just bought OEM G37 BBK for my 2005 G coupe. mostly for the looks, but sure I will be pleased with the added braking performance.

car is not a daily driver or track machine. mostly a garage queen back roads cruiser.

looking for pads with decent performance, but mostly the lowest NVH and dust levels.

currently run Akebono Pro-Act on G. also run Akebono Euro ceramics on my 428xi and I am very happy with both pads in terms of NVH and performance.

considering the OEM pad, Akebono Pro-Act or Performance ceramics, Hawk Performance ceramic, Centric Posi Quiet ceramic, Project-Mu NS400, Stoptech Street or Sport pads.

not a fan of anything Brembo. have the Brembo BBK on my 328xi wagon and they make a ton of dust and are noisy when cold.

can anyone running any of the pads mentioned provide some feedback of their experience or any experience with another pad that meets the requirements of my application.

appreciate the help.

 

Your inquiry regarding brake pads is like, "What's the best synthetic oil for my G" and many other questions! So, here's my opinion...HAWK HPS pads not ceramic!! Not just from my prospective but company's like www.thetirerack.com tests show them stopping better and leaving less dust than other brake pads! If you decide on these pads doing the "Bed In Process" is a must for a additional 30% stopping ability! (Search)
Gary

 

I've had really good luck with the Akebono street performance pads. They do fade on heavy downhill runs though.

 

My suggestion to limit brake dust residue is to use a wheel polish, I use McKee' 37 Wheel Glaze, you apply it weekly after wash, easy to apply and remove with a microfiber towel. Brake dust comes right off with a good wheel brush and no "scrubbing" is required.

Using quality wheel cleaner helps a ton as well, check out Wolfgang Concours Series Tire & Wheel Cleaner.

 

for the street, i personally use stoptech street pads, i believe they're sold as stoptech sport now. although they are able to resist fade pretty well even on spirited drives, they dust A LOT. if you want stopping power, you're gonna get dust. There really isnt any way around it. Ceramic pads will be quiet and dust free, but those things dont stop your car very well.

 

thanks Gary. had HPS before on my G sedan and they squealed. probably because they were not properly bedded in which these pads require to operate correctly. the problem is finding space to do a proper bedding procedure. would have to go out on highway in early morning hours to try to get this done, thanks for the feedback.

 

looking hard at these since I have had good results with the Pro Act. not worried about fade after heavy use since car is not driven really hard...cruiser. thanks for the feedback!

 

use Poorboy's wheel sealant. the problem is not getting dust off the wheels as my cars are kept clean. looking to avoid the heavy dust in the first place. thanks for the advice.

 

if they dust heavy, then those are off my list. have had good results with Akebono ceramic pads and they do not dust much at all. thanks for the heads up on the Stoptech pads. just the kind of feedback I am looking for to help with my decision.

 

There are a lot of us that will respectfully disagree with Gary on the Hawk HPS pads. I bought a set years ago based on feedback here on the forum from some big fans and I HATED them. Paired them with a set of DBA 4000 rotors and expected big things from the set up. But what I got was horrible cold bite, they squealed like a stuck pig, were terrible on any kind of wet roads and dusted a lot. Drove them for 500 miles, gave them to a friend for free (that was how bad I wanted to dump them) and he ended up throwing them in the trash after less than 1000 miles. I'm not the only member here that dislikes them, they seem to have a love/hate relationship for a lot of us.

And yes Gary, I installed them correctly including bedding them in lolol.

 

been driving a G since my first 03 "doggie door" sedan. put almost 45K miles on her before I moved on to my current "garage queen" 05 G coupe with 44K miles.

Hawk is a highly respected brand in this community and the HPS works well for many, but like you say, also has many detractors. they did not work well for me on my sedan because they squealed too much and gave off too much dust, but I blame much of that on myself and not being able to bed properly as I mentioned. still see many great reviews here and on Tire Rack, so Gary is not alone.

would be willing to try the Hawk Performance ceramic, but they are double the cost of the Akebono Performance ceramic pads for the G37 BBK application. not sure I need to spend that much for a car that is driven less than 5K miles a year on back country roads.

as I have gotten older, was willing to sacrifice some performance for less NVH and dust. hated the OEM pads that came with my coupe, grabby and dusty, and why I swapped out for Akebono Pro Act. have been so happy with those, went to Euro ceramics for my now sold 03 Passat wagon.

have the Brembo BBK on my daily driver 328xi wagon and the dust is ridiculous. drive through a rain storm and the wheels are black after having just washed. plus they squeal when cold. not a proper brake setup for a daily driver.

we put Akebono Euro on my ladies 428xi and they have been just as good as they were on my Passat. for the type of driving we do, we do not notice enough difference in performance between her car and my wagon with the Brembo BBK. we are not tracking these cars.

when my lease is up on the wagon, will lease another one, but without the Brembo BBK...overkill for a DD, but they look great!

really thinking of giving the Akebono Performance pads a chance since I have been happy with the Pro Act and these may offer a little better overall performance. just not many reviews on these at Tire Rack.

anyone else out there that can share their experience with the Akebono Performance pads is appreciated...or any other pad they have had success with.

really appreciate the feedback so far. thanks guys!

 

Read what I posted on the Akebono street performance pads - good linear braking feel, but fades under heavy braking (street) after a couple of spirited runs. Little to no dust. Ceramic.

Oem was dusty but stopped really well.

Stoptech street (sport now?) stopped the best but were very dusty.

HAWK HPS were just terrible for cold and wet Ohio winters.

When in doubt go with oem!

 

I think a lot of the newer G owners either haven't seen or don't remember the initial braking tests when the G's first came out. 03-06 coupes and sedans were turning heads with sub 110 ft. stopping distances from 60-0. Yes the OEM pads dust, especially on the earlier models, but the stopping power is great.

 

Hated Hawk HPS on my prior car (a Z32 NA) - scary in the cold or wet. I also got rid of them quickly.

After I went through the OEM pads on my '04 Brembo coupe, I switched to Project Mu NS pads and really loved them. Great cold bite and good fade resistance. They weren't too bad on dust either. A little pricey but they were worth it.

 

I'm half way between the OEM pads and the Stop Tech street pads next.