Brake pad recommendations for 2006 Boxster S please

[cerberus]

Originally Posted by ChrisZang

I installed Hawk HPS about 6k miles ago, here are my observations:

Pros:
* WAY less dust than OEM
* ABSOLUTELY no noise/squealing
* Cheaper than OEM
* In normal street use no difference to OEM

Cons:
* no holes for the brake sensors (which I don't care about)
* I would not advise them for track use, I had fading after a few laps at Laguna Seca

Summary: I will/would buy them again. I will buy either Pagid Orange or BHP XPS for the track and run the Hawk purely on the street and Auto-X

Thanks for the feedback Chris.

What is the drawback of not having hole for the brake sensor? Does this mean the sensor has to be disconnected? If so, would this trigger a dummy light in the dash?

Thanks again

[Bob O]

Chris is dead on about the Hawks. I also had a little fade at the track and switched to Pagid orange. Outstanding track pads.

No sensor holes......I just tied off the sensors by attaching them with zip ties to the brake line (I think? have to go look) and put electrical tape around the sensor end. No lights, no other effects. The sensors complete a circuit when they contact the rotor which turns on the dash light. If they're prevented from doing that, no light. If you replace the pads again, with sensor holes, simply remove the tape and zip ties and install them again.

Bob

[porschedude]

I used the Mintex semi-metallic...works great with little dust and good braking but I think any other brand like Pagid, Hawk, PBR etc would be fine. My Mintex pads came with the drilled holes and it was easy to replace in 45 minutes or so if you have done it before. Dealer typically would replace rotors and change pads for $700-1000 from what I heard. I don't really know why they charge so much for such a simple job. Oh, you may also want to buy the brake shims cause the old shims are stuck like glue to the old pads.

[FTD]

Which Pagid would you choose for mostly everyday street and monthly AutoX or track?

[blue2000s]

In my experience, I disagree on the Hawk HPS being lower dust than OEM. I've used HPS on a couple of different sports cars for several years and they do make a good deal of a rust colored dust that is much harder to clean off than the black dust that the OEM pads give off.

They don't squeal much, but they do squeal. It's probably about equal to the stock pad.

[cerberus]

I decided with the OEM pads. There were too many choices in the aftermarket and I decided not second guess the factory.

Thanks guys!

[schwank]

You won't go wrong with the factory pads.

I second the comments on Hawk pads... I've run Hawk HP+ pads (next step from HPS) on my cars for several years, both my Audi wagon (now totaled) and my current 944 track car (driven to and from the track) and they dust up like crazy. My local shop did say HP+ compound was not available for the 986S, so I went with the Pagid's, which many of their clients seem to like.

Haven't had the Pagid's long enough to see the dust yet. For the poster that asked, for general street driving, the Sport compound is likely the one you want.