Akebono pads for me. And I usually replace the rotors as well.
How do you go about choosing brake pads?
- Thread starter LavaRand
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My $2,300 20 year old commuter - cheapest available, period.
Tow vehicle, wife and kids - OEM only, if not premium aftermarket.
Do ya'll honestly notice a stopping difference in pads like Akebono on blank rotors or is it just to avoid fade?
Tow vehicle, wife and kids - OEM only, if not premium aftermarket.
Do ya'll honestly notice a stopping difference in pads like Akebono on blank rotors or is it just to avoid fade?
My brother bought his Tundra brand new and the factory brakes lasted 150,000 miles. This is a work/pleasure truck too - he pulls his tool/job trailer, trailers with Bobcat loaded, pulls a boat or camper, and so on too. Even at 150k miles, he said they didn't need replaced !
Akebono Ceramics for my Acuras, worked great. I'll try Raybestos E3 on CX-5, just to see how they are, so many on here praise those. Only once I used the most expensive (for me) OE MB pads, very dusty and lasted only 20,000 miles
Shel_B
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What does it mean to bed in the pads?
Every other year it seems like Amazon has a fantastic sale on some type of name brand brake pad.
Check the reviews here to assess quality. If I'm really lucky, I then add a rebate on top of it that I usually can find at Rockauto.
That's what I get. No brand loyalty. I get an extra 5% off with an Amazon store card, no sales tax, and free delivery.
Check the reviews here to assess quality. If I'm really lucky, I then add a rebate on top of it that I usually can find at Rockauto.
That's what I get. No brand loyalty. I get an extra 5% off with an Amazon store card, no sales tax, and free delivery.
Shel_B
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Thanks so much. Very helpful to understand the terminology.
I had used Wagner Thermoquiet for many years with decent results, but a few years ago started noticing a lot more dusting.
I have used the "Gold" pads from Advance and Auto Zone with good results on several vehices as well.
Last change I decided to try the Raybestos EHT 3 on a Scion xB, and so far (about 6,000 miles on them) they are working well.
Stop well, no noise and very low dusting. Also not that expensive.
I was going to go with Akebono initially, but after reading all the praise others have had with the EHT pads, I decided to give them a try.
As of now, they will be what I go for on any future pads.
I have used the "Gold" pads from Advance and Auto Zone with good results on several vehices as well.
Last change I decided to try the Raybestos EHT 3 on a Scion xB, and so far (about 6,000 miles on them) they are working well.
Stop well, no noise and very low dusting. Also not that expensive.
I was going to go with Akebono initially, but after reading all the praise others have had with the EHT pads, I decided to give them a try.
As of now, they will be what I go for on any future pads.
Performance over everything else.
I go for friction rating and pedal feel.
I spend a bunch of time... probably not unlike most of you, but unlike most of the public... grinding the ears down so they fit in the clips and bracket with just the right amount of friction. Cleaning and lubing the slide pins. Changing fluid. Adjusting drums.
I don't drive at 9/10s, my brakes need service due to stuck pins or "lot rot" rusty rotors. They say semi-metallic pads are better for keeping rotors clean, I may go that route next time.
I spend a bunch of time... probably not unlike most of you, but unlike most of the public... grinding the ears down so they fit in the clips and bracket with just the right amount of friction. Cleaning and lubing the slide pins. Changing fluid. Adjusting drums.
I don't drive at 9/10s, my brakes need service due to stuck pins or "lot rot" rusty rotors. They say semi-metallic pads are better for keeping rotors clean, I may go that route next time.
Put those on the '12 Civic our daughter drives and yeah, the brake dust is terrible.
year/make/model?
If you just want quiet pads that don't dust, Akebono is the best choice
EBC Ultimax/Blackstuff is also a good choice that is quiet and dusts similar to OE, but more than Akebono
Pair them with Power Stop coated rotors if they are available for your car. Another good choice is Raybestos Element3 coated (part number ending in -FZN)
it's a function of the rain
I used to install Wagner ThermoQuiets until they wore out much too fast (under 25,000 miles) and unevenly on both our '99 Silverado and '04 TrailBlazer. There was nothing wrong with the calipers or their mounting, hoses and master cylinder OK, etc. One set came from a local parts house, and the other came from Rockauto.
A friend of mine urged me to try the premium (Gold or better) Duralast brake pads from AutoZone. He has used their pads for over 20 years without premature wear or other problems, plus one cannot beat their warranty. So I put Duralast Max brake pads on all 4 wheels of both vehicles and I could not be happier with their stopping power, quietness, lack of dust, ease of installation, etc.
A friend of mine urged me to try the premium (Gold or better) Duralast brake pads from AutoZone. He has used their pads for over 20 years without premature wear or other problems, plus one cannot beat their warranty. So I put Duralast Max brake pads on all 4 wheels of both vehicles and I could not be happier with their stopping power, quietness, lack of dust, ease of installation, etc.
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I have used basically everything working in the trade And OEM are the “best”. When I say the best, I mean less comebacks, noise, dusting whatever. All the things that make us have to do the job twice. Fit/finish, etc. They seem to be the best but you’ll pay for them.
Aftermarket has been so hit or miss for me. I went through almost a year and a half with AC Delco as our supplier. We must have had a comeback every other time. Went to the AC Delco training facility, took their classes, complained about their pads...every tech in that room experienced the same thing. What does AC Delco say? There’s nothing wrong with our pads, it’s everything else...the caliper, the rotor, the grease you’re using, the humidity, the Easter bunny’s girlfriend, Santa’s cheating little elf. Well, a year later the SAME AC Delco guys THEN tell us...yeah there was something wrong with our pads. I find that the aftermarket stuff is just so inconsistent. It doesn’t fit right, it dusts too much, it might make noise. OR IT MIGHT BE TOTALLY GREAT.
Akeneno however, I have had great experiences with on Toyota‘s. And sometimes I’ll have luck with top of the line part store brands...and then I won’t. The formula, the consistency, the finish. It’s just too unpredictable for me. IMO
And don’t get me started on rotors.
Aftermarket has been so hit or miss for me. I went through almost a year and a half with AC Delco as our supplier. We must have had a comeback every other time. Went to the AC Delco training facility, took their classes, complained about their pads...every tech in that room experienced the same thing. What does AC Delco say? There’s nothing wrong with our pads, it’s everything else...the caliper, the rotor, the grease you’re using, the humidity, the Easter bunny’s girlfriend, Santa’s cheating little elf. Well, a year later the SAME AC Delco guys THEN tell us...yeah there was something wrong with our pads. I find that the aftermarket stuff is just so inconsistent. It doesn’t fit right, it dusts too much, it might make noise. OR IT MIGHT BE TOTALLY GREAT.
Akeneno however, I have had great experiences with on Toyota‘s. And sometimes I’ll have luck with top of the line part store brands...and then I won’t. The formula, the consistency, the finish. It’s just too unpredictable for me. IMO
And don’t get me started on rotors.
Akebono Pro-ACT ceramic brake pads.
I have personally used them for many years. When we switched to using them at the shop we had far fewer complaints and comebacks. I had many customer comments about how the wheel dusting stopped after they were used on their vehicle.
Akebono is the largest OEM brake pad supplier in the world. Their OEM customers include Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Honda, Isuzu, Mazda, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Stellantis, Subaru, Toyota and Volvo. The high dollar OEM pads that you find at the dealer were likely manufactured by them.
I have personally used them for many years. When we switched to using them at the shop we had far fewer complaints and comebacks. I had many customer comments about how the wheel dusting stopped after they were used on their vehicle.
Akebono is the largest OEM brake pad supplier in the world. Their OEM customers include Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Honda, Isuzu, Mazda, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Stellantis, Subaru, Toyota and Volvo. The high dollar OEM pads that you find at the dealer were likely manufactured by them.
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