X3E Brake Pads: Long Term Review

[Sugarphreak]

I had picked up a set of brake pads from Illusive and had them installed a couple of months ago; this is what I think of them so far:

Initially the brake pedal felt sort of soft and mushy, I understand this is a common feeling for anybody installing new pads on the Fit and it starts to return to normal after a day or so. I had the front and rears both replaced with the X3E street brake pads. They are a combination of organic and ceramic materials and will perform when they are cold or under more demanding conditions.

Here is the official description

Street Xtr3me - for the demanding drivers

• Made of High quality European Rockwool, 100% Non-asbestos & Non-metallic Organic formula with CERAMIC technology virtually eliminates noise and reduces dusting.

• Street X3E LOWERS the thermal conductivity of brake pad, which in turns maintain a lower temperature in the brake fluid, thus providing exceptional consistent stopping power under stressed Street conditions.

• Superior stopping power, shorter stopping distance and fade-free braking performance

• Working temperatures cold to 450ºC

• Rising mu 0.42 to 0.5 for GREAT COLD BITE and excellent High STREET Temperatures and even TRACK DAYS due to the LOW weight of the FIT/JAZZ

• Ultra-Quiet Braking

• Rotor-Friendly Formula Leads to Long Wear Life of Pad & Rotor

• Very Low-Dusting for Cleaner Wheels

Safety/Quality Approvals by AMECA CERTIFICATE FROM AMERICAN LINK TESTING LAB.

I also had the pads installed with new SS brake lines

In a word the pads are impressive. The pedal is noticeably more stiff (thanks to T1R SS lines), however the braking power is there to back it up. I have put them through some long highway trips and also had a chance to push them a bit on a track course and under both situations they did not diminish when hot.

I do find them a bit grabby/sensitive for day to day driving especially when starting out, also when wet they bite more suddenly so you have to stay aware that you are running these pads at all times. Basically if somebody else goes to take the car for a spin it is going to feel like they are slamming on the brakes everywhere because the sensitivity goes way up initially. Now once they are warmed up I feel very comfortable with them as stopping power is strong and predictable, the sensitivity will return to more what you would expect from your stock brakes.

One of the more annoying side effects of the pads is they like to squeak like you wouldn't believe for the first 10-15 minutes of driving. After they warm up a bit they quiet down, but if you get them dusty or wet the squeaking returns. So the no-noise claim is pretty much bull-sh!t

However what I like most is under emergency situations there is no doubt they do bring the vehicle to a much quicker stop. I have had a couple of close calls both with idiot drivers and one very close call with a deer where regular pads may not have done the job.

So all things considered I would say that X3E has made a pretty good set of street pads. I think they are a bit overkill for anybody who wants to do daily driving, but if you are looking for something with a bit more bite that would be suitable for a few track days then they are the way to go.

Also Illusive still has another set for sale

[Sugarphreak]

So an update to my long term review. I am going on about 4 or 5 months now with these pads and NOW they squeal so bad they sound like a freaking bus coming to a grinding hault at even the lightest touch. This is getting pretty retarded, I expected some noise... but as a "street" pad they shouldn't be this bad.

So to recap... the claim they are quiet is total bullshit!

"Virtually Eliminates Noise" MY FAT A-S-S

[Fa1]

Are they worn out already or just a defect?

[Sugarphreak]

Nope, both the rotor and pads have lots of life left in them.

Just a false claim

[richard612]

.42 to .50mu is impressive, but it's understandable why they make noise. Any pad formulation that yields such a high friction coefficient precludes using sufficient quantities of the materials that make pads run quiet. They bake the cake with a whole different receipe.

You'll probably have to tone-down your pad selection on a daily-driver.

[Sugarphreak]

Basically goes back to my point though, they claim to be "ultra-quiet" which it is not. I was mislead by false advertising.

While the brake performance is great, I will be going with a quiet option later on, this high pitch squealing to a stop like a rusty old caravan is getting old fast.

[QuickGD3]

Try Porterfield brakes pads.. they work awesome. They dont have them listed on their website but call wendy and she will get you the right part number.

Porterfield Brake Pad Compound Description

R-4 Full Race Compound
Designed specifically for heavy-duty motorsports. The carbon based semi-metallic R-4 materials allow the pad to absorb tremendous amounts of heat and dissipate it at very even rate. Carbon Kevlar material warms up to race temperature quickly, which is quite helpful during restarts, and when track time is limited. When used with cast iron and steel alloy rotors, the R-4 compound requires minimal bed-in period. Throughout the entire heat range, the carbon kevlar material will give extremely consistent modulation and predictably. This is truly the most rotor friendly racing brake pad material ever. Good for road courses, oval track, rally, vintage racing, autocross, club events or professional racing events.

:: #1 Race Specialist in The World :: »

R4-E Endurance Race Compound
A carbon kevlar compound made to last a bit longer than the original R-4 compound. The R4-E compound is designed to endure higher prolonged temperature and still has pad life as long or longer than Porterfield R-4 do. This pad is great for club enduro events and applications where temperatures are at their maximum.

R4-1 Vintage Full Race Compound
Developed using knowledge testing in the vintage racing community. Optimum uses for the R4-1, under conditions where very high friction is needed with minimal warm up time and in applications where there is difficulty in maintaining sufficient heat with conventional race pad compounds. Widely used on vintage GT and formula cars the R4-1 is also gaining popularity in off-road and rally-cross classes. Great modulation, consistent pedal feedback and rotor friendly at all temperatures as with all the other Porterfield Carbon Kevlar compounds.

R4-S High Performance Street and Autocross
For high performance and heavy-duty street conditions. Perfect for prolonged everyday street use while also being capable of tolerating the most severe street use without any fade. Rotor friendly of course. The R4-S friction level will give you an impressive increase in stopping ability with very minimum pedal effort. R4-S compound has the absolute lowest noise and dust levels, far below OEM equipment or any other high performance brake material. Good for autocrossing, some drivers' schools, and rallies. The R4-S compound is available for virtually any vehicle sold in the US. We also offer the R4-S in pad sizes for competition type calipers that are used under street driven conditions.