Pad selection for ZCP Brakes

[///Marecki]

Hey gang - the time has come for me to do brakes. This is the first time I'm doing them on this car so I am looking for suggestions on pads. This is a street car, it's all stock w/ competition pkg but open to aftermarket pads if worth it. Stopping power, dust byproduct and pedal feel are my leading considerations.

As an aside - I'm wondering if selecting a pad made from a compound that comes in various common sizes will save me from having to get new rotors if I opt to upgrade calipers down the line? (Assuming I get pads made of the same compound for the upgraded calipers with the potential upgrade.) If there's a flaw in this logic let me know, sorry for the noobish question - I honestly don't know much about brakes. 😅

[Estoril]

Low dust and braking efficiency are competing priorities. Choose one over the other.

[///Marecki]

Low dust and braking efficiency are competing priorities. Choose one over the other.

In that case I would opt for function. At the end of the day the brakes are there to stop the damn car.

[Tbonem3]

Factory Jurid/pagid/textar/ate

[///Marecki]

Hawk and/or Ferodo pads on FCP are not any good?

Seems like they have those positioned as the sort of "premium" options.

[Tbonem3]

Good for what? Doesn't sound like you need a hotter pad than stock. I love my ferodos (ds2500), but that's when they're hot. The cold performance (and initial bite) are worse than stock.

If you want low dust becuase you prioritize looks over performance, then go ceramic.

[LSB4Me]

I have ZCP brakes on my car and really like the Akebonos. 100% street car. I won’t ever run a different pad.

Great initial bite. Very lost dust. Extremely confidence inspiring.

The only thing better are the PCCBs on my 997 GT3.

[Grey Phox]

A regular pad is probably fine if it's just a street car.

For reference, I've run Textar or Pagid pads with Zimmerman or Brembo blanks on my E36 M3 since I bought it in 2008 and that car made much more power than my E46 at one point, and with plenty of hard stops it handled the stock pad/rotor combo perfectly fine. Wash the wheels more often if the dust is a concern.

[chris719]

OE pads are best for street driving. Everything else is a compromise in cold bite, noise, etc.

[Estoril]

OE and put this on clean wheels. Great stuff: https://www.amazon.com/RejeX-High-Gl.../dp/B0006V0LNY

[simplem3]

https://nam3forum.com/forums/forum/classifieds/members-parts-for-sale-wtb/e46/295231-nib-carbotech-performance-front-non-track-pads

[old///MFanatic]

I’ve had great results with the StopTech Street Sport pads. The company was bought out and not sure if they changed the pad compounds since.

[///Marecki]

Topic went a bit left, but appreciate everybody's input. Will be opting for OEM based off the feedback. Thought there was room for a simple upgrade on the pad but doesn't seem like it.

Last question I just want to make sure before ordering - are the rear brakes the same across all E46 M3's?

[powerbait]

Yes the rear is the same, in fact the front caliper is the same too, it's just the backet the moves the caliper out to accommodate the larger rotor.

[old///MFanatic]

Low dust and braking efficiency are competing priorities. Choose one over the other.

To be fair dust doesn’t mean the pads are working better. BMWs are well known to have a pad material that’s heavy with graphite. Which is what leaves a darker dust that clings on the wheels.