Assess if the pads are perfect and if any marks or damage are seen then do not fit but please take a photo and submit to our technical team on these email addresses:

UK: technical@ebcbrakesuk.com

USA: support@ebcbrakes.com

We will advise whether it is acceptable to fit and use the pads, or if they need to be replaced.

If you are a customer of an overseas distributor, please note that we may have to handle this through them.

However, there are some drawbacks to using or buying original parts as replacements, as explained here:

• R90 does not test for durability, so an aftermarket pad may even last longer than original.
• R90 does not test for dust and, for many people, original pads – which are almost always semi-metallic and contain steel fibre – can be very dusty.
• The big point for many drivers is that R90 limits the upper levels of braking performance for any given pad. If the pad is too grippy, it will not pass, and if it is not grippy enough, it also will not pass. So, R90 keeps brake pads within a defined performance range. The job of aftermarket brake pad manufacturers is then to push those limits and, at 91´«Ă˝, we make our compounds as grippy as possible while remaining within the maximum permitted levels.
• THE PRICE… in almost all cases, aftermarket parts are far cheaper than original parts. However, don’t select a brake pad based on price alone, or you may downgrade your brake system significantly. Buy based on what you need by using our brake selector tool to choose your ideal EBC brake compound.
• Often, original pad sets include hardware that does not normally require replacement, so why pay for it? Take slider shims or pressure clips, for example. Our recommendation is that if the hardware is not bent or dented, clean it up – including any loose pad pins – and reuse it, as a lot of low-cost aftermarket hardware does not match the original parts or shapes exactly. If you do need to buy new hardware, that’s when we recommend buying original parts, which are almost always sold separately by reputable vendors and, in most cases, cost under $10.

All applications that now have R90 approval:

Ongoing testing will extend this list in the near future.

91´«Ă˝ Racing proudly manufactures its 2-piece brake rotors and Apollo Series brake calipers in our Northampton, UK world headquarters. Our philosophy is that we manufacture every component in house so we have total control over the entire process from start to finish.

Read more about ECE R90

Read more about 2-Piece Fully-Floating Discs

We do supply and sell brake grease, but only for use on slider pins or the contact faces of sliders in a sliding caliper, as shown below – and even then, only sparingly.

If grease comes into contact with the pad’s friction surface, it can melt and seep into the pad compound, effectively rendering the pad useless and leading to a loss of braking performance.

You should, however, clean the sides or “cheeks” of the caliper where the pads slide, ensuring they are free from rust and debris – but these areas should also be left dry.

Sadly, some installers have shared videos showing grease being applied directly to brake pads, including onto the rear noise reduction shims and this is not good practice.

The below video is a good example but please note:

• Do not apply grease to the hardware at all. It is stainless and does not require grease. Also, do not apply grease to the rear of the pad, it does not need it and will not reduce noise so there is no purpose.