[P-51]

Quote:I'm still not all that convinced that they wear out that much sooner. In a street application how much would you consider a good pad life to be? I change rotors and pads when I change from my summer to winter tires? 2 full seasons like tires maybe 20,000 KM is plenty of life.

I can't comment on the wear, because I've never run them. ;) That's just what I hear, and it makes sense.

How long can you expect out of brakes? That's a pretty vague question.

My Dad has a Toyota 4Runner with 360,000km on it, just had it's first brake job.

I have 55,000 on the WRX, and they're still good.

Some people are happy to get 30,000 out of a set of GM brakes.

Quote:So the best performance / cost-effective upgrade to a Focus' stock brake system is....

Larger discs? Discs all the way around for us drum-heads? (expensive, apparently)

Better quality Brembo blanks or perhaps something slotted by a name brand manufacturer?

In other words, Brembo blanks and Hawk HPS pads or EBC Green Stuff pads is a smart move?

You really can't upgrade from stock without doing something radical. The rotors are all the same within a stock fittment. No opportunities there.

The stock pads are pretty damn good, if you don't mind all the dust. Great bite, modulation, and fade resistance.

I tried Mintex A/F to get rid of the dust, and they really sucked. Couldn't take the heat of a trackday.

There are pads that will outperform the stockers on a trackday, but you don't want them on the street as they make nasty dust, squeal, and eat rotors when cold.

Frankly, I don't understand the desire to improve the performance of the stock brakes on the street. Other than to get points for saying you did.

The stock brakes can lock up R compounds at 120+km/h. You can't improve on that. Lockup is lockup. I've never had serious fade with stock-ish power when beating on them on a racetrack, so no thermal issues. Got a feel problem? Bleed them for $20.

What other performance measurable are you wanting to improve?