purelydriving

Thanks for the thoughts and suggestions. I'll chase up the brake booster as the most likely candidate

hardtailer

Don't forget to assure yourself that none of the pistons in the calipers are sticking as I mentioned earlier.

Mike Murphy

There’s probably an east vacuum test for the booster to determine if it’s working.

jumpy chunky

Does your car have traction control?

Atgani

Rather than automatically assuming it’s the booster itself, might it not be worthwhile checking for obvious leaks in the vacuum lines and connections ?

KentBigDog

The brake booster supplements your leg power to make pressing the brakes easier. If your booster is failing or has vacuum issues, the brake pedal will be harder to push as it requires more leg power and less "boosted" power. This can lead to longer stopping distances but only because it isn't getting the power assist. It's easy to test:

1. With the engine off, pump the brakes — about five or six times is sufficient. This depletes the stored vacuum.
2. Turn the engine on while pushing down lightly on the brake pedal. If your brake booster is working normally, the pedal will fall away a little, but then become firm.
3. If your brake booster is not working correctly, nothing will happen, or the brake pedal will push back against your foot once the engine starts. This could be a sign of a brake booster problem or an issue with the vacuum hose.

Non-OEM pads can give you more bite but often at the expense of more dust and noise. Many OEMs don't use better pads because the customers complain about some squealing. So they go with less grippy pads. If you want better bite, use better non-OEM pads.
As noted by others, also verify the calipers are working correctly and don't need a rebuild. This is usually easily apparent when the old pads are removed at a brake change. They'll be uneven wear on the same side or opposite sides. Some uneven wear is normal but a piston that isn't retracting properly will cause a pad to wear much faster. Needed a caliper rebuild is rare in a daily driver. They don't generate the heat a track-driven car will so the seals are less likely to fail. My track driven car doesn't have seals on the pistons because they'd just melt anyway.

GC996

Good video from PCA on PMB and caliper rebuilds. It's inevitable as our cars get older.

purelydriving

Thanks everyone. I have some things to check to determine if it is the booster. Haven't driven the car in a few days so when I do I will run the test outlined above. Thanks again!