What makes the stock brakes stink?
 

I was doing a bit of "hard driving" in an empty parking lot, and with that comes some hard braking...

Afterwards, my wife who was with me, commented on something being stinky, to which I replied that's the brakes. She asked me why, which I said they smell when they get hot - she of course said, aren't they semi-metallic - I said I don't think so, I think they come with organic...

So, with that, I guess this is a two-parter...

1) Are the stock pads semi-metallic or organic, or something else?
2) What makes them stink?
Bonus:
3) If they are Organic, would switching to semi-metallics be "better"?
4) When they smell, are they hot enough to be less effective?

maybe she queef'd :icon17:

No, because it showed up a few times, we had the windows down, there was plent of airflow in and through the cabin, and she keeps 'things' in order.

haha no answer man. I never had any issue with hard braking and any smells. Then again I dont really pay attention to that stuff. When I drive hard I am in the zone and dont focus on things like that.

stock pads are garbage...

did it smell like garbage, cabage, rotting meat...etc...

More like "burnt clutch" - but, yes it smelled a bit like something rotting.

True, but at that point I was done, and was leaving to head back towards the house, we had a stoplight where I was turning red at, and there was some traffic - wind blew it in, and she commented...etc.

aftermarket manufacturers need to step it up and get us some decent pads to market asap :shakes head:

Vanilla Scented Brake pads can be made! Special Order by Raybestos...

i prefer coconut blend with a hint of honey...

ocean breeze, with a hint of sea salt .........

they also have Douche Scent!!!

figures...damn beach bumb...:shakes head:

I think I know someone who has that set of pads ;)

you're just pissed you're land locked right now :p

JoeD?!?

eh...true...:icon17:

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Standard brake pads is for quieter braking,less dust,longer life,those who use the car for track need to upgrade them,maybe to 'Nismo' pads.?

The smell (assuming everything else in your car smells "normal") is what the resin binders give off when they are being chemically converted to carbon. You are burning the pads and turning them into charcoal. If pushed harder, they will start to fade and become MUCH less effective!

The OE semi-metallic pads have lower temperature binders, which will melt/burn before higher temperature pads will. The binders are what holds all the chopped and ground bits in the pad together. Overheating the binders is what causes pad glazing and uneven pad deposits on rotors.

When switching to higher temp, semi-metallic pads, they will out-gas initially during bed-in when they go in to "green pad fade". Once they are bedded properly and completely cooled, you won't smell them again unless using them very hard, such as at the track or a serious canyon run.

Chris

At least brakes are relatively cheap.

I remember when I was learning to drive. I backed up on a hill, slipping the clutch the whole way up.

My dad stopped me when we got to the top and said, "you smell that smell?".

Sheepishly, I said, "yeah..."

He said, "That's the smell of money."

Never forget that one.