[EddyH]

My E92 335i is about ready for new rear pads and I wondered what options were available in the UK. So far I've found Ferodo DS2500's, Tarox Strada's and EBC redstuff. I can't find reviews of any relating to the 335i, I have personal experience of the DS2500's so they are top of the list at the moment.

If anyone can offer any help please let me know.

[m1bjr]

Im finding the yellowstuff (balance motorsport?) excellent so far.
Nice even wear and clean discs, bite from cold is oem feel.
Hit them hard and get heat into them and they are MUCH better than oem, and get better the harder you hit them.
They like heat so if you work them or the dsc hard they would be my choice.

Always used DS2500 on other cars for track work without issue, but redstuff on a 335i is a big mistake. Not up to it.
I took the reds off after one track day and 3k miles. They were breaking up from an overheat and Im easy on brakes (C.Combe)
Yellows dust less and are better in every respect to DS2500 or oem, or redstuff.

Steve

[doughboy]

Originally Posted by EddyH

My E92 335i is about ready for new rear pads and I wondered what options were available in the UK. So far I've found Ferodo DS2500's, Tarox Strada's and EBC redstuff. I can't find reviews of any relating to the 335i, I have personal experience of the DS2500's so they are top of the list at the moment.

If anyone can offer any help please let me know.

You won't find DS2500 for the front of a 335i/d.

Some places list them, but i found out to my expense that there seem to be a part number error at Ferodo, and they are the wrong pads (you will end up with 330i/d pads which don't fit)

That's why I have a full set of DS2500 for a 330i/d in my garage!

I use EBC red, which are much better than OE, although from comments above, I'll go for yellow when these are up.

I do find the reds rumble like a train on long-brakes when cold (exiting mway slip for example), I get purple heat spots lining up with the ventilation vanes on the discs too when this happens, like the disc has uneven expansion from cold causing high points, although this never happened with OE pads.

When they're fully warmed up they're great, pedal gets firmer and it's movement shorter and all the marks go.

But its' hard somtimes to get your brakes warm when the traffic's busy!

[EddyH]

It's Evolve who have said they can get front and rear DS2500 pads and they say it's a recent addition but I will get them to double check.

It's good to hear positive feedback on the red stuff as they are also the cheapest!

[doughboy]

That'd be great if DS2500 are available now, i'd go for them next time.

BTW, DS2500 are not road approved, just a technicality, but a thought nonetheless.

For cars newer than 1999, you need pads certified to ECE R90 for road use (officially) which DS2500 are not.

[EddyH]

That wouldn't worry me but thanks for the advice. I've used DS3000's in the past which are supposed to be hardcore track pads and I found them better on the road than the DS2500, if I could get them they'd be my first choice.

[zltm089]

I found the oem pads to be ok for fast road driving....

are aftermarket pads cheaper and better for high performance?

[m1bjr]

Yellowstuff (new versions) are far superior to the red compound, I have them all around the 335i now.
Like I say, the redstuff was little better than oem at high workrate.

EBD Yellow are also ECE R90 - so no scary implications for the paranoid amongst you.

[Mike in Hampshire]

Lots of posts on the US section rave about Cool Carbon pads. Are they available in the UK for 335's? If so, anyone know the cost?

Mike.

[m1bjr]

Along the lines of Carbotech.
Hammered them on the R26 at Rockingham and thats bloody hard on brakes.
The XP10 was the best pad I have found for a road/track compromise.

The Cool Carbon is a 'similar' carbon based idea rather than kevlar or scintillated like the Ferodos.
So I would be surprised if was any less effective than EBC or Ferodo's offerings.

No idea about a distro in UK though...

Carbotech USA list pucks for the 335i old and new, front and rear.
I imported a custom made set for the R26, cost a packet but good service.
Then found the UK division can water jet any backplate and machine a puck in whatever material you want.
they buy material from the USA parent and bond it together here. Worth a punt if you want the ultimate pads for a heavy car.

[jimmylimmy]

I've found the cool carbon pads to be very noisy, so bad that I had to replace the fronts within two weeks as they squealed so much

[335iLondon]

Originally Posted by jimmylimmy

I've found the cool carbon pads to be very noisy, so bad that I had to replace the fronts within two weeks as they squealed so much

Sounds like you did not bed them in correctly.

Lots of heat cycles are the order of the day - or so i read anyway

Good info in this post! cheers guys.

Yellowstuff pads for me next

[jimmylimmy]

Originally Posted by 335iLondon

Sounds like you did not bed them in correctly.

Lots of heat cycles are the order of the day - or so i read anyway

Good info in this post! cheers guys.

Yellowstuff pads for me next

The garage followed the bedding in instructions that were supplied with the pads, I did plenty of research before ordering the from the US. I ended up replacing them with EBC

[m1bjr]

Its pretty normal for them to squeel.
Carbotech XP10 or 12 are the same on a road car.
You can sluice them out regularly which helps, as does hitting them hard occasionally.
But they will always sound like a hackney cab if driven gently in traffic a lot.
Not a function of correct setting, but a result of light use. Squeal means wear too - normally of the discs.

Just the way it is. You have one thing or the other.
Yellowstuff of DS2500 is a happy compromise I have found though.