Brake Pads

Why DIXCEL?

DIXCEL is a Tokyo-based brake specialist with one of the deepest pad compound ranges in the world — nine distinct compounds covering everything from quiet daily driving to circuit racing. Every DIXCEL pad ships with a pre-scorched friction surface, which means the bedding heat-treatment is already done at the factory. The pads bed in faster, generate less squeal during the first few drives, and reach their full friction coefficient sooner than equivalent pads from other manufacturers. It's a small detail that makes a noticeable difference the first week you have them fitted.

The other DIXCEL advantage is rotor metallurgy. The full rotor lineup (PD, FP, SD, FS, HS, FC, FCR) is built around high-carbon iron that delivers around 20% better thermal crack resistance than standard discs — important on track-driven cars where repeated heavy braking will crack a budget rotor inside a single weekend.

The Full DIXCEL Compound Range

Nine compounds across three tiers. Pick by how you drive, not by what sounds most aggressive.

Street tier — daily driving, commuting, weekend cruising

• Premium — engineered for heavier European and American chassis. OE-plus dust reduction and quiet operation with a broader friction profile suited to bigger cars. The right answer for luxury Euro daily drivers.
• EC Type (Extra Cruise) — balanced street with light track capability. Factory-equivalent performance with improved initial bite and pad life. The budget-conscious daily upgrade.
• M Type — DIXCEL's ultra-low-dust street specialist. Operating range 0–500°C, the cleanest wheels in the catalogue. The popular daily upgrade for performance cars with polished, painted or diamond-cut wheels — BMW M, Audi RS, AMG, Porsche, GR Yaris, GR Corolla, GR86.

Spirited tier — winding roads, weekend driving, occasional track

• ES Type (Extra Speed) — sport street with firmer initial bite. More dust than M Type, more friction. The transition compound between daily comfort and performance driving.
• S Type — built specifically for lightweight Japanese sports cars up to roughly 1,250kg. Sporty pedal feel, strong bite, occasional light circuit capability. Important: DIXCEL recommends NOT using S Type on heavier European performance cars — they don't generate enough friction for the additional mass. Heavier cars should jump straight to Z Type.

Performance tier — track days, supersprints, light circuit

• Z Type — DIXCEL's flagship all-rounder and the highest-friction street-legal compound. Graphite metallic construction, maximum friction coefficient 0.67, average 0.57. Significantly more stopping power than M Type across the board. The best match for performance cars on high-grip radial tyres. Z01 runs cooler, Z02 is general-purpose, Z03 runs hotter. The default choice for street-and-track drivers.

Motorsport tier — circuit and competition only, NOT street-safe

• RA Type — long-life racing compound. Stable friction at high temperature, designed for sustained track sessions.
• RE Type — endurance racing compound. Ultra-low pad and disc wear, consistent performance over long sessions.
• Specom-β (Specom Beta) — full circuit race compound. Maximum thermal tolerance, designed for the hottest track work.

Safety warning on motorsport compounds: RA, RE and Specom-β are NOT street-safe. They squeal when cold, underperform at street temperatures, wear rotors significantly faster than street compounds, and require a track-specific bedding procedure. Fitting them to a daily driver is a genuine safety issue — you'll have poor braking on cold mornings when you need it most. If you drive the car on the road, stick to the street or performance tier.

Which DIXCEL Pad For Your Driving?

Skip the spec sheet and pick by how you actually use the car. If the answer doesn't fit, ask us — we'd rather you spend $200 right than $400 wrong.

"I daily-drive a performance car and hate brake dust"

M Type. Nothing else in the catalogue comes close to its dust performance. Pair with FP (plain high-carbon) or SD (6-slot) rotors. Read the full M Type deep dive.

"I daily-drive a heavier European luxury or performance car"

Premium. Engineered specifically for the heavier chassis weights and braking demands of European platforms. Quiet, low-dust, broader friction profile than M Type. Read the Premium Type guide.

"I want clean wheels but on a tighter budget"

EC Type. Budget-conscious daily upgrade with factory-plus performance. Better than OEM, less than M Type on dust, easier on the wallet.

"I drive hard on weekends but no track days"

ES Type. The spirited-street compound — firmer bite than M, more thermal capacity for hard road driving, still daily-driveable. The natural step up when M Type isn't enough.

"My car weighs under 1,250kg and I do the odd track day"

S Type. Built for lightweight JDM sports cars. Sporty pedal feel and strong bite without going full track pad. Suits 86, BRZ, S2000, MX-5 and similar.

"I do regular track days and occasional supersprints"

Z Type (Z01 / Z02 / Z03). DIXCEL's flagship street/track compound and the highest-friction pad you can legally run on the road. Z01 if you mostly street-drive, Z02 for mixed use, Z03 if track is the priority.

"The car is a dedicated track or time-attack build"

RA, RE or Specom-β. Match the compound to session length — RA for sprint races, RE for endurance, Specom-β for the hottest work. Bedded on track, not on the road.

Still not sure? Read the complete DIXCEL compound guide for the long-form walkthrough, or contact us with your car, tyres and typical use and we'll point you at the right one.

DIXCEL Pads By Vehicle

Vehicle-specific DIXCEL pad fitments with caliper notes for Brembo vs standard variants. Every page covers the full compound range available for that chassis.

• Subaru WRX & STI — GC through VB, Brembo 4-pot and standard caliper fitments
• Toyota 86, GR86 & Subaru BRZ — ZN6, ZN8, ZC6, ZD8 with Track Pack Brembo cross-reference
• Toyota GR Yaris & GR Corolla — GXPA16, GZEA14, G16E-GTS platform
• Nissan R35 GT-R — heavy-car-specific compound recommendations
• Honda Civic Type R — FK8 and FL5, factory Brembo fitment
• BMW M2, M3 & M4 — E46 through G8x, iron and CCB-equivalent fitments
• Mitsubishi Lancer Evo — VIII, IX, X with Brembo cross-reference
• Ford Falcon & Mustang — XR, FPV, S550 platforms

Don't see your car? Browse the full DIXCEL range or contact us with your chassis code and we'll confirm the right fitment.

DIXCEL Rotors — The Matched Pairing

Pads and rotors work as a system. The right rotor for your pad compound means longer rotor life, better pad bedding, and consistent performance. The short version:

• PD (Plain Disc) — standard replacement, pairs with EC, Premium and M Type for daily driving
• FP (Plain, high-carbon) — upgraded metallurgy, quiet, pairs with M, ES and Z Type
• SD (6-slot) — enhanced initial bite and pad degassing, pairs with ES, Z and occasional-track setups
• FS (Slotted, high-carbon) — track-capable slotted rotor, pairs with Z and motorsport compounds
• HS (Heat Slit) — motorsport-spec slotting
• FC / FCR (FullCross) — 8-curve-slotted high-carbon racing rotor with DIXCEL heat treatment, city to circuit

For most street builds, an M Type pad on an FP or SD rotor is the sweet spot — quiet, low dust, long rotor life. For a street-plus-trackday car, a Z Type pad on an FS rotor is the popular combination. Shop the full DIXCEL rotor range.

Bedding-In Your DIXCEL Pads

DIXCEL pads ship pre-scorched, which means the bedding heat-treatment is already done at the factory and the pads bed in faster than equivalent pads. They still need proper bedding to transfer compound material to the rotor evenly — skipping this is the main reason people come back saying new pads "feel worse than the old ones".

Street compounds (Premium, EC, M, ES, S, Z)

Perform 8–10 medium-pressure stops from around 60 km/h down to 20 km/h, spaced so the brakes don't fully cool between stops. Then drive 5–10 minutes at light throttle without coming to a full stop, to let the brakes cool evenly. Avoid hard stops for the first 200 km.

Motorsport compounds (RA, RE, Specom-β)

Bedding must be done on track, never on the road. Start with 50% braking for about 5 minutes, return to pit and rest 5 minutes, then repeat at 70–80% braking for about 10 minutes with a 10-minute cooldown. Skipping this will cause inconsistent friction and rotor damage.

Frequently Asked

Which DIXCEL compound produces the least brake dust?

The M Type. It's specifically engineered for ultra-low dust output and is the cleanest pad in the DIXCEL catalogue — particularly noticeable on polished or diamond-cut wheels where dust shows up immediately.

What temperature range does the M Type operate in?

0 to 500°C effective operating range. Well above normal road driving temperatures, so it's more than capable for daily use, highway driving and spirited street driving.

Why does my car need a heavier compound than Z Type?

It probably doesn't. Z Type is DIXCEL's highest-friction street-legal compound with a 0.67 max friction coefficient. If you're considering RA, RE or Specom-β for a street car, the answer is almost always "stick with Z Type" — the motorsport pads will be worse on the road because they need heat to work.

Can I run a motorsport pad on the street if I do occasional track days?

No. RA, RE and Specom-β need heat to function and have poor cold-bite, meaning braking from cold on a public road is dangerous. For street and occasional track, run Z Type. For dedicated track cars with road registration, swap pads before and after track days.

Do DIXCEL pads include wear sensors?

Most street-compound DIXCEL pads include wear sensors where the vehicle requires them. Some vehicles don't use sensors at all. If your car normally runs a wear sensor and the pad set doesn't include one, a replacement sensor can be added separately — contact us with your vehicle and we'll confirm.

Are DIXCEL pads made in Japan?

Yes. Every DIXCEL pad sold at Chicane is genuine Japanese product, manufactured in Japan with pre-scorched pad surfaces for faster bedding-in. Chicane is the Australian distributor.

How long do DIXCEL pads last?

Depends entirely on the compound and how you drive. Street compounds (Premium, EC, M) typically last 30,000–50,000 km on average road use. Performance compounds (Z Type) wear faster — expect 15,000–30,000 km depending on track use. Motorsport pads can wear out in a single track weekend if you're driving hard. Heavier pad life is the cost of higher friction.

Will DIXCEL pads squeal?

Street compounds shouldn't squeal under normal use once bedded in. New pads can squeal briefly during the first few drives — this is normal and usually goes away with proper bedding. Persistent squeal usually means either incomplete bedding, missing anti-squeal shims, or the wrong compound for the temperature you're running. Read our brake squeal and pad selection guide for the full breakdown.

Supporting Mods

Match your DIXCEL pads to the rest of the brake system:

• DIXCEL — the full Japanese pad, rotor, fluid and shim range
• Brake Rotors — DIXCEL PD / FP / SD / FS / HS / FCR plus Paragon 2-piece floating discs
• Brake Fluid — Alcon Pro-System PRO-600 and DIXCEL race fluid (track pads need race fluid)
• Brake Shims — DIXCEL anti-squeal shims and Paragon titanium heat shims
• Brake Lines — HEL Performance ADR-compliant braided lines
• Complete DIXCEL compound guide — the long-form walkthrough
• DIXCEL M Type deep dive — the ultra-low-dust street pad explained
• DIXCEL Premium Type guide — the European-chassis specialist