Dear BIRA cohorts,

I can now offer an answer when I'm asked, "how do you like your new brakes?"  I love 'em!

I don't have a whole lot of experience to draw on here, but last summer at Summit Point, the end of the front straight, I was having to brake pretty early with my stock brakes, and even then they didn't inspire much confidence.  How to describe it....they'd bite initially (Mintex C-tech pads,) but then stop biting, and it felt like I was hurting the brake system.  Plus, with each successive lap, they'd be a little worse (pad fade, right?)

No such problem at Lime Rock!  Granted, Lime Rock is not reputed to be tough on brakes, but I experienced no fade as the session went on.  Initial bite was very good, and the harder I pushed, the better they stopped.  I was able to be confident going into Big Bend (end of the front straight) and concentrate on my line, not on babying my brakes.  I was reaching similar speed on the front straight at LRP as at Summit Point too (105-107 mph.)

So here's the details of my setup.  2000 A4, 1.8TQ.  BIRA system 1 in front with plain A8 rotors and stainless steel lines.  Bone-stock A4 brakes in the rear with OEM rubber lines.  Valvoline Syn Power DOT 4 brake fluid.  Pagid Orange pads on all 4 corners.  Did my best to bed the pads per Pagid's directions:  ~4 medium effort stops from 90-65 mph, ~4 hard effort stops from 110-65 mph.  PITA to accomplish this in the Boston area, BTW.

I was very happy with the Pagid Orange, though one more track event on the same pads will tell the rest of the story.  Pad wear was noticeable, especially for the rears (!)  More wear for the rear pads in 2 track days than in 6 months for the Mintex Red Box on the street.  Fronts held up well - less wear than in 6 months Mintex.  Each of the 4 front pads had one small spot, not near edge, where the pad material powdered away.  Maybe 3/8 inch diameter, fairly deep. Rear pads did something weird too.  The sides of the pad are peeling away - like a snake shedding its skin.  All 4 rear pads doing this.  Can I attribute this to beveling the pads top and bottom edges before install?

I managed to get in my BIRA raves to others at the event too.  End of the 2nd day, a couple of A4 owners were complaining about their brakes ("like stepping on a plum,") and I was able to show them an affordable solution ;-)

Thank you BIRA, I love my brakes.

Doug