Car Brake Manufacturers are like Snake Oil Salesmen

I have been on the hunt for the ideal (1) big brake kit, (2) rotor or (3) pad set up for my 1985 BMW 323i track day monster that will feature an S54 engine from a BMW E46 M3. Suffice to say, I need more than the OEM brake set up to deal with the extra (333hp) power.

I tell you, brake manufacturers are like snake oil salespeople.

There is not one definitive answer to be found anywhere. No objective means by which to measure one brake set up versus another. All brakes have to do with are word of mouth, and trusting one brand over another due to a number of factors like advertisement, branding, sponsorships, racing application, etc.

It is a minefield ready to strip you of your precious cash. As a teen, I have little of it to spend.

And as a college student, I have even less time to spend doing all this research.

And what's more, there appears to be no one reliable source by which to rely upon for consumer advice. Here I am, completely befuddled if I go with Brembo, StopTech, Wilwood, AP Racing, PFC, EBC, DBA, Hawk, Baer or Powerslot. Who am I to trust? The brands I've been told to trust? Or the brands I have a gut feeling to trust? It is senseless.

My intended application for these brakes go like this, intense club racing and autocrossing, and occasional street driving from event to event. So that means I need a fade-free pad that does not make excessive noise for road use. I would prefer a slotted rotor, because I hear those dissipate heat more effectively. However, I hear drilled do the same. And yet at the same time, I also hear drilled have a higher tendency to crack. To make matters worse, I have been told on Bimmerforums.com to ditch any worry about it and simply go with blanks. (I really know I should go with slotted because they don't crack and manage heat dissipation best, I mean, they are used by the pros).

Brake manufacturers are like snake oil salesmen because they will stop at nothing to deceive you. They are fully willing to take advantage of you precisely because there is [seemingly] no governing body nor regulation in place to keep companies honest about their products. They must be saying to themselves as they make off with your $1.5k, "Good luck getting them to work, buddy!"

Watch as this fine man tells you pretty lies. He does well, doesn't he?

It is becoming harder and harder to distinguish rip-offs from credible brands as well, which makes finding a good brand harder as well.

I was not expecting this to be a headache and a half.

In fact, I could be well satisfied with likely the most widely trusted brand, Brembo, and call it a day. But I am not. "Why," you ask? For I do not wish to be suckered by the big, name-brand company to shell out $1,500 that may do nothing more than look cool. I reason this because Brembo's primary market is posers who want to enhance the appearance of their car.

After all, I could get away with spending less than half of that on EBC pads, and DBA slotted rotors and perhaps stop even quicker than big-name Brembos or StopTechs.

I know what I need most of all. That is a reliable outlet than can review these products which have otherwise been purchased based on dodgy consumer advice from other message board users. I need experts to go to the track and find out the cream of the crop, no "ifs", "ands" or "buts." They do it for cars already, why can't they for auto parts?!

No advertising BS. I need unadulterated product reviews. There is a clear lack of auto product review sites out there, and somebody could go fill that void and make a killing!