD by pressing the brakes firmly, but do not lock the wheels or engage ABS. At the end of each slowdown, immediately accelerate back to 60mph and then apply the brakes again. DO NOT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP! If you stop completely and sit there with your foot on the brake pedal, you will imprint pad material onto the hot rotors, which could lead to vibration, uneven braking, and even ruin the rotors.

The brakes may begin to fade after the 7th or 8th near-stop. This fade will stabilize, but not completely go away until the brakes have fully cooled. A strong smell from the brakes, and even smoke, is normal.

After the 8th near-stop, accelerate back up to speed and cruise for a while, using the brakes as little as possible. The brakes need about 5 minutes to cool down. Try not to become trapped in traffic or come to a complete stop while the brakes are still very hot.

If race pads, such as Hawk DTC-70 or Performance Friction 01 are being used, add four near-stops from 80 to 10mph.

After the break-in cycle, there should be a slight blue tint and a light gray film on the rotor face. The blue tint tells you the rotor has reached break-in temperature and the gray film is pad material starting to transfer onto the rotor face. This is what you are looking for. The best braking occurs when there is an even layer of of pad material deposited across the face of the rotors. This minimizes squealing, increases braking torque, and maximizes pad and rotor life.

After the first break in cycle shown above, the brakes may still not be fully broken in. A second bed-in cycle, AFTER the brakes have cooled down fully from the first cycle, may be necessary before the brakes really start to perform well. This is especially true if you have installed new pads on old rotors. If you've just installed a big brake kit, the pedal travel may not feel as firm as you expected. After the second cycle, the pedal will become noticeably firmer. If necessary, bleed the brakes to improve pedal firmness.