Metal Master Brake Pads

[Donn York <dyork@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Fellow Bimwadia:

I don't know enough about BMWs to do much more than ask questions on the
Digest so far, but I can offer my opinion on Repco MetalMaster brake pads
(at least that's what their name used to be).  I put a set on my 911 about
four years ago. It is a 3,000 mile/year nice weather car that sees about
2-3 track days per year at either Road America (4 miles long, not TOO hard
on brakes) or Blackhawk Farms (2 miles long, considered pretty hard on
tires and brakes).  So in total I probably have around ten track days on
the brakes to go with my 12-13,000 miles. I have found on the 911 that the
brakes have worked extremely well.  They stop well; they don't squeal
(unlike my 328i OEM pads), they are effective right away in street use
(meaning they don't take three hot laps around the neighborhood to warm up)
and they have lasted through a fair number of "events".  I readily admit
that I am not the hardest person on the brakes at the track, although I'm
not coasting into corners either.  I have heard one PCA hot-shoe brag about
using MetalMasters for one hot lap and using them up by the second lap.
I'm not sure how much of that is true and how much is none-to-subtle
bragging.  For me the MetalMasters have lasted a long time, don't create
nearly the brake dust that my BMW OEM pads do (now I know why most BMWs
look like they have black front wheels), and represent a good compromise
for street cars that do find themselves lost in Rocton, IL or Elkhart Lake,
WI and sucked into track duty.  Obviously if you do a much higher mix of
track events, you would do better with a track-oriented pad. I hope this
helps.

Donn -- really enjoying the Digest and hoping to contribute when I can

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