EBC Red front pads and rotor question

[SHOdded]

You want more swept area when possible, so more friction action is available between pad & rotor.  You gain more braking effectiveness.  NOW the catch is to keep the braking action proportioned to OEM specs.  So if the distribution was 60/40, you don't want to significantly upset that ratio, especially with all-wheel-drive in play.  Upgrade the front brakes, you should upgrade the rear brakes also.  Either via a higher CoF brake pad for the rear, or increased swept area if the rotor has the potential for it.  All within the limits of tire grip.

[SHOw-Me State]

Thanks AJP for the numbers!  Work and my 20 month old have keep me tied up and not focused on my toys.  So, visual queues aside, the PP pad has more swept area.

Josephm--I agree with what you and AJP are saying, however I think you have your variables wrong in your statement.  P=F/A, so solving for Force, then F=(P)(A).  Force is the variable that is constant and is what is being supplied by the hydraulics on the pad (Area).  So, if Force is contant, Pressure changes invariably with Area.

Now as mentioned by SHOdded, we could have loads and loads of Pressure (or even Force if we actually increase that in the system) but it would be useless without available friction.  Since both pads are assumed to have the same CoF, higher swept area is better.  Is there a point where the higher Pressure would trump higher Area, for a given CoF?  Probably so, but I don't think our given system would supply.  Ford designed PP pad has more area and was copied by EBC.

[SHOdded]

Much easier to change CoF and swept area than pressure, can be independent of OEM brake system design.  Plus higher pressure would also be hard on the braking system/brake lines/caliper/pad/rotor, decreasing useful life.