Another damn brake pad thread...
 

For reasons that are unfortunately obvious to anyone who's been reading my threads about RacingBrake 2-piece rotors, I'm looking at new pad options.

Criteria:

1. Initial bite equal or better than OE
2. Cold performance (including winter) equal or better than OE
3. Max operating temp higher than OE

No track use, but apparently I can wear out a set of OE front pads in about 20k miles, if that gives an idea of my usage.

Rotor wear isn't much of a concern. Noise just needs to not be high-pitched and ear-splitting. Dust can be dealt with if it's a good pad otherwise.

Options I'm looking at so far, in no particular order:

- Porterfield R4-S (heard initial bite is weak..?)
- Porterfield R4-1
- Axxis Ultimate
- Hawk HPS 5.0 (RacingBrake likes Hawk compounds)
- RacingBrake ET500
- RacingBrake ET800
- StopTech Sport (a.k.a. 309)

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

Given all the trouble you're having, your application (from your "NOT to buy" thread), the cost of the rotors, and the cost of the pads you are looking at, have you considered selling the 2-piece rotors and reverting back to $45 Centric "premium" rotors with good $40 ceramic street pads? I track the snot out of my 8 with plain-old Centrics, they are more than up to the task for a street car.

The pads you've listed that I'm familiar with are all going to be annoying on the street. Lots of dusting and some noise. Some of them are hyper-sensitive to break-in procedure IMHO.

Yep, definitely considering that. Will do it in a heartbeat if another cleaning and/or pad choice doesn't fix the problem.

Thing is, I'd be interested in a pad like this no matter what rotor I had, so I figured it's not a bad next step.

Stop using aggressive brake pads, and your rotors will live much longer. I don't really understand the logic of using high performance pads on the street. Most of the positive features of such pads are not available to use at the pad temp you develop in regular driving, even if you're aggressive, and all of the negative features like noise/dust/disc-eating are in play at all times.

Meant to say front pads there, not front rotors.

The rx8 has probably the best factory breaking system ever produced after the 90's.. you really aren't gonna be going fast enough to even justify trying to find the best brake pads humanly possible... just to give you an idea i just go to autozone and get the best pads they have $50 for the front set and got slightly less quality for the rear $40. I slay backroads and track often and they've held up extremely well 15k on them. But to be fair i engine brake 95% of the time so I literally just use my brakes to come to a dead stop and hold myself in place on a hill.