How do I determine the OE brake pad material?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
May 18, 2012
Messages
9,783
Location
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
For a 1999 Oldsmobile Alero with the V6 engine and 4 wheel disk brakes.
Internet listings on placse like Rock Auto I know state what type of pads, but I also know that the information there is wrong.
My best guess is that the OE pads ceramic front pads and organic rear pads, but that is just a guess.
I normally use semi-metallic pads, and really don't want ceramic front pads unless that's the OE pads, since the brakes already work great and don't want reduced braking power of ceramic, unless that's what I already have and don't know it.
 
Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
For a 1999 Oldsmobile Alero with the V6 engine and 4 wheel disk brakes.
Internet listings on placse like Rock Auto I know state what type of pads, but I also know that the information there is wrong.
My best guess is that the OE pads ceramic front pads and organic rear pads, but that is just a guess.
I normally use semi-metallic pads, and really don't want ceramic front pads unless that's the OE pads, since the brakes already work great and don't want reduced braking power of ceramic, unless that's what I already have and don't know it.


I highly Doubt that it has organic pads anywhere on the vehicle. What are the chances that the pads currently installed on it are still the original ones anyway?

If you're really wanting to mimic the performance of the existing pads take it apart and look for the existing friction codes. Replacement pads with the same or better friction code will give comparable performance.

Or the easiest option would be to just replace them with Raybestos EHT Element 3 pads. I've not yet come across an application where they're not friction code GG which is the best there is in non carbon-carbon brakes. They're technically a semi-metallic pad but are low dust like a ceramic. They're my new go to pad for daily driver applications replacing Akebono PRO ACT for that role.
 
Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
For a 1999 Oldsmobile Alero with the V6 engine and 4 wheel disk brakes.
Internet listings on placse like Rock Auto I know state what type of pads, but I also know that the information there is wrong.
My best guess is that the OE pads ceramic front pads and organic rear pads, but that is just a guess.
I normally use semi-metallic pads, and really don't want ceramic front pads unless that's the OE pads, since the brakes already work great and don't want reduced braking power of ceramic, unless that's what I already have and don't know it.

Why not get OE pads from a dealer? Plenty of dealerships sell online at really competitive prices. At least that way you know the brakes will work more-or-less as you expect, whatever the pad material is.
 
Originally Posted By: FlyNavyP3

I highly Doubt that it has organic pads anywhere on the vehicle. What are the chances that the pads currently installed on it are still the original ones anyway?


Pads are original to the car, this is a fact. It only has 50K miles on it. I am the second owner and the first owner was a little old lady who kept in in a garage for 9 years and only used the car to get to WalMart and the doctors.



Originally Posted By: FlyNavyP3

If you're really wanting to mimic the performance of the existing pads take it apart and look for the existing friction codes.


It seems unlikely that these things would be readable at this point. Yes, I am looking to keep the excellent braking excellent.
 
Akebonos are always recommended here, but when I check their price on rockauto they were one of the most expensive pads for my car.

IDK if everyone wants to spend $70 cdn on one axle on a 19 year old american car.
 
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
For a 1999 Oldsmobile Alero with the V6 engine and 4 wheel disk brakes.
Internet listings on placse like Rock Auto I know state what type of pads, but I also know that the information there is wrong.
My best guess is that the OE pads ceramic front pads and organic rear pads, but that is just a guess.
I normally use semi-metallic pads, and really don't want ceramic front pads unless that's the OE pads, since the brakes already work great and don't want reduced braking power of ceramic, unless that's what I already have and don't know it.

Why not get OE pads from a dealer? Plenty of dealerships sell online at really competitive prices. At least that way you know the brakes will work more-or-less as you expect, whatever the pad material is.


OE pads for this car are expensive, even online. And the online listings don't say what the pad is made of. I've never felt the need to be brand particular about brake pads and really never had an issue just using whatever the cheapest made in USA semi-metallic pads that I can find. Of course I can't do that any more, so last time I did a brake job I just used semi-metallic pads (using a Monroe Kit that included hardware) on a car that previously used ceramic pads, and that car needed (and got) more braking power. This Alero already has really great brakes! I don't want to put on semi-metallic pads if the OE is ceramic. I might put ceramic pads in the back though, since the OE is unlikely to be semi-metallic.
 
Originally Posted By: maxdustington
IDK if everyone wants to spend $70 cdn on one axle on a 19 year old american car.


Normally I would be spending way less the $70 on brake pads. More like $20 - $25 for semi metallics even locally for my Escort. Seriously they are that cheap and made in North America last time I bought for my Escort
 
Originally Posted By: Sayjac
Using Rock Auto as my source for the topic 99 Alero, consensus listings appear to indicate ceramic pads are OE.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/olds...,brake+pad,1684


For the front, yes. For the back I am not sure if organic or ceramic.
Given how smooth all the rotors are, I'm inclined to think that none of the OE pads are semi-metallic.

Using Rock Auto as my source for other cars, even cars made before ceramic pads were available, also still says ceramic pads are OE.
 
The OE pads seem to be ceramic. They are priced just a little higher than Akebono, using the Rockauto link that Sayjac provided. There is nothing wrong with ceramic pads for a daily driver. Ceramic pads don't dust like semi-metallic, and they are also quieter.

Another recommendation: coated rotors. They won't rust overnight like rotors usually tend to do. The best rotors to get are Wagner E-coated, Centric Premium, or EBC premium.

I can see the edge code FER on the OEM pads. My guess is Ferodo (Wagner)

171-647_Primary.jpg



Originally Posted By: skyactiv
Look into EBC Ultimax 2, you won't be disappointed.


01.gif


This is what I have on my car, and they are awesome. EBC also makes good rotors, too. Autoanything seems to have the best price on EBC pads and rotors
smile.gif
 
You might own the only Alero in this country at this point. I haven't seen one of those in 10 years.
 
The Americans have used NAO pads, and when your Alero was built GM was busy spinning off the chassis portion of Delphi. GM did make their own braking systems.

The surest bet to track down the OEM pad type is to look in an ACDelco catalog for the GM OE part and a footnote.
 
I installed the pads I mentioned on a Camry my sister once owned. The pads were were rated GG and had fantastic initial pedal feel.
 
Originally Posted By: Kestas
Do they provide the MSDS (or SDS) data anywhere on the internet?


When I look up the GM part number, I can find the part listed just fine. Even on eBay the rear pads are listed with the hardware kit, but it never states what the pads are made of. Lookup 19152685 brake pads and the listing never say what the pads are made of.

Now the ACDELCO site (http://parts-catalog.acdelco.com/catalog/catalog_search.php) seems to indicate that the rear pads are organic, but they also sell semi-metallic and ceramic pads for this application. I am not normally used to working on rear disk brakes, and maybe they are thinner to begin with, but I'm inclined to believe that they might wear out first.

And yes some of the pictures of the pads do show a GG rating on them.
 
Originally Posted By: Reddy45
You might own the only Alero in this country at this point. I haven't seen one of those in 10 years.


I remember I saw a black coupe with a 5 speed on a used car lot probably in 2007 and was surprised. How do the le sabres and other buicks keep on truckin but you never see any....W bodies? anymore.
 
I'm not sure about W bodies specifically but when the plug is pulled on a car name it becomes a hot potato everyone wants to drop.
People stopped repairing their Oldsmobiles, Saabs, Pontiacs and Plymouths.
They all evaporated when the names were erased.
 
Originally Posted By: Reddy45
You might own the only Alero in this country at this point. I haven't seen one of those in 10 years.


The Alero forums are pretty much dead, which is why I'm asking here. I see Aleros and Grand Am's all the time.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top