Hello to you all,
I am going to be doing some brake work in the near future and would like some of your (esteemed) feedback on possible upgrades. The car in question is an 86 300E, and is subjected to street use only, but I'm on it pretty hard sometimes! I have decided, based upon posts in this column, to go with ATE Dot 4 fluid as a replacement. My questions are:

1) What do you folks say about slotted or cross-drilled rotors? Are they effective on the street? How about the noise and durability issues?

2) There are so many so-called performance pads out there I'm turning to you for the skinny. Are there any brands worth investing in for a measurable improvement in braking power?

3)Given that the car is an 86, should I replace the rubber brake line hoses? Are these a regular replacement item? If so, anyone have experience with the braided steel/teflon variety? Can you feel the difference as claimed by most manufacturers or is that really just at the limit?

Forgive the long post, but I'm sure others out there are interested in the value of similar upgrades.

Regards,
Nick

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Have a green beer!