Need advice on pads
 

My brake pads are very squeaky and my car is a DD and I hate the squeaking sound especially in traffic. I have taken my car to a few shops lately and the guys all confirmed that the pads on my car and my rotors are in perfect shape, and that all I need are different pads. Me and a friend are going to be putting them on ourselves, so I can pick out any pad that you guys recommend. I have an 04 with the Sport suspension, but I dont think that it matters.

thanks so much

Hawk HPS is what I have and they are great, low on dust too.

I hate the HPS personally, one of the worst pads I have used. I am a Carbotech guy, but they are very pricey, especially if the car isn't raced. You are probably good with OEM pads, but the Mazda value pads might not have the same stopping power as the OEM ones

Hawk Ceramics are nice for street pads...quiet and don't dust much

Hawk HPS FTW

Racing Brake ET500, best DD pad FTW

cool! I think I am going to probably go with the Hawk HPS Pads. Do I need new brake shims also when I replace the pads?

meh... i disagree.

edit: I mean, they're fine but after taking them on the track you realize that they have a lot less stopping power at street driving temps than when they are warmed up. I think the OEM pads have much better cold stopping abilities.

You don't need new brake shims. I didn't put the OEM shims back on because the Hawk has some sort of material on the back of the pad already. Mine work fine without the shims.

ET500's are the way to go...

Great pad very little dust ever.

Anybody used or know anything about EBCs Red Stuff pads?

Hawk Ceramics here as well. Near silent and very low dust.

Another vote for Hawk Ceramics

Make sure you either start with new rotors or take a 3M pad and remove all the brake pad material from your current rotors. Jay, my co-driver, best bud and Hawk brakes technical guy/distributor/Two time NASA American Iron National Champion has shown me (and many others) what material imcompatability looks like. The most common side effect is a brake chatter represented by little patches of mismatched brake material on the rotor. Think of leopard spots. What is happening is the transfer film of the new pad is not getting to the metal because there is the remaining layer of the previous transfer film still on the rotor. A little 3M pad on an electric or pneumatic drill will remove this. Remember to remove it from both sides. You WANT to do this---trust me on this one.

Seek this guy out, take your car to him and learn as much about your brakes as possible. The strength to tap in the RX-8 is our brakes. When we ran Koni Challenge this was by far the best braking car in the ST class. Most of you know this is because of both the ABS and the size and location of the motor which allows for fantastic weight distribution. If your not maximizing your braking talents you are leaving valuable seconds on the table at your DE/HPDE/Open Track. In my experiences with instructing and coaching HPDE drivers running RX-8's they almost always are leaving tons of time on the table with their brakes. These things stop on a dime and give you a dime back with interest. But you need to understand the components that go into a braking system (which include tire, suspension, driving technique and pads and rotors obviously). Invest in understanding your brakes and you will be safer, faster and more confident in the great braking capability of our wonderful cars.

What do you mean by "3m pad"? Scotch Brite?

Yes