This is a review of PFC's OEM replacement Carbon Metallic Z-rated Brake Pads.
part 1347.20 and 1346.20 for the OEM Akebono Brakes in sports package and Nismo 370z.
Background:
As some may recall, I have a few friends that work at PFC and was fortunate enough to get a free set of OEM - replacement pads and a free set of Race Pads (review of those to follow). I had not gotten the change to swap on the pads yet and my OEM nissan pads appeared to have a good bit of thickness left to them. Two weeks ago I went for a trip up to the mountains of NC and spent a day driving around some very twisty roads
(Imagine tail of the dragon on crack with no traffic). Of course I followed all regulatory and speed signs
. Actually right next to the house I was staying there was a stretch of road that was probably a 15% or more uphill grade with extremely tight hairpins. The Z struggled to get up this and the back end bucked and struggled for traction, whether I was giong 2mph or 15mph through the turn. Finally my car just started making a deathly squeeling noise from the back right and has done it since, more pronounced when making a left turn... To get to the point, even though the OEM pads
still had plenty of thickness to them I hoped that I had fried the pads and not the cough:diff:cough. After speaking to my buddy at PFC, he told me it was likely from increased runoff when the car is shifting weight to the outside - what I assumed. Which brings me to today, when I installed the PFC OEM replacement pads.
Packaging and produc
These pads all came in a foam lined box, very well packaged and in great shape. The brake pads looked like, well, brake pads. Only 2 out of the 8 total pads had wear indicators if that matters.
Install
Holy crap nissan has come so far from the days of the S-Chassis brakes. It normally took 1-3 hours to change pads on an S14. On the Z34 it takes about 5 minutes a corner.
This means that it will be very easy for me to go to an HPDE or AutoX and change to the race pads in the paddock. Note that when I switched to the new pads I did NOT use dish soap, water, and brake cleaner to debride off the old brake pad material as recommended.
Impression
These are OEM pads so I didn't expect any thing crazy. They are just as quiet as stock, they are probably cheaper than stock, and they grip just as well if not better than the OEM pads. I have just bedded them in, but the car stops like a beast.
Review of the Race compound to follow sometime I can get to the track. In the meantime, I leave you with this (new square setup for track):
