Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2011 12:54:03 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Brake Fade
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The brake pad I have traditionally use for decades is PBR Deluxe.
( aka Repco Deluxe ) ..
Australian made....or 'traditionally has been'.
I've found that to be a good all around pad.
On my own vans..
I had one ...........an 85 Wolfsburg Weekender with auto trans..
just never seemed to stop that well.
it liked PBR low metalic pads quite a bit.
That's my standard pad even lately for vanaons ..
PBR brand ........semi-metallic ..
and one box said 'low metallic' on them.
another brake pad story ..
Putting pads in the front of a friend's AWD Plymouth Voyger SE van ..
big long heavy thing, Mistubishi V-6 engine ....had trouble getting the
right pads too..
so first set of pads at my FLAPS ..
cost $ 19 ..
I go, no, not the cheap you made-you-know where pads ( and Rod says
...that's what most people ask for , the cheap ones ) ..
so I get the next better US -made ones ......those are about $ 55...
but they are not the really right ones.
Finally I get the best Ceramic Pads ..
they cost $ 88 ...
and many months later they are working just fine.
First time I've put Cermaic pads on anything..
oh ....if you search online for 'performance vanagon brake pads'..
you'll start seeing some brands claiming more aggressive pads.
Brake pads are like tires ...a series of trade-offs.
the 'ideal brake pad' ..
would not be too expensive,
stop really well and consitently whether cold, hot, or wet,
last forever,
and not make much brake pad dust.
Obviosly ...........can't get all that in one pad..
so there are trade-offs..
The One feature I would avoid is 'cheap.'
Ask them for their better pads.
most parts stores have a problem really these days..
about most over-the-counter customers wanting the lowest cost part they can
get ..
and it's hard enough carrying a full line of something like brake pads for
every kind of car in common use..
and to carry both the cheap ones and the good ones is some what impractical.
I almost never get a part at a parts store ....
find the good supplers with the good stuff at fair prices..
I use Van Cafe now and then ....I don't even know if they sell brake pads...
those I get from another regular supplier..
but do shop with some education behind you ..
and buy brake pads like you would vanagon tires ..
put some research into it ..
and choose as wisely as you can.
As I said..right now ..I like PBR Deluxe and semi-metallic pads.
And I don't find they eat up rotors at all.
But then my brakes barely ever where at all anyway.
and very often ...it is how well the pads grab the rotors that's the real
issue when brake performance is weak, and it's not a hydrualic issue.
let us know how it goes.
I'd be more aggressive on the break-in too I think. not 30 times worth
though.
scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Edward Maglott" <emaglott3@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, September 10, 2011 8:53 AM
Subject: Re: Brake Fade
> Yeah, do that procedure 30 times was kind of surprising to me too.
> Yes my rotors were brand new brembos from bus depot.
> I experienced no noticeable change in the amount of brake effort
> required to decelerate on the new pads/rotors vs the old ones.
>
> More info to follow.
> Edward
>
>
>
>
> At 10:39 PM 9/9/2011, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
>>Interesting Tirerack write-up.
>>I got a kick out of this one from Brembo pads..
>>
>>In a safe area, apply brakes moderately from 60mph to 30mph and then
>>drive approximately 1/2 mile to allow the brakes to cool. Repeat
>>this procedure approximately 30 times.
>>
>>30 times !
>>that's a lot of gas and time.
>>
>>I would say ..
>>yes....do use them medium hard some...
>>and don't stop with hot rotors..
>>like keep driving and not using brakes much once you've gotten
>>things well warmed up ....get things reasonably cooled down before
>>stopping.
>>
>>but yes...do 'use them' serveral good times...
>>30 times sounds like a lot though.
>>
>>I'd say not really using them semi-hard a number of times at first
>>would not be good.
>>They do need to get 'used' a bit at first for sure.
>>
>>I forget if your rotors were new, re-surfaced , or used.
>>Tire rack is not giving much hope for used rotors.
>>
>>fwiw..
>>I have talked to a professional tire and brake person who
>>'turnsevery disc, even new right out of the box' ..
>>and aother professional who said-
>>"I put pads on good rotors, and new rotors, I never turn a rotor. "
>>
>>I always put 'disc brake quite' on the back of the pads..
>>I use the tiniest bit of copper anti-sieze compound on the edges of
>>the metal part of the pads where they slide in the caliper ..barely any
>>...
>>and on other parts that move. Very sparingly.
>>
>>let us know how it goes.
>>I'd shoot the temps of the rear drums to make sure they're working
>>in a healthy manner too..
>>i'd expect them to be about 1/2 to 2/3rds as hot as the fronts ..
>>say 40 to 60 % of the front temps.
>>
>>to make sure they are working ......and working about right.
>>scott
>>www.turbovans.com
