Ferodo DS2500 Install and initial impressions
I've just wrapped up my Ferodo DS2500 install wanted to share some thoughts. I decided to go with this pad as I plan to use it for daily driving and light track use. I've only done fronts so far as I don't have any e-tools for retracting the rear parking brake.
The pads:
As you can see, the contact patch is very different from stock. I think this might translate to increased braking force and potentially pedal feel (stiffer?). I've pictured the Ferodos next to my stock pads which have 6k and 4 track days on them. I forget the the numbers were but the Ferodos are 3mm thicker than the worn stock pads (not sure that they started at the same width though). Just FYI!
Install:
This is a super easy job and could easily be done in a parking lot before a track day. Aside from the usual jack and torque wrench for wheels you really only need a 13mm socket and a 17mm open ended wrench (or pliers). The tricky thing about the 17mm wrench is that it needs to be more narrow than a standard wrench due to clearance. Below I'm showing the nut that is held in place with the 17mm. As you can see on the caliper, there is just over 7mm of width available. I elected to buy a spare wrench and grind it down from ~9mm to 7mm using a bench grinder. If you don't have a bench grinder I'd recommend buying a narrow set of adjustable pliers (I hate using pliers).
Once you've got the calipers unbolted from the caliper carriers you'll probably need to depress the pistons to clear your replacement pads. I used a c-clamp and small piece of wood to spread the pressure on the caliper. I highly recommend this style of clamp:
You'll find a pad wear sensor on the inner pad of the passenger side caliper (US). I snipped the harness off, pulled the rubber boot off, stripped the wire and closed the circuit as so:
I then used some epoxy to keep the wire tucked away as it is pretty close to the caliper. I almost used some electricians tape and hot glue but realized that wouldn't stand up to track temperatures:
Impressions:
I've done a bit of a run-in but probably not as hard as I would like to. They don't feel amazingly more grippy (i.e. coefficient of friction) but, as with the stock pads as well, I have more brake than tire (got my stock wheels/tires on right now). I'll be able to test this better with my track set up in a couple weeks. Frankly, I'm less concerned with increasing the braking force than I am with delaying brake fade.
Edit: I'm going to have to amend my initial impressions. The braking force improvement is very pronounced when braking from highway speeds (60-70ish). I get the feeling that the improvements will be even more pronounced on the track.