Been on the car over a month now, time for a review.
Made the change because I was looking for less dust than factory pads. Also the "stickiness" of the factory dust was a concern, very hard to wash off. Figured any increase in stopping power would be a bonus.
Install:
Easy DIY. Simple 20 minute job. Jack up the car, remove wheel and one caliper bolt and R&R the pads. Reverse above.
Break-in:
They have an abrasive break-in material painted on the pad surface. Took about 2 weeks before it was gone. Need to be very conscious of brake application during this period, managed to "blue" my rotors several times from heat. Dusting is extreme.
Dust:
It IS less, but it's also black. Is it significantly reduced in comparison to factory pads? I would say at least 50% less, but this only means that it now takes 4 days instead of 2 before the wheels are black.
No "stickiness" though, rinses off easily with mild car wash shampoo and water.
Performance cold:
Was some concern that as this pad compound is described by EBC for "heavier high-horsepower cars" that cold performance on the Smart would suffer. Non-issue. Maybe a slight reduction in stopping power for a stop or 2, barely noticeable and never less than factory pads.
Performance hot:
YES. More than the skinny stock rubber can handle, can lock them up at will at any speed. Slightly non-linear feel with normal driving, can feel them bite harder as they heat up. Keep heat in them with aggressive driving and they stop NOW. One thing to note is as ESP is calibrated for less power you will chirp a corner occasionally when it kicks in.
Rotor wear:
Only time will tell. But greater stopping power means higher coefficient of friction and something's gotta give.
Noise:
They squeal. Doesn't turn heads, not the objectionable "nails on chalkboard" sound of semi-metallics, but it's there, a light squeal as you roll to a stop.
Conclusions:
Do you need them? No, they're way overkill for the Smart.
Do you want them? If you're looking for increased stopping power, it's definitely there. Wide low profile rubber is needed on the front to take full advantage though.
Less dust? Yes and no. Easy clean-up is peace of mind if you have expensive wheels.
smart - aka Smurf
2010 Smart 
Today
Linear Mode
