Is it just me or do Mintex brake pads suck?

[-JoeS]

I have them installed with my new zimmerman cross drilled and the pads generate so much brake dust and the squeel like a stuck pig. I hate them. Their performance is not all that wonderful, after i start abusing them. I am very very disappointed. The raybestos ceramics kick their ass in my opinion.

[Tiger]

Everytime I hear squealing when new... is the first sign of brake pad not broken in properly.

[PhilipJCaputo]

I just put in some reybestos last night up front..... they seem to stop the car ok, but I feel like I have to push the pedal farther to get the car to stop...

I didn't bleed the lines, I just took the cap off the master cylinder and pushed the piston back up into the brake cylinder... do I need to bleed the lines??

[Tiger]

No, you don't need to bleed the line... First pedal stopping feels like the car won't stop... You do have to break it in properly.

[Jeff N.]

Tried a set once. Mine didn't squeal but they made tons of dust. Soggy pedal. Did a couple laps with them during a local lapping day and the material carbonized.

My read of Mintex: cheap, basic street pad. I think you can do better.

I have yet to try the much vaunted Raybestos, I'm still very happy with the PBR Metalmasters. Cheap, take a lot of heat, good bite when you put some heat into them, easy on the rotors.

So did Yves recommend them to you? :D

Jeff


I have them installed with my new zimmerman cross drilled and the pads generate so much brake dust and the squeel like a stuck pig. I hate them. Their performance is not all that wonderful, after i start abusing them. I am very very disappointed. The raybestos ceramics kick their ass in my opinion.

[PhilipJCaputo]

What is "break it in properly"??



No, you don't need to bleed the line... First pedal stopping feels like the car won't stop... You do have to break it in properly.

[Jeff N.]

But I still think the Mintex generally suck!


No, you don't need to bleed the line... First pedal stopping feels like the car won't stop... You do have to break it in properly.

[mholbrook]

I love Mintex pads and many people I know really like them too. I have Mintex on all my cars now. I don't see how you can make a mistake with them. The fronts have pads already stuck on from the factory. I can't remember about the rears. Squeeling brakes often happens because you did not put antisieze on the metal to metal points of contact. Did you wire brush your carriers? Especially at the points of contact with the pad ears. And then put some antisieze on those points of contact. Also on the round edge of the cylinder where it will touch the back of the pad.

Then there is the bedding in procedure. If I recall, it is a series of about 10 stops from moderate speeds and then let the pads cool off. If you take brand new pads and start out doing panic stops to break them in, that is an incorrect procedure.

I'm going to be using Mintex Red Box pads for a long, long time on my cars.

[Jeff N.]

Typically, it's a procedure to heat the pads in a specific manner. When new and first heated up, the pads emit gasses from the glue and pad compounds used to assemble them. After a few heat cycles (the break in procedure) the pads stop this and work as designed for the rest their life.

The pads will feel sucky if you don't break them in right. No bite, feel like they have a lot of fade. Sometimes this is referred to as "green fade".

Hope this helps...

Jeff




What is "break it in properly"??

[Tiger]

Break in properly is a general procedure that I am tired or typing up all the time... basically you need a good straight road with minimal traffic... you figure out where...

40 MPH or 50 MPH... or higher if you are on highway... you gently slow down the car to 10 MPH lower than what you were at... and repeat 3 more time... then you are done.

Since your pads are already squealing... you have to scruff up your rotors with emory sandpaper... both side on all 4 rotors.

[-Joes]

I took the car around the block did a few moderate stops, then let them cool during some drive and the last two stops I hit 'em hard.

[Tiger]

I remember Mintex I installed long ago... OEM braking pad quality is all I remember of it.

[warton]

Break in properly is a general procedure that I am tired or typing up all the time... basically you need a good straight road with minimal traffic... you figure out where...

40 MPH or 50 MPH... or higher if you are on highway... you gently slow down the car to 10 MPH lower than what you were at... and repeat 3 more time... then you are done.

Since your pads are already squealing... you have to scruff up your rotors with emory sandpaper... both side on all 4 rotors.

Are there recommendataions for breaking in new rotors and pads at the same time? Same procedure? I remember reading somewhere that one is supposed to break in new pads with old rotors... but maybe that was just for the racing crowd.

Thanks,
Peter

[Tiger]

For any new pads... it doesn't matter if old or new rotor. The moment you stomped on the pedal when new... your new pads are already glazed and will squeal like a pig.

[Tiger]

the last two stop ruins it... and moderate stop is too hard already

[PhilipJCaputo]

So if I didn't follow the break in procedure..... are my pads gonna be screwed?

[G Feller]

Not screwed, just glazed.


Since your pads are already squealing... you have to scruff up your rotors with emory sandpaper... both side on all 4 rotors.

[PhilipJCaputo]

soooo.... is this how I remove the glaze??


Originally Posted by Tiger
Since your pads are already squealing... you have to scruff up your rotors with emory sandpaper... both side on all 4 rotors.

[Bill R.]

performance for normal street driving seems ok but the dust is a killer..
I'm much happier installing raybesto qs pads for the everyday street driver and i get no complaints....The only thing i don't like about them is that they dropped the lifetime warranty they used to have... Alot of my customers are the kind of people that keep a car for 10 years or more and they use those warranties...






Tried a set once. Mine didn't squeal but they made tons of dust. Soggy pedal. Did a couple laps with them during a local lapping day and the material carbonized.

My read of Mintex: cheap, basic street pad. I think you can do better.

I have yet to try the much vaunted Raybestos, I'm still very happy with the PBR Metalmasters. Cheap, take a lot of heat, good bite when you put some heat into them, easy on the rotors.

So did Yves recommend them to you? :D

Jeff

[632 Regal]

most shops that turn rotors use a heavy a$$ duty type of wire wheel that does the same sort of thing, next door they charge 3 bux for each rotor...much easier.

[Bill R.]

surface conditioning pad to put a surface on the rotor. I use a random orbital sander and some 220 grip paper. If you're putting new rotors on like the zimmermans you'll get a lot better results with new rotors if you clean them with brake spray cleaner and then clean them with hot water and detergent srubbing them with a scotbrite pad. Almost every major brake manufacturer is recommending this procedure now... The first time i saw it I thought it was hooey but it really makes new pads and rotors work better right off the bat.







most shops that turn rotors use a heavy a$$ duty type of wire wheel that does the same sort of thing, next door they charge 3 bux for each rotor...much easier.

[Warren N.CA]

or the softer ones for dish washing use?




surface conditioning pad to put a surface on the rotor. I use a random orbital sander and some 220 grip paper. If you're putting new rotors on like the zimmermans you'll get a lot better results with new rotors if you clean them with brake spray cleaner and then clean them with hot water and detergent srubbing them with a scotbrite pad. Almost every major brake manufacturer is recommending this procedure now... The first time i saw it I thought it was hooey but it really makes new pads and rotors work better right off the bat.

[Bill R.]

or the softer ones for dish washing use?

[Tiger]

Medium or course emory sandpaper and your hand... just make the rotor looked like all scruffed up... both side leave no mirror glaze behind. It doesn't matter what direction you sand... I prefer perpendicularof the rotor surface... meaing up down instead of round like brake pad would do.