Brake pad suggestions

[Eric]

My 05 needs it's first set of brakes, the discs are great and no warping (yet) but the pads are just about done, got 45,000 miles on them. Question, is it better to go OEM on these or with aftermarket, and would you go with ceramic or semi metallic? Although the rotors are in great shape I'm told they have to be turned every time I install new pads, couldn't I just sand them a bit to rough them up and install new pads only? Any help from those who have done this job would be helpful.

Thanks!

 

[KWT2000]

i like ceramic pads. they dont produce brake dust they dont squeak and they last more than double of semi metallic and organic pads... if you dont get the rotors turned and get a non directional finsh put on no matter what pad you use they will squeak.. i dont like turning the rotors cause they are more prone to warping... be sure to lube all moving parts. depending on the manufacturer of the pads you may or may not need a can of disc brake quiet.. hope this helps good luck

 

[ELVATO]

Definately get aftermarket. Even the semi-metallics I have dust a lot less than the OEM ones. Personally, I'd go semi-metallic since they stop a little better than cermaics. Ceramic are more for if you have custom wheels, and wish to keep them clean longer.

 

[Eric]

Ok one vote for ceramic and one for semi-metallic. One fella I work with said ceramic pads wear out the rotors faster, not sure if that is true. Will have to research the internet to see what I can find.

 

[KWT2000]

heres another way too look at it... organic and semi matallic pads last between 30 and 50 thousand miles and you can turn the rotors in most cases and run out another set of pads.... ceramic.pads last between 80 and 130 thousand miles and you replace pads and rotors...in my personal use ceramics have always worked better and they handle heat better

 

[06EXP]

Check out www.EBCBrakes.com I have had personal experience with their rotors and pads and can tell you they STOP! I have not put htem on the Expy yet but will when it comes time to. The last vehicle I put them on was the wife's Mazda 6 and TONS of stopping power over stock. You actually had to get used to driving it again they were so better. My brother drove it once and said the first time he hit the brakes he thought he was going through the windshield. Also, if you do want them go to www.partstrain.com or I think summitracing.com has them too, but partstrain always has great prices on them.

 

[97_edition]

i like ceramic pads. they dont produce brake dust they dont squeak and they last more than double of semi metallic and organic pads... if you dont get the rotors turned and get a non directional finsh put on no matter what pad you use they will squeak.. i dont like turning the rotors cause they are more prone to warping... be sure to lube all moving parts. depending on the manufacturer of the pads you may or may not need a can of disc brake quiet.. hope this helps good luck

I have heard that ceramic pads create dust, you just can't see it as you could metallic or semi-metallic dust. And the Ceramic pad dust "eats" chrome faster. This is only what I have heard pro-trucks near Pittsburgh, not personal experience. They recommended semi-metallic with drilled and/or slotted rotors.

 

[Eric]

Thanks for the lead on the EBC brakes, wow they appear to have some nice stuff. They provide so many brake pad variations and all the technical info on the website is very detailed and they sell their brakes through Pep Boys which is even better since they are just down the street.

Thanks again!

Eric

 

[seeker]

My two cents

Running Duralast Gold pads on all corners. About 700 miles on them. No noise.
No vibrations. Great stopping power. 75 bucks or so. As far as dust, below average but its a dd truck not a show car.

 

[Eric]

Interesting that you bring that pad up, before I was provided the info on EBC I was leaning toward these pads. Most of the internet reviews I have seen on the Duralst Gold are for sedans so was unsure about use on a heavy SUV. Your experience tells me they work fine. Now I have two avenues to check out. I'm not terribly concerned about dust, more concerned about noise and stopping power, especially when I tow.

Thanks!

 

[seeker]

Interesting that you bring that pad up, before I was provided the info on EBC I was leaning toward these pads. Most of the internet reviews I have seen on the Duralst Gold are for sedans so was unsure about use on a heavy SUV. Your experience tells me they work fine. Now I have two avenues to check out. I'm not terribly concerned about dust, more concerned about noise and stopping power, especially when I tow.

Thanks!

The first time i applied the brakes after the pads were installed i would have hit the dash if i hadnt had the seat belt on. Here in Atlanta traffic 60-0 is more important than 0-60. Can't talk to the towing aspect.

 

[tbe2002]

I am running duralast Gold pads all around. I love them. Ive had them on my explorer for a couple years now and knew thats what I wanted when I got the expedition. There is a huge difference. The way I look at it is that if they dust a little more its normally because they grip good. The dust on the Golds are not that bad though considering there bite.

 

[nvycrmn]

i got 4 drilled/slotted rotors from rotorpros.com and full ceramic pads all around. i have had no problems with them. no sqeaking and no dust really. i have black rims so everything shows up on them. i heard ceramics wear out the rotors too but i havent had mine on long enough to tell you either way.