Tonewheel

Gang... I posted a while back about my less than enthusiastic opinions about the big sport brakes on my new '12 S coupe. Fast forward, and I'm thinking about replacing the stock Akebono pads with something to improve the bite. I've read many of the comments here, as well as on other Infiniti forums, and many recommend the Hawk HPS pads. However, a fair number of enthusiasts have suggested staying with the ABB stock pads.

I'd sure love to hear what any of you might recommend, particularly those that actually have the bigger sport brakes. This is a daily driver only. (Note: I'm not changing out the rotors.)

DashKid

iTrader: (2)

I've hawk, stock, and EBC. I personally like EBC but they are on the more expensive side.

Hawk pads are good for regular street and driving but I recommend turning your rotors when you get new pads.

soundmike

iTrader: (6)

What's your driving, or rather braking, style? Are you looking for thermal resistance, or great initial bite?

Personally, i don't like the HPS. As big as the rotors are on the G, it takes longer to get things up to optimum temperature, and they're not entirely good at keeping up with temperatures if you *really* get on it. Middle of the road performance, if anything, IMHO.

The stock pads are good for initial bite, but give up easily at the extremes. Like most Nissan pads, it tends to deposit uneven amounts of material onto the rotors and is more often than not construed as brake warpage around here.

Determine what your style is, which end of the spectrum you care for the most, then start looking at the specs for each pad to determine which one fits your needs the closest.

Tonewheel

My driving is strictly to work (highway) and around town. Period.
As I ranted in a previous post I am disappointed in the stopping power of these brakes. No better than your average Joe brakes IMO, and I don't care for the amount of pedal travel (though not excessive). The wife's Mini has FABULOUS stop-on-a-dime brakes that put my ABB to shame.

Not going to turn the rotors as previously suggested, with only 1,200 miles on the car. So, looking for pads that give me good initial stopping bite and really hold until stopped. Your point about heat in the brakes is well taken. (World's greatest F1 fan here!)

jjasonSU

iTrader: (1)

I drove a non-sport and the brakes were great.
Sport big-brake kit has excellent grip and you will bite the steering wheel if you aren't careful
So I'm not sure how they aren't adequate for peddling around town?

Track Bandit

iTrader: (1)

Honestly I'm amazed at what people compare one brake type to another and from car to car. When you try to compare a 3,600+ lb. car stopping power versus a car around 3,000 lbs or so's stopping power and wonder why the lighter car stops quicker. Well are we really comparing apples to apples.

1. Are the tires the same?
2. Lighter cars tend to be easier to stop than heavier cars even with BBK's.
3. Computer control systems helping/hindering a brake system.
4. Brake fluid used and how old.
5. Brake lines used and how old.
6. Brake pads used and how old.

As you can see there are so many variables. For me the only thing I've done to help the excellent brakes on this car has been to upgrade to Motul RBF 600 brake fluid, add the BF Goodridge Stainless/teflon brake lines. I noticed an immediate difference and at my third track event in that I didn't have to use as much brake pressure to get the car slowed down, and the pedal felt more solid throughout the day. Once the stock pads are worn down, (save the old backing plates, see PS below) I'm upgrading to some Hawk HP+ which I've used on the street and track in my NSX for years with not that much extra dust and no greater noise. Time will tell how the Infiniti will do with these pads. I have also been lead toward the Ferrodo 2500 series pads which I've been told were in between the Hawk HPS and HP+ pads. However they are more expensive. But if they work, then they should be worth the price. At this point it is very important to make sure the pads are bedded in correctly for their best operation. These new pads will give you more initial bite and torque while trying to slow down and that may be what you're missing. Happy pad hunting.

Al

P.S. Another thing about pedal feel. The more worn the pad, the softer the pedal will feel given everything else being the same. On the track you notice this quickly because the pads wear quickly. On the street the wear is slow so you often don't notice it until they are really worn. Now if you want to help maintain a hard pedal feel with pads that are only worn down about 1/2 way, you may want to try this trick the FM racers do for their cars. Get some old backing plates that are perfectly flat, push the pucks back into the caliper, add the backing plate between the pucks and the worn pads. Finish the brake install as normally done. Now your pedal should firm up because you will have less puck deflection in their seals when the pads are worn. It works but if you want to do this on your daily driver, that's strictly up to you.

paleryeder

iTrader: (5)

For your type of driving I'd either stick with the stock pads or go with StopTech Street Performance. I've had over 20 cars and the G's big brakes are great, I don't think I'd want them to bite any harder. I also have Stoptech slotted rotors and stainless lines but don't think they made a huge difference over stock the stocks were great too.
When you change pads your really should at least remove the glaze from the rotors that the old pads left. This way your new pads can put their own glaze down on a clean surface. You should also bed your new pads too if you want to most out of your system. I also run Motul RBF 600 fluid although your fluid is still fairly new if a 2012 and low miles.

huwee06

iTrader: (1)

I just did my brakes with pmu bspec pads, stoptech srt 600, slotted/drilled rotors and lines.

There's actually no need to resurface/turn the rotors unless the rotors are warped or has deep grooves. With that said, I sanded my 25k mi. slotted/drilled rotors with a 120 grit sand paper to get the old bedded pads off and if you do a proper bed in procedure with the new pad like I did it'll finish it off. Works well for me just make sure take your time.

DJEccentric

Any Updates on how you like your PMU's?

I'm between PMU Street Sports: B-Force & Street: Type NS
or Hawk Performance Ceramic & Hawk HPS.

My Driving Style is pretty aggressive and heavy on the breaks when needed... (rotor temp for me all depends on how many people I come up on that are doing 70+- in the fast lane on any given day...) I'm pretty happy w/ stock so I'm assuming any one of these would be an upgrade... (or am I mistaken?)

I use to get my 95 GTI's breaks so hot that it wouldn't stop when I got off the highway. Never came close to that point in my G37S...

That said... anything that should deter me from any of these?

Like excessive break dust w/ small gains. Or less life for small gains. I see the HPS are noted as needing to come up to temperature. ( I still want something that will stop ok when my wife is cursing around town) so should I stick w/ the ceramic as an improvement over stock but still manageable at cruising speeds.

Thanks,
Eccentric

huwee06

iTrader: (1)

I LOVE IT! Bites very well with low~med dust and doesn't squeaks so you can't go wrong with B-force! Either of the PMU's should fair well for street/light track.

Sounds like we have the same driving styles hah so I would recommend you stainless brake lines; this will help with the pedal travel. Change brake fluid with any Dot 4 but if your planning to upgrade (moneh to spare) go with Motul RBF600 or Stoptech STR600.

Reading over, it seems you haven't bed-in the Akebono pads onto the rotors with only 1200mi on odo

harp00n

I heard bad things about Hawk HPS'es from my friends, so I bought Ferodo DS2500 and very happy of them! You just cannot make them fade with Motul DOT 5.1 and DBA5000 2pc slotted rotors front + Stoptech 1pc slotted rotors rear!