EBC Brakes Store EBC Brakes: A world leader in braking technology, quality control, product performance, and customer service.
EBC Bluestuff Brake Pads (Full Race)
New for 2011 is the range of EBC Bluestuff NDX superstreet and track pads. These differ from Yellowstuff in several ways. First of all, the friction level is a huge 0.7µ which is almost unheard of and delivers huge stopping power. Bluestuff brake pads offer full race material for longer race use as well as the following properties:
Suitable for fast street and track use
Good initial bite from cold
Zero fade right up to 1200/1300°F
Bonded with high strength chemical interlayer
Wide aperture vee shape dust/expansion grooves
Huge lifetime even in race use
Brake-In coating is NOT applied to Bluestuff
Pads are factory pre-bedded for fast break-in
EBC Bluestuff NDX Formula Racing Brake Pads
A world first Race pad that can be used on the STREET.
Bluestuff NDX is a high friction sport and race material that can be used for aggressive street driving and certain types of track use. The material has had much success on the track with quality aftermarket calipers (Multi piston systems with better release and cooling and larger rotors) and limited success with street based calipers where pad size and caliper drag can challenge any brake material. The biggest advantage of EBC Bluestuff NDX is their bite from cold and progressive brake feel and the ability to bring a car to a complete stop. This has led to the ECE R90 brake safety regulation approval of R90 which is now completed and certificates are being obtained (during July 2011). There are certain older street based caliper systems where even the new Bluestuff will have trouble handling the caliper and slider drag inherent in the systems but this scenario is exactly the same for our competitors. There is NO material that will be PERFECT on the track in all older street based caliper systems.
New V-Groove Design
Deep V grooves help venting and catch dirt, dust and debris. Notice the open granular surface texture after the heat scorch (pre-bedding) process. Pad shown is a European 4x4 which features balance weights for noise reduction.
Steel Backing Plates
The NDX pad material is bonded to the steel backing plates using multiple high strength interlock holes and a unique chemical interlayer which raises shear and bond strength by a factor of five and prevents pad to plate separation. The pads are then baked and ground and feature high volume Vee grooves to catch the inevitable large amount of debris from track use. Target use is all types of fast and heavier cars in performance and race driving with much enhanced lifetime over our previous Yellowstuff grade pads.
Advanced Chemical Interlayer System
The EBC chemical interlayer system is used on Bluestuff NDX range pads which being a harder material and for heavy duty race applications require that extra security of bond strength. The effect of the interlayer is to triple shear strength of a common organic brake pad over non interlayer versions. The new Bluestuff NDX material made with a revolutionary new process to produce the highly acclaimed new EBC Bluestuff NDX Race Pads involves 5 steps never before used in friction materials and sets EBC Brakes firmly in the lead as a provider of brake friction.
Bedding Performance
The curve shows that friction builds quickly during bedding in even after 2-3 stops but in a real world TRACK USE where rotors may not be perfect and calipers not serviced weekly (like EBC's lab dyno ones) the bedding in process with Blue may exhibit 20-25mm contact bands in the centre of the discs after 4-5 laps and on some standard street calipers some vibration. This is simply the pad telling you “ I cannot hold onto the disc at these torques until I am fully bedded in”. If vibration happens you should continue driving whilst BRAKING EARLIER TO BE SAFE until the contact band widens to almost entire disc/rotor sweep at which point the vibration will stop. In street use the torques will not normally be enough to generate vibration during bed in but drive safely for 200 miles gentle brake use to bed in your new brakes and test them to performance in a safe and quiet road environment until you have total confidence that they are bedded. Hitting the brakes too hard too soon can not only shorten pad life it may cause loss of brakes and an accident. Bed brakes in progressively.
This curve shows how the brake will feel at differing brake pressures at the speeds shown on the header line.
EBC Bluestuff are heat scorched which helps bedding times but you still need to take care especially on the highway and when using on part worn rotors. Use the brakes gently for 200 miles gradually increasing demand on the brakes in a safe road environment until you feel totally confident and can evaluate their stopping distances in all traffic conditions. Remember its down to you and your bedding in process. If you do feel brake fade a couple of times and even smell the brakes, this is totally normal and once achieved and the brakes allowed to cool, they will have improved a lot.
Important Guidelines for Changing Brake Pads and Rotors
Always replace brake pads when replacing rotors. It is false economy to use worn or old pads on new rotors as they can cause hot spots and promote brake fade and more than double bed in time. Doing so is both dangerous and bad economics.
The NDX pad material is bonded to the steel backing plates using multiple high strength interlock holes and a unique chemical interlayer which raises shear and bond strength by a factor of five and prevents pad to plate separation. The pads are then baked and ground and feature high volume Vee grooves to catch the inevitable large amount of debris from track use. Target use is all types of fast and heavier cars in performance and race driving with much enhanced lifetime over our previous Yellowstuff grade pads. 
