190 - Front discs / pads?

[Jakg]

Originally Posted by MisterTomez

I've gone from Black Diamond discs which were good although extremely expensive to Mintex discs and pads (£100 altogether) and while they're perhaps not as good as that, there's no squeaking and neither do they fade with exuberant driving. Unfortunately 190 discs whatever brand seem to be at least twice the price of the standard size.

What sort of difference did you find between the two?

Black Diamonds are looking at £230+ for the discs / pads, whereas something like Mintext discs / OEM pads are <£150, easily...

[MisterTomez]

Black Diamond are definitely better - sharper and bite better than the Mintex, but imo it's not worth the extra £100+ ... so I went with the Mintex when I renewed mine recently, simply because I know from past experience they're a reasonable buy.

[Jakg]

My next brainwave...

If the 190 calipers come off an E46 330i, then surely the pads (but obviously not the discs) should be the same?

You can get Brembo pads on eBay for £45, or new genuine BMW pads for the same price...

[Jakg]

Update - ended up getting Predator Fast Road pads (£56, Motobuild) and EBC discs (£97, eBay).

[Jakg]

Originally Posted by Jakg

Update - ended up getting Predator Fast Road pads (£56, Motobuild) and EBC discs (£97, eBay).

And an update a few months on - I'm not overly happy...

The pads seem to work well, but more than once under heavy usage I've managed to make them smoke! The performance seems ok (haven't felt them fade yet) but smoking brakes gives me no confidence to keep pushing on...

OEM next time I think!

[rover775]

ebc red or green work really well but not black which like the mintex pads squeak

[rovexCDTi]

What are you doing to make the brakes smoke??

I used Greenstuff pads and turbogroove discs on my 420 GSI turbo, a much faster car than any ZT (except the V8.. maybe..). The car also had rather small brakes being the same size as the 1.6 version, but it regularly stopped very well from 100+ with little or no fade. Those brakes lasted ages and got moved between 3 cars over 2 years and when i finally sold the last car they were still hardly worn.

[Trophy Blue Tourer]

Originally Posted by Jakg

And an update a few months on - I'm not overly happy...

The pads seem to work well, but more than once under heavy usage I've managed to make them smoke! The performance seems ok (haven't felt them fade yet) but smoking brakes gives me no confidence to keep pushing on...

OEM next time I think!

Mate!! The Predator pads are "fast road pads" - if you think the OEM pads arnt going to smoke under the same treatment then I'm betting you will be in for a bit of a supprise!!

To be fair it isnt always the pads that are smoking!! dont forget you will (should have) grease (copperslip??? - some sort of high temp lube anyway!!) on the edges/back of the pads (to aid them moving and prevent squeal in the calipers/mounts) anyway!! the smoke will often be from there and possibly the paint on the steel part of the pads!! - point being !! if the OEM start to smoke then they will be starting to fade!! and your Predator pads havent yet have they??

Did you get the "groved & dimpled/drilled" discs from Mintex?? they also help with the cooling of the pad/disc unit and it might be (if you dont have them and went for the non groved/drilled Std Mintex option??) that the cooling isnt as good as it could be?? - thats why I went for a matched set of (Black Diamond) pads and discs (groved and drilled) to Motobuilds recomendation anyway!! - I promise I have been silly a couple of times since which is easy in M/K due to all the endless roundabouts with D/Carridgeway between them!! - with no smoke!!

Originally Posted by rovexCDTi

What are you doing to make the brakes smoke??

I used Greenstuff pads and turbogroove discs on my 420 GSI turbo, a much faster car than any ZT (except the V8.. maybe..). The car also had rather small brakes being the same size as the 1.6 version, but it regularly stopped very well from 100+ with little or no fade. Those brakes lasted ages and got moved between 3 cars over 2 years and when i finally sold the last car they were still hardly worn.

Sounds like he's ""driving it like he stole it"" - to me!!

Jakg !!-It's a very subjective subject this !! - what's right for one isn't always right for another!! - we can only relate our own experiances and thoughts!! - you have to go with what you feel is right!! - putting it another way!! think what the level of braking force you have been useing to make these smoke would have done to your tiny little 282mm discs and pads pre the upgrade!!

Andy

P.S !! Silly - Silly ie- R800 Vitesse!! Std brakes in M/K at Max acceleration/max braking/max accel etc!! would give you 2 maybe 3 roundabouts before smoking and the pedal virtually sinking to the floor with little or NO effect!! - Or!! as the (actually very nice!!) traffic officer said!! having zaped me at 37 in a 30 limit and sending me on a speed awareness course!! (phew no points!!) "" oh we used to have those here as unmarked cars!! - do the brakes still fade??? ""

[rovexCDTi]

Tyres will also play a part. Cheap hard chinese tyres will make the brakes work harder, sounds counter intuitive that grippier tyres are easier on the brakes, but they are.

I agree that the smoking may be grease and oils, it may improve over time.

[Jakg]

When I fitted my boost controller I had to do lots of 2 / 3 / 4th gear pulls, and then obviously bleed that speed of. After doing this maybe 8 or 9 times over the course of a few minutes, I stopped and notice smoke pouring off brakes. Probably was pretty hard for them to be fair (but I never normally work them hard).

Discs are EBC, vented but not grooved / dimpled.

Tyres up front are Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta's (i.e. decent ones)

I copperslipped the back of the pads, but not the edges - didn't know you needed to. They aren't making any funny noises...