Planning to do a brake job, hopefully this weekend and was curious on what pads most people go to when they do their own.
Stick with OEM? Organics? Semi metallic? Ceramics?
Plannin on sticking with the stock rotors, just getting them turned.
I'm lookin for something that'll last, but also give better braking over oems and are too outrageously priced for pads, and you can factor in the low noise/dust as a real plus.
Post your experiences and throw in some cents.
Thanks in advance for the input



Edit
Just found a poll in the 95.5-04 section with a poll on brake pads, some info there.
Still lookin for opinions and cents from 1st and 2nd gen'rs.

 

i use stock on everything i own and they work great for me but to each there own. just remember that the more high performance you go the quicker it will wear the rotors. and more noises.

 

Just did mine less than a week ago: new calipers, rotors and pads. I used factory pads. They are not expensive and alot less prone to make noise than aftermarket pads might.
On all the side jobs I do I tell the owner to put factory pads/shoes instead. Now if they would only listen to me, I wont have to hear "my brakes are making noise again!"

 

i feel your pain!!!!

 

The OEM brand is Akebono right?

 

gonna put in my vote for OEM pads, and if you have to replace your rotors, I am having good luck with the premium Napa rotors, cheaper than the OEM rotors, not made in China, and lifetime warranty.

 

i have napa pads and they work fine no brakedust no noise

 

I use Bendix pads from Advance Auto parts, I might be switching to the Bendix ceramic pads soon tho.

 

i am using semi metalic from autozone. no problems yet, and i got 20,000 on them. if i catch them before the rivets i get new pads free (lifetime). they may not be better than o.e.m. but i am getting pads free for the life of the truck. mike

 

To each his own. I would NEVER, buy something like brake pads, starters or alternators and especially not oil filters from Advance or Auto Zone. At least not unless you want to get really good at replacing that part. They have a lifetime warranty sure but I would rather buy another part in 3 or 4 years than have to replace a part from one of those places 3 or 4 times in a year.

I have seen several nice cars at the junk yard and after asking about them was told that the motors were locked up from the paper coming out of the filters and stopping up the oil passages. They had Advance or Auto Zone filters on them.

 

call me lucky, but i have good luck with aftermarket parts. and have been using them for 20 years. also have a 92 camry with 214,000 miles. its got al sorts of aftermarket parts on it. timing belt, water pump, idlers, starter, belts oil filter, fuel filter brakes rotors etc...
i am not doubting that o.e.m. parts are better, because they are better. i'm just saying there is an alternative.

 

I have Akebono ceramics all the way around and they produce very little brake dust and only suqeak a bit when first on them in cold weather.

 

Really? Of all the filters I have sold in the last 6 years I can recall 4 failures(collapsed filters) and they were Fram- AND two of them were on high HP engines with high volume pumps. Now I don't know who makes the filters for the Zone but the advance Auto parts filters are made by Purolator, they are the same exact filter bar the grippy texture on the case. I got this info from the techs at Purolator.

 

This has been about 6 or more years ago and I am not sure about which store specifically. I just remember that it was from one of the two.

I don't know about their brake pads but alternators and starters from those two places have always been a nightmare to me and every other mechanic I know. I have replaced them three or four times in a month before getting a good one. Numerous times. Just last week I replaced a clutch set on a 93 Mazda B2300. The clutch wouldn't bleed and so 3 master cylinders and 2 slave cylinders later we finally delivered it. It was from another local shop and they had bought the parts from Advance.

I have nothing at all against aftermarket parts I use them all the time it is just that I have had way too many bad parts from the two red stores to call it coincidence. I don't have anything against those stores I get a lot of shop supplies and filters belts etc. Never store brand. I buy their oil, etc. great prices most of the time. But for real parts I like to go to one of the older chains. I do get all my front wheel drive replacement axles from them too. Only ever had a problem with one. It was missing a lock so I took one off the old joint.

 

For those of you who have stuck with OEM pads, what are you guys paying? I called my local Toy Dealership today and they are quoting me 71 just for pads. Does this seem high? or am I just thinking like a penny pincher? Which is not a bad thing, most times
How much do you usually spend for a full front pad and rotor turn/replacement?

 

Like trythis, I'm also using NAPA premium rotors.

DyeBoi, $71 for pads! I think I paid like $50 for pads AND shims from the dealership.

My rotors were shot, so I had to replace them. I think it costs $10-$12 to machine rotors. I can be wrong as I just machine them at work.

 

50 bucks for hawk lts pads just this past month, they work awesome!

 

The difference I noticed form the aftermarket pads that were on my truck, and the factory pads, is no noise. My old pads always sounded like the rivets were rubbing the rotors. They weren't, but they sounded like it. My front wheels have always been black from brake dust, but they havent changed since I went factory. I know they weren't $71 form the dealer, but we have 4 or 5 toyota dealers here, so they compete.

 

for me it also depends on what shape the car is in. if it is a beater of mine i will take a chance on cheap parts. but if it is a fairly new car in good shape i will get the better parts. i also would like to say i have had better experiences a napa than the two red stores.

 

I plan on doing a brake job today (warped rotors and original pads)... From this thread, I've collected that I should probably do the Napa rotors (lifetime warranty), but what pads should I go with?