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Brake Pads for BJ8

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Hi Bob,

I believe Sintered Metallic brake pads were on the car when new and I have used the same type compounds from Moss and others since then with good performance. Although I have tried Ceramic and Organic pad compounds on my Healey for a reasonable test period, I have never noticed a difference that would make me feel they provided better braking feel or improved hard stopping performance then I experience with the original type sintered metallic pad in combination with the original shoe compounds. For the record, the front Disks and rear Drums are all original and in great shape so, unless the original compound types become unavailable, I will stick to them.

All the best,
Ray(64BJ8P1)
 
I tried the Moss Classic Gold pads. Car wouldn't stop. I also tried Porterfield performance street pads. Car stopped fine but only after you warmed up the brakes with 2 hard stops. Switched to EBC Green. For me that was the Goldilocks of pads. Stops well with reasonable effort. They are dusty but it's not a caustic dust and it cleans easily with Griot's Heavy Duty wheel cleaner.
 
Hi Glenn,

Just wondering if your 64BJ8P1 has the original main brake components (front calipers/disks, Servo, and rear drums) as your experience is so different from mine on what seems to be the same car?

Thanks.
Ray (64BJ8P1)
 
RAC68 said:
Just wondering if your 64BJ8P1 has the original main brake components (front calipers/disks, Servo, and rear drums) as your experience is so different from mine on what seems to be the same car?
Click to expand...
Excellent question and I should have elaborated. My car has original Phase I calipers but lost its booster somewhere along the way. I decided not to add a booster so I installed a new BJ7 size master cylinder during restoration, essentially going back to BJ7 specs. I am not sure if the master cylinder was bad but the pedal travel was terrible. I installed the BJ8 (larger) master cylinder which moves more fluid and that gave me the solid pedal I was seeking but at the expense of hydraulic advantage so it was very hard to stop the car. This is when I had the Moss Classic Gold pads. Today I have a BJ8 master cylinder, BJ7 (Phase I) calipers, and the EBC pads and it stops well but requires strong pedal pressure.
 
Hi guys,
Healey BJ8 front calipers are Girling 16 type. Earlier front Healey 3000 calipers are Girling 14 type.
Girling supplied calipers to everyone back in the era. Your "Healey" calipers could also be found on Ford escorts, Cortinas, V6 Capris,Austin 1800's and probably 100 other cars.
If you are looking for calipers, then there are only 2 issues.
1. Mounting point holes.
Because Girling calipers were made to suit a number of different cars, and even Healeys have different bolt centres (early 3000 to BJ8) know what you require.
2. Metrification hit the world in the late 1960's. If you have imperial stub axle threads, and imperial brake hoses, a metric thread caliper is an issue
But if all you need are brake pads - the world is your oyster.....
I'd be looking at e.g V6 ford Capri if you want high temp race pads. And I'd be looking at Austin 1800 if you want road pads.
Or you can just look at Healey pads, and pay more.
 
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