I recently bought a 2003 Mx5. Obviously I took it to the garage to make sure is ready to hit the road and apparently I need to change discs and pads. To be honest I don’t plan on bringing the car to a racetrack or anything like that so I’m looking for a cheap option. What do you think of this combo of pads and discs? https://www.mx5parts.co.uk/discs-pads-package-aftermarket-mk3-35-p-2409.html
Will it perform just OK or will they overheat and so on?
Thank you!
Yes if you’ve got a Mk3, they are ok but you say you have yr model 03? In that case choose a set for that model Mk 2.5
Good catch, I pasted the wrong one hehe. So have you tried them? Are they a lot worse than the mazda ones?
There’s no reason why aftermarket discs would overheat. A retailer such as that one wouldn’t stay in business for long if there was a problem with them - word would soon get round the club, especially as they advertise here and in the club magazine.
They are only required to dissipate exactly the same amount of energy that the car would produce at the same weight and speed irrespective of which make of brakes are fitted. EBC are a good make anyway.
^^^ Not myself but reports on others fitting them are good, Mk3’s I must add.
So you have a MK2.5? If so then choose that set but measure the discs, there is a difference as there is a big brake set for some models larger discs of course.
Yes, sorry. I pasted the wrong link. I have a 2003 Mk2.5. Should I get the standard brakes or the big ones? The car is 100% stock so I guess I’ll need the standard ones?
Thank you for your help guys, it’s my first MX5 and I literally bought it two days ago.
As I said measure your discs, some models have the big brakes fitted, we don’t know which model you have?
I would suggest a compromise, get aftermarket discs, but buy Mazda pads. I tried the same set as you, and the EBC’s dusted like mad, changed to a different set of pads, suggested by a local garage, and they wore out and dusted as bad as the EBC’s did. Finished up buying Mazda Pads, and no more crap on the wheels. They also pull up better, seem to be a harder compound. They are more expensive, but your life depends on good brakes, and cleaning the wheels can also be a pain in the neck. Discs and pads usually come as a set, but you can also split the choice as you wish. Big brakes were only fitted to the NBFL sport, and if you click on any discs (on MX5Parts) it will bring up a chart, indicating which size of disc and pad you need. The chart covers both 1.6 and 1/8L cars, and also Big Brake models.
The word ‘SPORT’ Does not appear on the model, but there ways to distinguish which model you have. The 1.6 L model has it’s own brake disc size, as does a standard 1.8L, but neither model have the extras that only came with the Sport - Heated leather seats, powered aerial, and from 2003, heated side mirrors (come on with heated rear screen) There are other differences, but I can’t remember all while my data sheet is amiss. If the sale indicated it was a sport, check the details I’ve listed here, some owners have no idea which model they have, and if selling, will pick what sounds the better spec to sell the car. - Not saying they are dishonest, just clueless.
Thank you so much for this. I will do as you suggest, I’ll get the cheap discs and the proper pads. I’ll report soon with my thoughts!
I just tried to measure the size of my discs and I;m 99% sure I’ve got the standard ones. I would have had to dismount the wheel in order to check it properly. Anyway, it’s a 1.6 blue mk 2.5, without any special logo like Arizona or whatever so it will be the small ones.
About 18 months ago, I bought the package you mention above … in the version for the Mk1… EBC Ultimax pads.
They’re fine for me, road use, uninterested in track days. Haven’t noticed any particular issues with dust.
What I did notice was that the car felt transformed in the braking dept.
I drove down to Southsea, dropped in the car, wandered off for a few hours, nice breakfast in a nearby Morrisons,
MX5parts called me to say the job was done. Sunny drive back home.
Quite hard put to say what wasn’t to like.
I do not know if you have what is commonly referred to as “The Big Brake” system.
Quite sought after from scrap cars to enable others upgrade.
If you do, especially given the rear discs oddly are larger than even the fronts, you will be hard pressed to experience fade or any performance degradation in “very fast” road use never mind normal application.
At any rate, I have never heard of any Mx5 system being less than adequate for normal use, so I’d say stick to standard specs. I can gaurantee, if your system is past it’s best, you will notice a night & day benefit…obviously a good bleed being part of the fix.
I had my calipers & rotors recently replaced at a very reasonable 96,000 miles using Eurocarparts via my garage. Whether they are “blue box” knock-offs, or the same product as Mazda I do not know but they are absolutely fine and did not wilt when I took them for a “test drive”. They were cheaper than Mazda though. That was around 4000 miles back, and they stilll pull up on a sixpence straight & true.
I doubt any main supplier well known here would flog duff kits. Stick to standard as fitted new, and don’t forget if you change the specification it would be wise to inform your insurance company. I don’t see any point in downgrading brakes anyhow…if you have the big brakes.
Buy cheap buy twice
What do you guys think of the green stuff brake pads vs the original mazda ones? Are they better? Any particular pads that are better quality than the originals for a little bit more money or should I just stick with the originals?
All road pads sold in Europe are Reg-90; ie certified to be at least 90% as efficient as original spec (sometimes more than 100%).
Japanese pad makers moved to ceramic compounds years ago (aka non-metallic, Actual ceramic pads contain carcinogens worse than asbestos). Mazda’s supplier is Sumitomo, who’s pads go into others boxes, such as ADL. Ceramic pads don’t dust up as much.
Apec pads are 100% European made.
EBC pads are supposedly made in US and UK. Though years ago there were complaints about Greenstuff pads being sourced from Taiwan, and suffering failures in the adhesive sticking the pad material to the pad plate.
For road use, you don’t need Greenstuff pads. EBC Ultimax (what they used to call Blackstuff)are perfectly adequate.
For general use, I wouldn’t give MX5parts packages a second thought. Perfectly adequate.
Look on EuroCarParts and buy either Pagid or Eicher.
Both are OEM equivilent, with Eicer made by Mintex.
I have Eicher discs and pads all round on my MK3 and when I stamp on the stop pedal it pulls my face off.
Take advantage of thier discount codes.