Brake Pads

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johnboneske

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Just installed the second set of Raybestos Element3 pads and Napa Ultra Premium rotors on my 05 Expedition. I also use this combo on my Chrysler Town and Country and my daughters Ford Taurus. This pad/rotor combination is smooth, quiet, stops well and produces very little dust. I recommend not using the drilled rotors. I've never seen it in person, but I've heard of, and read about, stress cracks developing at the edges of holes.
https://www.brakepartsinc.com/raybestos/products/friction.html


I tow FREQUENTLY with my Expedition and my slotted and cross drilled rotors are in perfect shape, no grooves, nothing. I would have to disagree with that statement. I have heard of it too, but have never talked to any body who has actually had the issue!
 

Aspen03

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Back from the dead but with relevance!

I have had small cracks develop from the edges of holes in drilled rotors. They were on the car when purchased so I have no idea the quality or care given to them prior to my ownership Promptly replaced as pads were about 2/3 gone anyway and didnt feel like it would be responsible to be on a track in that condition.

Now the relevant part. I'm looking to replace rotors and pads on all 4 corners of the expedition and have never purchased any for this type of vehicle before. Has anyone ran the Power Stop Z36? Between Jegs price match and free shipping its pretty tempting right now. The Z23 is only slightly less...like $50ish. It's very unlikely I tow or haul much if anything other than a random situation. Don't own a boat, trailer, etc. Off chance I may be enlisted to haul in laws boat on occasion to Tennessee if a whole gang of people are attending but that would be the most. Want to say its around 6k w trailer. We have the HD tow on this truck.

It is primarily my daily driver. I'm tired of having warped rotors, got it that way but they had been changed within the past 6k and had tons of life left so I dealt w it. It's annoying me more now and 15k mi later I can justify tossing them without feeling wasteful.

From what I've seen from various vendors and brands I'm anyehere from about $225 to $400 for those same 4 corners. If the Z36 stop great, have long life and are less prone to warping I'm in as I plan to keep this expy until it reaches its end of life or doesn't make economic sense to maintain. If I can get 85% that performance of that for $100 less however I'm down for that to. I'm fairly gentle on bakes, I dont drive a 3 ton truck like a Ferrari and I drive a pretty typical route daily and know when I'll be stuck at the next light and coast on up though of course I'm in the occasional mood and drive like I'm 12 but it's fairly uncommon.

I'm sitting at about 13k a year in driving, roughly 80% hwy and the "city" is a major road with predictable lights that I usually catch 3 out of the 8 each day and virtually never encounter real traffic due to hours I work.
 

johnboneske

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I have z36's on my Excursion and love them! I got them off rock auto for less than that though...
 

Aspen03

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The best I've seen for the Z36 is about $375 w shipping. I figure if I can get 30-40k out of them I'll be happy, that's a good 3yrs for me. Likely just need pads even then from what reviews I've seen.
 

joethefordguy

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The brake pulsing and/or shake you get when braking is from those idiots at the tire shops using those torque sticks! I ALWAYS, as soon as I get home after a rotation loosen all the lugs, and use my torque wrench to make them all even

A torque stick has a 10% variance, so between two jugs that can be as much as 30 ft pounds, since our lugs are suppose to be at 150 ft pounds. That will always cause the infamous brake pulsing...


what is a torque stick?
what is a "jug"?
 

johnboneske

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Torque stick goes on an impact wrench and is suppose to be a specified torque, but I have never seen that to be true. Jug should be lug.
 

Aspen03

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I didn't buy junk rotors, the previous owner did and likely was also very hard on the brakes.

I put the Z36's on about a month ago and they've been fantastic for the past 1300 miles. Very little dust, great stopping power, no pulsation and no fade that I experienced. On the way to the lake is about a 1.5mi winding downhill grade thats fairly steep in quite a few places. They took it like a champ. I cruised around the lot for a couple minutes to let things cool before parking for good to limit the chances of pads baking onto the scorching hot rotors.

I've made one "emergency stop" when someone lost a piece of wood off a trailer on the highway a few cars ahead of me. I have no idea what people are talking about when they say these ceramic pads don't bite as well. It was easily the most aggressive slowdown I've ever experienced in something this size. I made it from around 70 to less than 20 in what seemed like an instant. The vehicle behind me swerved because I slowed down quite a bit faster than they did and they weren't tailgating or anything. It was a crossover size suv.
 

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