Brake Upgrade

I'm about to replace my pads/rotors and i have been told that if i'm not going to be doing track racing (or very aggressive driving), that it's not worth replacing OEM stuff with highperformance parts because i won't utilize the benefits with everyday street driving.

Is this justified? or is it worth the extra cash, even if i'm not a hardcore racer?

There is always an advantage to better breaking.

Lets say you are cruising down the street, and uh oh, a little kid runs out in front of you. With your OEM brakes, you have to accelerate to make their death as quick as possible, but with better brakes, your stopping distance is less, and you can let them live.:D

being able to stop faster has its advantages, just don't get an upgrade with a massive increase in fluid needed, or they might end up being squishy. (going from 1 cylinder to 4)

could you elaborate on that a little more?
what do you mean by 1 to 4 cylinder (squishy etc..)


what i DON"T want, is a brake upgrade to performance parts, that only works well under extreme conditions, eg if i slam the brakes they'll stop fast, but if i ease the brakes on, they won't be very responsive.

i guess i want responsive braking under everyday situations, not brakes that will stop well only after heating up, or apply alot of pressure to the brake pedal.

Cuz right now, i have to really press down on the pedal before i feel brake response. i want to be able to just tap the pedal and get instant braking.

This is what I'm talking about when I refered to too squishy: When you upgrade your brakes, and you increase the number of pistons (i said cylinders before) in the brakes, it requires more fluid to depress them enough.

Brake line pressure: Brake line pressure is the hydraulic force that actuates the braking system when the pedal is pushed. Measured in English units as pounds per square inch (psi), it is the force applied to the brake pedal in pounds multiplied by the pedal ratio divided by the area of the master cylinder in square inches. For the same amount of force, the smaller the master cylinder, the greater the brake line pressure. Typical brake line pressures during a stop range from less than 800psi under "normal" conditions, to as much as 2000psi in a maximum effort. Most brake upgrades will give you better all around performance, but you'll have to get used to how they feel first. Its possible you have air bubbles in your brake fluid. Bleed your brakes, and see if you notice an improvement.

http://www.stoptech.com/whitepapers/brake_systems_and_upgrade_selections_122701.htm

I just recently upgraded/replaced my factory OE brakes with some Power Slot rotors (the only good true slotted rotor IMO) and some AEM/Nissin OE spec hi performance brake pads. Not sure if braking distance was decreased much, but braking responsiveness is definitely better. Not much brake dust created from these pads either which is a big plus for me. :) Not that they shed less, but what's created is a much lighter and less noticable color. :cool: The upgrade only cost me about $160 for parts, I changed them out myself saving myself about $100 on that part of the upgrade.

thanks for the help ppl, anymore suggestions would be appreciated :D:D:D