Brake bias and brake pad selection

mpg9999 · 07-08-2004, 11:05 PM

Why do many people when buying pads go with there pad of choice up front, and stockers or some autozone pads in the back? I just bought some axxis ultimates and got front and rear. Here is my thinking. I have ad22's up front, so my braking bias is already more towards the front then stock. With the addition of pads to the front that have a higher coefficient of friction then the rear, it will further increase the front brake bias. If I go with the same pads in the rear however, I can mantain the current brake bias. Anyone care to chime in on this? Matt...?

Slartibartfast · 07-09-2004, 01:03 PM

I still have the originals with 80,000 miles on them and they're only half-worn. This despite 6 track events and innumerable autocrosses. The rear brakes don't do much. They can't considering the static front/rear weight balance and the weight transfer when braking. Pretty much anything you do to the rear brakes will be bling unless you can significantly change fore/aft weight balance and/or put really wide tires on the car. If you just add bigger brakes without compensating with a different bias setting, you make the rears lock easily and destabilize the car under hard braking.

Jim #98NX · 07-09-2004, 01:25 PM

Well put, Bruce. I'd just add that even when gutted of the interior, most cars even have a worse front-rear balance because more of the weight comes out of the back half of the car.

I think my NX was about 60/40 front/rear stock. Gutted with stock hood it is like 63/37. I wouldn't worry about rear brakes until you can get the rear % above like 42% or so (but I just made that number up).