Stoptech 309 Front Brake Pads – Ford Focus Duratec 2005-2007, 2012-2018 Stoptech

StopTech and Centric Parts offer several different types of street and high performance brake pads to fit both OEM calipers and StopTech Big Brake Kits. Selecting the ideal pad requires finding the proper balance between noise, dust, bite, pad life, fade resistance and other factors.

Choosing the correct brake pad starts with an honest assessment of the driver’s typical driving conditions. For example, if the vehicle is driven 80 percent in highway commuting conditions, 20 percent on canyon roads, and zero percent on the track, then a PosiQuiet “street” pad will likely offer the best combination of stopping performance, low dust and low noise.

If the vehicle is frequently used for track days but also as a daily driver, it might be better served by the StopTech 309 series Street Performance pad – provided that an even transfer layer of pad material on the rotor is maintained by periodically re-bedding in the pads. For track days, StopTech bolt-in caliper bridges make swapping over to dedicated track/race pads for the day of the event even easier.

High performance doesn’t necessarily just refer to high speeds either. In the automotive world, high thermal loads come in many shapes and sizes.

For daily driver vehicles that see little or no high performance driving duty, Centric offers the best-selling PosiQuiet line of brake friction. Centric Parts has recognized that the leading causes of customer complaints with brakes are noise and vibration. That’s why the PosiQuiet line is designed to specifically address these issues. Three different formulations of PosiQuiet brakes are available – Semi-Metallic, Ceramic and Extended Wear. Each offers unique braking characteristics to suit a particular driver and vehicle application.

Semi-Metallic 104-series pads, for instance, offer longer rotor life and higher dust abatement. Ceramic 105-series pads, on the other hand, offer greater initial bite and higher resistance to noise issues. Extended Wear 106-series pads, meanwhile, offer the greatest pad and rotor life as well as fade resistance.

For dedicated race vehicles that are never operated on the street, StopTech is developing its own line of race pad formulations that factor in vehicle type, caliper type, and racing conditions.

Whatever pad you choose, proper bed-in is critical to ensure optimal performance.