Brake pads

I lubed the crap outta mine

 

To all those going with slotted / drilled rotors...save your money.

95% of drilled rotors out there have been drilled using a blank rotor as a base, and those spots where the holes have been drilled are actually weakening the rotor. Slotted are a little better, but are hardly worth the extra cash.

If you can lock your brakes / engage ABS under normal driving conditions with little effort, the best brake in the world isn't going to help your braking performance, you need better tires. Obviously if you're doing a lot of heavy towing and brake fade is an issue for you, you're in another boat, but the majority of users on here won't face that problem.

Different brake pads have different friction factors so that initial "bite" may feel different, which may give the illusion of better brakes, but with modern ABS systems, that extra hundredth of a second isn't going to help. If you want better braking feel, invest in a set of high quality stainless lines.

That being said when it comes time to replace my setup, I can't say I won't go OEM if they last for a very long time. That's really the only knock on aftermarket components I've seen is how long they last compared to the OEM versions. Ideally if you don't go OEM, I'd go something that is low dust just to make cleaning easier.

There is absolutely no reason to invest in nearly track compound pads on a dimpled / drilled / slotted rotor.

 

About a month ago I had Akebono Street Performance pads installed. Pads were $66 at tirerack.com. They work just as well as OEM, but I haven't seen a bunch of dust collect on the front wheels after about 900 miles. Quiet too.

 

And another thing...

Lots of people want extra stopping power so they go with slotted and/or dimpled rotors for cooling power, or whatever. I read on these here boards that you'd be better off going with DOT4 brake fluid. It has a much higher boiling point than the standard DOT3. When brake fluid boils, it looses its ability to compress the pads onto the rotors. So I bought StopTech STR-600 High Performance Brake Fluid. tirerack.com again. It has a bp of 600F, whereas most DOT3s have a bp in the 300s or 400s. I haven't had to put it to the test yet, but I thought I'd throw it out there for consideration.

 

A little thread resurrection here

I just got taken on OEM pads at the dealer. I paid $134 for the fronts on my 2010 OR 4wd. After installing them I went to O'reillys close by for some more brake cleaner and asked about their prices. Their top of the line Wanger pads are $68. Wanger is pretty good. Lesson learned for next time.

BTW, I replaced them at 72,000 miles and probably could have got a bit longer.

 

ceramic performance pads, cost 2x to 3x as much, but work and last really well

 

I might do my pads tomorrow, maybe even the rotors. Are there any brands to stay away from in the usual local auto parts store?

Stopped by my dealer earlier today. Guy said Toyota didn't have ceramic pads, then gave me a list of reasons why... (noise, heat, blah blah...)

I thought we already had DOT 4 in our trucks?

 

I purchased my Wagner Thermoquiets online from Amazon and then with a $15 mail in rebate, it came out to be around $35 for nice ceramic pads. I've put about a thousand miles on them and they work great and are very quiet.

 

For those of you looking at DOT4 fluid, Toyota recommends DOT3 and there have been claims by Toyota that something in DOT4 causes problems with the braking system. Not sure why because as has been noted, they are the same but for the boiling point.

Many people run DOT4 with no issue. Myself, I'll keep with the DOT3 stuff...just in case it's really true

 

How is the stopping power compared to the stock pads?


Edit: I might get these parts:
NAPA Brake Rotor - Premium - Cheaper than what the dealership quoted me for rotors.
Wagner ThermoQuiet Ceramic Brake Pads