mx5cartalk.com

Looking for opinions on replacement front pads (& rotors) for my SE

Current car usage:
Mix of street and as many club track days a year as I can do, so looking for something track orientated but acceptable for street. We've bought an ND so that sees most use on the street now, the SE is usually only weekend club runs so is seeing less street time.

Currently been using Bendix ultimates on the street and swapping in Hawk HP+ for track days. The HP+ has been excellent on the track and driving to and from the track so considering using these again now that they are nearly worn out.

I don't want to have to swap out pads between track days for the limited amount of use its getting now on the street.

Considering Carbotech XP12 but worried about cold brakes (price is up there too!). Spoken to plenty of people who say once you get use to it its fine on the street.
Also heard good things about hawk Blues.

Having white rims, less dust than the HP+ would be nice but not overly important. (it does make me cry a little inside every time I brake )


The other one is rotors, I have slotted rotors of unknown brand. Assuming DBA. They have been in a longer than I've owned the car (3years) so tempted to just replace at the same time as the pads just because.
I have read that slotted is not worth the extra money and is highly NOT recommended for use with Carbotech. So pretty much sold on just plain rotors, but DBA seem to only have slotted rotors for "track" use.


What brand of non slotted rotors should I get?

What pads would you recommend for my usage?

Slots increase pad wear in return for being ready for use in bad weather. If you aren't the type to push hard in wet weather, you won't see any benefit, but will see decreased pad life.

Look into either Winmax W3s or QFM A1RMs. I've never run W3s myself, only the more track-oriented W5s, but their reputation as a dual duty pad is good. I ran A1RMs for a year, they were slightly wooden on first cold application, but after that they felt fine and pulled the car up very well. My set didn't wear particularly evenly, but they never failed me at the track and never cooked on enthusiastic runs down Mt Nebo and Mt Glorious. Glorious asks a lot of brakes too, so to survive that without fading is always a good thing. I couldn't really say anything about brake dust for either the QFMs or the Winmax pads, I run black wheels and just don't look too closely ;)

Trackphotos wrote:Slots increase pad wear in return for being ready for use in bad weather. If you aren't the type to push hard in wet weather, you won't see any benefit, but will see decreased pad life.

Say wha?

Getting you brakes to 600 degrees will negate the bad weather or wetness. The slots or to expel gases.

Precisely. When it's wet, brake heat can turn water into steam vapour pretty much instantaneously, creating a gas cushion between your pads and rotors.

Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk

Both right

http://www.dba.com.au/should-you-opt-for-slotted-or-cross-drilled-rotors/

I've had 3 sets of XP12's now and put a review up here viewtopic.php?f=57&t=53973&start=165#p849502 when I was at the end of my second set.

If your car is Street and track I'd probably lean towards XP10's at the most (which I had before I went to XP12's) as they are a bit less aggressive but still are a quality track pad, I'd pair those with XP8's on the rear. You will still get some squeeling on the street but that's the price of track pads

On rotors, don't overlook just buying street DBA's. They will still last, I have over 15 track days on my current set running XP12's and they are only now getting to the point of replacement as they've worn down and have a fair bit of crazing on them. By getting cheaper rotors you can then replace them more often.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

XP10s and the cheapest solid (not slotted or drilled) rotors you can get. Have a look on ebay for the rotors.

+1 on ebay. In particular, mx5 mania sell some rotors cheaper through their eBay store than through their own website. I use standard rda oem replacement rotors, a pair of fronts delivered cost me about $94.

Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk

Awesome everyone, that's what I needed to know regarding the rotors.

Thanks for the link to your review Dan. I thought I had read almost all the brake pad threads on this forum. That was a good read.


I might go the XP10s up front. Dust will be mental but thats no different for any serious brake pad so no getting away form that. And at least with the CarboTech its non corrosive so thats a good thing.

I've also noticed the front right dust seal for the piston has a hole in it so I might get Mania to do rotors, pads and all while its in for its next service. May as well upgrade to braided lines too.
They don't need a rebuild (not leaking etc), but could do with a good clean up and going over.
The slider pins are well greased but seem to not slide as well as I would expect (definitely not as well at the top pins)


On the topic of slider pins, the SE brakes don't have an air vent like the NA brakes do for the slider pin chamber. I find that when the pin is greased up (using slider pin specific grease) I get a lot of trapped air and need to really twist and push the pin in and out to get all the air out, otherwise its like theres a spring in there pushing the pin out, which would cause the outside pad to drag if left that way.
When I do eventually work all the air out and get the pin all the way in, it doesn't feel super easy to slide in and out, but is still moveable with a bit of effort. Nothing like the top pin though.

Maybe this is a normal amount of movement for the bottom slide pin? Or should it slide/drop out under its own weight if say, the whole brake caliper was turned on its side etc?
Is it normal to get air trapped behind the bottom slide pin on an NB and have to slowly work it out?

So to close this thread off I will be going with the XP10s in the front with standard plain faced rotors.

Also in regards to my last post about the slider pins, I have come to the conclusion that the rubber sleeve on the pins has swollen over time causing the rubber to grip on the calliper hole when inserting it, no matter how much grease is used. This pushes the rubber sleeve up the pin out of its little recess and jams the whole pin up creating an airlock/spring effect. There's cracks on the leading edge of the rubber where it has been previously forced to expand out of its recess onto the fatter part of the pin and the rubber feels like it has no strength at all. (I have had this issue previously but thought it was an air lock, as I was eventually able to get it back in). After a lot of slowly and gently massaging, the pin is in properly now and the calliper moves freely without binding, but these rubber sleeves will be replaced as part of the rebuild (piston dust boots etc). I doubt they will go in again next time the pin is removed.