[Beedub]

Originally Posted by Ilia@IND

I'm not able to read the article, but a few questions come to mind immediately:

-Did these journalists install the same brake pad compound in each kit? It looks like some kits are using Pagid RS29 pads and others are using a different pad.

-Did these journalists measure any other parameters than stopping distance?


A few things to consider:

-Stopping distance is largely a test of pad compound, and less so a test of the design of the brake caliper or rotor. An excellent compound in the original BMW brakes can produce a very low stopping distance, provided that the tires have enough grip to operate up to the compound's ability.

-Brake calipers and rotors are upgraded to increase their thermal capacity, not their one-time stopping distance. The key is not what the brake system can do once, rather the question is what consistency does the brake system offer over time?

Most E9x M3 owners that drive their cars quickly around the track have noticed that even with an excellent brake pad compound (which does provide better stopping distance), the original BMW E9x M3 brakes will eventually fade and fail with hard use.

This test does not appear to test brake operating temperature over time, nor does it seem to graphically represent performance (brake fade or lack thereof). This test also shows several of the brake kits loaded with Pagid's RS29 pads (an excellent track brake pad), and the other kits loaded with other pads (I am assuming Ferodo FM1000 for the Brembo kit, and stock for the BMW kit).

For an empirical test I would have loaded all of the brake calipers with a high performance pad like the RS29, and logged brake fade in some way.

As-is, even the stopping distance test conducted here is of no use. The data is not accurate due to the inconsistency in pad compound.

Absolutely.