Brake Pad Selection Advice

[edyvw]

I've only tried maybe 10 different pad brands over the years, but my top 3 are
1) Akebono ASP (Performance Line)
2) Raybestos EHT Element 3
3) Akebono ACT

All three of these are ceramic pads, traditionally semi-metallic pads have more bite but the trade off is brake dust,noise, and faster rotor wear. Not sure if that is still true, but that was the general consensus for years.

Well, there are many semi-metallic pads that are very "rotor friendly" then there are those that are not at all. I saw track pads that are more rotor friendly than some regular pads.
I see on Sienna bit of premature rotor wear (EBC Premium) with Green Stuff. On Tigun I have Brembo rotors and those Red Stuff cannot do anything to those rotors.

 

[AutoMechanic]

My favorites that have always worked for me are Raybestos, Akebono, Brembo, and Wagner run one of those and you shouldn’t have a problem

 

[UG_Passat]

EBC are good pads from my experience but lately some people are complaining about cracking of the pad material, how accurate this is I have no idea. They do make a lot of dust though and that may be a trade off the OP is unwilling to accept.

Some people have had the pad material "crack" when they go in and bed the brakes. Maybe they are going too aggressive with the bedding, that the heat overwhelms the resins in the pad material.

I had Redstuff, but did the 1000+ miles of gentle to moderate braking without issues (in stop and go traffic)

 

[jims5600]

This forum and its members rock!!!! What great helpful replies. Fantastic guys

 

[cos]

jims5600,

If the previous owner was easy on the brakes then you could well have glazed pads. It's quite common and easily fixed by sanding the pads, preferably with Garnet sandpaper. Aluminum oxide sandpaper introduces another metal into the mix and may cause brake squeal.

 

[jims5600]

cos,thanks. I didn't think of that!

 

[Pew]

EBC are good pads from my experience but lately some people are complaining about cracking of the pad material, how accurate this is I have no idea. They do make a lot of dust though and that may be a trade off the OP is unwilling to accept.

I've used EBC pads successfully before but they've had way too many people complain about the friction material coming off the backing plate or cracking back around 2012-2014. Supposedly the issue was fixed but too many horror stories - granted they're all track stories but for a company to falsely claim their pads to be street and track ready.

 

[Tones]

Another vote for the Akebono ProAct. I use these on everything. Excellent daily driver pads and have make a big difference of OE stock pads for Toyota and Honda. I have a set ready for my F-150 too. No special bedding necessary.

 

[meep]

I’ve been a big Akebono and Hawk fan, but found the Akebonos to be very inconsistent between different vehicles. I’ve recently put raybestos element3s on both the f150 and Lexus sedan and am very pleased with them. Strong bite, better-than-oem pedal feel, and minimal dusting. The dusting is dark gray in color, not brown. Only possible drawback is that they appear to be a little harder on rotors that either of the other two. I like ’em.

m

 

[edyvw]

I've used EBC pads successfully before but they've had way too many people complain about the friction material coming off the backing plate or cracking back around 2012-2014. Supposedly the issue was fixed but too many horror stories - granted they're all track stories but for a company to falsely claim their pads to be street and track ready.

Street/Track pad is jack of all trades. Their Yellowstuff is decent, but there are better pads, and actually cheaper ones. IMO in that street/track segment Ferodo DS2500 is probably best pad. I heard from some people on track that StopTech Sport pads are decent. I am actually tempted to try them. Pagid RSL29 although in reality racing pad, is used by people on street, but price is upward of $300 for set.

 

[Pew]

Street/Track pad is jack of all trades. Their Yellowstuff is decent, but there are better pads, and actually cheaper ones. IMO in that street/track segment Ferodo DS2500 is probably best pad. I heard from some people on track that StopTech Sport pads are decent. I am actually tempted to try them. Pagid RSL29 although in reality racing pad, is used by people on street, but price is upward of $300 for set.

I've used the yellowstuff on the track before. It's similar to the OEM evo pads in probably every segment but I don't think I've come across any pads that dust as bad as those. The DS2500s are normally the to-go replacement for the evos that want OEM-like brake conditions.

The Stoptech sports are good as a OEM replacement for a DD but that stuff should not anywhere near a track. I can make it fade and smear on the rotors after a few hard 80-0 (near 0) stops on the highway with garbage summer tires that I was using at that time. After an event where I had to go from 100-0 really fast I immediately took out the Stoptech pads. AutoX'ers might like it more though, with it's lower operating temps. I've never tried Pagid personally but I know the engineers at AP Racing, Brembo, and PFC all talk really highly of Pagid.

 

[TiGeo]

Having great experience (except for dust) from my EBC Redstuffs in all 4 corners on my Sportwagen. Have had good experience with Powerstop Z23s on our Lexus SUV and Centric Posi-Quiets (zero dust it seems) on our Atlas.

 

[edyvw]

I've used the yellowstuff on the track before. It's similar to the OEM evo pads in probably every segment but I don't think I've come across any pads that dust as bad as those. The DS2500s are normally the to-go replacement for the evos that want OEM-like brake conditions.

The Stoptech sports are good as a OEM replacement for a DD but that stuff should not anywhere near a track. I can make it fade and smear on the rotors after a few hard 80-0 (near 0) stops on the highway with garbage summer tires that I was using at that time. After an event where I had to go from 100-0 really fast I immediately took out the Stoptech pads. AutoX'ers might like it more though, with it's lower operating temps. I've never tried Pagid personally but I know the engineers at AP Racing, Brembo, and PFC all talk really highly of Pagid.

I think when it comes to StepTechs is probably vehicle at question. Evo has a lot of juice and will strain pads much faster than let's say my 230hp BMW.
When it comes to YellowStuff, yes, they dust like crazy. I had them on VW CC and I had to degrease calipers, rinse them in order to see where the pins are.
Pagid's are serious stuff and question with them is just which compound people feel most comfortable with.

 

[edyvw]

Having great experience (except for dust) from my EBC Redstuffs in all 4 corners on my Sportwagen. Have had good experience with Powerstop Z23s on our Lexus SUV and Centric Posi-Quiets (zero dust it seems) on our Atlas.

Redstuff are dusting IMO like regular pads on E generation BMW's made by ATE, Textar or Pagid which are all OE pads. It is not that excessive IMO.

 

[Dave9]

They are known to have good factory brakes, so inspect them for a problem and if none is found, inspect the driver for a problem.

 

[CharBaby]

Jim, do you know if the pads have been changed from OE?
Also look to see if your brake pads F&R have a Coefficient of Friction(CoF) of "FF". This CoF has a much nicer brake feel for the everyday vehicle...IMO!

 

[TiGeo]

Redstuff are dusting IMO like regular pads on E generation BMW's made by ATE, Textar or Pagid which are all OE pads. It is not that excessive IMO.

Excessive w/r to them calling these "low dust" - I have stains on my driveway from washing my car/wheels..ahahahah. WAY dustier than the stock VW pads which are dusty AF. The Atlas with the Centrics is amazingly not-dustly....like none. Funny the variation!

 

[TiGeo]

EBC Redstuff aftermath!

 

[edyvw]

EBC Redstuff aftermath! View attachment 29104

Yeah. That looks about right.

 

[jims5600]

Char baby they are OEM brakes. It seems to me that the rears do little of the stopping.
Granted it is FWD but I still feel the rear should be doing something. Im going to try a
more aggressive pad on the rear to see if I can change the brake bias some, on the other
hand,not too aggressive so that the rear end slides on hard apply