PowerStop, Hawk, Akebono, EBC, Bosch, Centric and even Brembo brake pads. So many options with so little reviews and info!

[ManUpOrShutUp]

I have Akebono ProACT pads w/ AC Delco rotors on my Expedition and have been running them for years. Very happy with both. I also just put ProACTs on my wife's sedan with Raybestos Element3 rotors a couple months. No comments on longevity yet, but stopping and brake feel are good.

 

[20Expy]

Thank you all for the help, it was really appreciated. Since we're based in Canada, parts availability absolutely sucks. We did consider ordering from the US, but shipping fees and especially border fees and taxes completely destroy all the good deals from the US. We ended up ordering the Powerstop Z36 kit for 740 USD from Tdot Performance (tax and shipping included), because NOTHING else was in stock here up north. The EBC Vented Solid Rotors kit with Greenstuffs looked like a deal compared to Powerstops, but it will take 2 months to come here INSANE! So we had no choice. Ordered on the 13th Dec, came yesterday on the 27th (eventhough Tdot advertised 2-5 business day shipping), UPS was spot on with their time estimate, that was good. Will put on the kit tomorrow at independent shop. Thank you all for the help again, really appreciated.

 

[JimmyM]

I've used both Hawk LTS and Powerstop Z36 pads on my 2011 with significant towing every summer.
The Z36 pads are very competent and always felt like the same braking. No fade. The Hawks were on another level. More aggressive.
Braking down and exit ramp from 75-ish with steady pedal pressure was amazing. As they warmed up they would brake Harder. The trade-off was lower pad life and a little more dust and occasional noise. But after 6 hot hard stop from 60-0, there was no perceivable increase in pedal pressure and I could get into the anti-locks with little effort after the 6th stop. If you're a stickler for dust, the Z36 pads won't disappoint.

 

[JimmyM]

On the less extreme are powerstop Z23s. I put them on the truck for my daughter at the next pad change because she doesn't tow. Great cold bite and modulation with smooth release characteristics. Probably the best daily driver for non-heavy duty applications.

 

[20Expy]

On the less extreme are powerstop Z23s. I put them on the truck for my daughter at the next pad change because she doesn't tow. Great cold bite and modulation with smooth release characteristics. Probably the best daily driver for non-heavy duty applications.

Even though we didn't tow at all, our OEM pads went at 30,000 miles lol. Guess we're just too aggressive on the brakes, so we went with the full Z36 kit. They work like a dream after breaking-in properly, which our independent shop didn't do. I'm wondering if the rotors for the Z23 kit and Z36 kit are the same, because if they are, after the Z36 are worn we would probably get the cheaper Z23 pads then. I'm also wondering if the Z23 pads last longer, because they have less bite? Or, are they about the same?

Happy New Year everyone!

 

[JimmyM]

Cold bite is better on the z23s than the z36s. Not by a lot. But both are very good daily drivers. If you're going to push the brakes (sudden trailer brake failure) the the z36s should outperform the z23s. But I've only had one unbraked tailer event. So i can't compare. My z36s lasted really well compared to the Hawk LTS.
That unbraked event was a 3300lb popup behind an S-10 blazer. Downhill exit ramp on I-87 into Lake George. Took a lot of pedal on the Performance Friction Carbon Metallic pads. Smelling and smoking a bit at the bottom, but they had plenty of friction even at the bottom. I wasn't really focusing on the feel to judge fade. I didn't want to come to a stop in traffic at the bottom.