GMC/Chevrolet dealer wants 106.00 per pair. Ouch.....any decent aftermarket front and rear disc pads you all could recommend? Thanks, Cam
Brake pad (front and rear) recommendations please.
- Thread starter c good
- Start date
therealsethallen
Member
Brake pads are one of the very few things I won't get from the dealer. I'm a real cheap bastard so I usually get what's on the shelf at Advance, and it's been Wagner Thermo Quiet Lately. They seem to hold up well, squeak minimally for a ceramic pad, and they produce almost zero dust. They go for less on Amazon and CrockAuto.
littleblazer
Member
- Jul 6, 2014
- 9,265
The pads that came with my brake motive set seem to work really well. Before I had the auto zone gold C-max brakes. There was dust but it took 6k miles for it to be noticeable enough that I washed the truck.
How was the overall performance of the Auto Zone pads? longevity, squeek/squeel, feel on pedal? Thank for any add'l info littleblazer.
littleblazer
Member
- Jul 6, 2014
- 9,265
Hard to say on the feel since I had the old rotors that were reused. My pedal is mushy there's no doubt about it and it feels better now... once again new rotors. But as soft as it was I only went to the floor about 5 times for panic stops and it would lock up those tires no problem at all. Even with the trailer behind it. Never really made any noise unless you got them really hot then they would slide and be noisy but I'm talking 4-6 rapid 50 to zero stops with 3000 plus pounds behind me in a matter of a minute or two. Otherwise they never gave me a problem. I replaced them at 40k because the rotors were getting bad on the edge and chewing the pads up but they still probably had another 20 or so left on them easily. The rears were on there for almost 50 with new rotors and probably had another 20 left as well. My usage is probably less than what most would get too because half of that milage involved lugging around about 1k in extra weight compared to an empty truck for work. I was happy. Bottom line is a decent pad and didn't squeak or anything. They were the cmax gold pads iirc. Don't remember how much they cost.
The work milage was strictly in town with almost zero highway. And I pushed the truck which is why I was able to get done so fast so they didn't have an easy life. Never felt scared stopping.
The work milage was strictly in town with almost zero highway. And I pushed the truck which is why I was able to get done so fast so they didn't have an easy life. Never felt scared stopping.
Bow_Tied
Member
Can you find the AC Delco parts somewhere other than the dealer? I got the premium AC Delco pads and rotors and they fit beautifully (some cheaper pads I find have poor tolerancing and are too tight of a fit). Been very happy with them so far.
therealsethallen
Member
Amazon, RockAuto and PartsGeek have them all, at significantly lower than dealer prices. Most big box auto parts stores can get them for you too, at lower cost than the dealer.
seanpooh
Member
- Jan 24, 2012
- 461
Akebono makes the low cost pads along with OEM pads for ACdelco. If you move up to the ProACT from RockAuto or Advance Auto using the TRT30 coupon code, they are much better performance wise.
Remember to use brake grease. I use the Permatex Ceramic Extreme Brake Parts lubricant for all my jobs at work.
Remember to use brake grease. I use the Permatex Ceramic Extreme Brake Parts lubricant for all my jobs at work.
Chickenhawk
Member
- Dec 6, 2011
- 781
Lots of good choices at various price points. Like many other parts, there are fewer manufacturers than there are brands, because one company can make pads for several different names, all built to their own specifications. For example, rumours are that Akebono makes the OEM pads that came in your truck brand new. They also make aftermarket brands at several different quality levels. They may also make the pads for AC Delco. AC Delco has several levels as well. The "Advantage" line is the economy pad, and the "Professional" line is the premium pad.
On the first brake job (before I bought the truck) they replaced the OEM pads with AC Delco Advantage. When I began to notice a lack of initial bite about 2 years later with those AC Delco pads, I replaced them with the Akebono Pro-ACT. They felt much better and lasted four years but got torn up pretty bad by a bad rotor that was delaminating on me. (A failed experiment in slotted rotors. Dumb idea, with zero benefits and shorter life in northern climates.)
The best pads I have ever owned are last ones I installed - the NAPA Adaptive One pad.
Personally, I would never install cheap pads. Ironically, cheap pads and the most expensive pad in the world are going to stop in just about the same stopping distance, but to me the FEEL of the brake pedal is important. I also run my pads for years - I am very easy on brakes - and want pads with not just for long life, but for consistent feel throughout their useful life.
If you are interested in a bit of trivia about high-end brake pads (the only ones I would use today) then look for the pads with an NRS-certified backing plate. NRS stands for NUCAP Retaining System, which was created by NUCAP of Canada as a better way to keep pads from peeling off the backing plate in hard use. I began to research NRS when testing heavy-duty pads for police vehicles. (I am the police vehicles editor for a national police magazine, so I get to drive police cars around race tracks as part of what my wife laughingly refers to as "a living." She even parenthesizes it with air-quotes.) Raybestos has a line of fleet pads, and they include this aggressive waffle pattern backing plate with sharp hooks to hold the braking pad material in place on the backing plate 10,000 times better than the usual bonding.
However, you do NOT want fleet pads in your truck. They last forever, but the feel is very hard and numb. They are perfect for taxi drivers who can tell the brake from the gas two times out of five - 80% of the time.
For our platform, Raybestso uses the NRS backing plate in their very high end Advanced Technology line of pads. NAPA uses almost the exact same design for their Adaptive One pad. (I suspect Raybestos makes the pads for NAPA.)
So, in my experience, I would suggest there are actually four lines of brake pads:
- Super-economy pads, such as the cheaper Akebono and other brands often sold on Ebay, or sold as "lifetime" brakes by speedy brake chain stores. Better than nothing, but be prepared to replace them sooner than the others, and be prepared for a noisy pad.
- Economy pads, such as the AC Delco Advantage and the higher end Akebono. They tend to last longer and can be quieter but the feel may change with wear.
- Premium pads, such as AC Delco Professional, NAPA Premium, Raybestos Professional Grade Ceramic and Akebono Pro-ACT. I would put the Wagner Thermo-Quiet in here too. They don't use backing plates, and they seem to be highly rated on some platforms and not others. (I like them on my S-10 Blazer, but Trailblazer owners seem decidedly mixed on the Thermo-Quiet pads.)
- High-end super-premium pads with NRS backing plate technology. So far on our platform, there is only the Raybestos Advanced Technology, EBC Extra Duty and the NAPA Adaptive One.
Would I spend the extra $10 or $20 for the super-premium? Once I saw the NRS technology, I wouldn't have anything less.
Regardless of the price, here are three pieces of advice:
#1 - Buy ONLY ceramic pads. They came from the factory with ceramics, and semi-metallic is old technology.
#2 - If your pads need replacing, you might as well do rotors too. No one ever machines rotors anymore. They are almost as cheap to buy new as they are to machine them. Don't try to save the $20 per side.
#3 - Regardless of whether they say it is necessary or not, properly bed your new pads.
Follow this procedure:
- Once the new pads and rotors are installed, pump the brakes a couple of times before driving away. Use them normally; they will work just fine.
- Find a gravel or other slippery road and hammer on the brakes a few times, enough to get the ABS to cycle. This will improve your brake pedal feel immensely.
- As soon as you can, find a quiet road and bed the pads. Do about 5 to 10 light stops, a minute or two apart. This helps heat the pads and rotors up a bit. Then do 2 to 3 VERY HARD stops in a row from 60 MPH, backing off the pedal just before it comes to rest. This should get your pads and rotors smoking hot. Don't let the vehicle come to a full stop. After the 2nd or 3rd stop, drive normally for 10 to 15 minutes while using the brakes very sparingly if possible. Try to pick a quiet road so you can avoid coming to a full stop with the pads resting in one spot on a very hot rotor.
Brake pads contribute a lot to the feel of your brakes. As far as the rears go, you don't need the super-premium ones. Rears contribute very little to overall braking. I used NAPA Premiums on the rear when I put the NAPA Adaptive Ones on the front.
On the first brake job (before I bought the truck) they replaced the OEM pads with AC Delco Advantage. When I began to notice a lack of initial bite about 2 years later with those AC Delco pads, I replaced them with the Akebono Pro-ACT. They felt much better and lasted four years but got torn up pretty bad by a bad rotor that was delaminating on me. (A failed experiment in slotted rotors. Dumb idea, with zero benefits and shorter life in northern climates.)
The best pads I have ever owned are last ones I installed - the NAPA Adaptive One pad.
Personally, I would never install cheap pads. Ironically, cheap pads and the most expensive pad in the world are going to stop in just about the same stopping distance, but to me the FEEL of the brake pedal is important. I also run my pads for years - I am very easy on brakes - and want pads with not just for long life, but for consistent feel throughout their useful life.
If you are interested in a bit of trivia about high-end brake pads (the only ones I would use today) then look for the pads with an NRS-certified backing plate. NRS stands for NUCAP Retaining System, which was created by NUCAP of Canada as a better way to keep pads from peeling off the backing plate in hard use. I began to research NRS when testing heavy-duty pads for police vehicles. (I am the police vehicles editor for a national police magazine, so I get to drive police cars around race tracks as part of what my wife laughingly refers to as "a living." She even parenthesizes it with air-quotes.) Raybestos has a line of fleet pads, and they include this aggressive waffle pattern backing plate with sharp hooks to hold the braking pad material in place on the backing plate 10,000 times better than the usual bonding.
However, you do NOT want fleet pads in your truck. They last forever, but the feel is very hard and numb. They are perfect for taxi drivers who can tell the brake from the gas two times out of five - 80% of the time.
For our platform, Raybestso uses the NRS backing plate in their very high end Advanced Technology line of pads. NAPA uses almost the exact same design for their Adaptive One pad. (I suspect Raybestos makes the pads for NAPA.)
So, in my experience, I would suggest there are actually four lines of brake pads:
- Super-economy pads, such as the cheaper Akebono and other brands often sold on Ebay, or sold as "lifetime" brakes by speedy brake chain stores. Better than nothing, but be prepared to replace them sooner than the others, and be prepared for a noisy pad.
- Economy pads, such as the AC Delco Advantage and the higher end Akebono. They tend to last longer and can be quieter but the feel may change with wear.
- Premium pads, such as AC Delco Professional, NAPA Premium, Raybestos Professional Grade Ceramic and Akebono Pro-ACT. I would put the Wagner Thermo-Quiet in here too. They don't use backing plates, and they seem to be highly rated on some platforms and not others. (I like them on my S-10 Blazer, but Trailblazer owners seem decidedly mixed on the Thermo-Quiet pads.)
- High-end super-premium pads with NRS backing plate technology. So far on our platform, there is only the Raybestos Advanced Technology, EBC Extra Duty and the NAPA Adaptive One.
Would I spend the extra $10 or $20 for the super-premium? Once I saw the NRS technology, I wouldn't have anything less.
Regardless of the price, here are three pieces of advice:
#1 - Buy ONLY ceramic pads. They came from the factory with ceramics, and semi-metallic is old technology.
#2 - If your pads need replacing, you might as well do rotors too. No one ever machines rotors anymore. They are almost as cheap to buy new as they are to machine them. Don't try to save the $20 per side.
#3 - Regardless of whether they say it is necessary or not, properly bed your new pads.
Follow this procedure:
- Once the new pads and rotors are installed, pump the brakes a couple of times before driving away. Use them normally; they will work just fine.
- Find a gravel or other slippery road and hammer on the brakes a few times, enough to get the ABS to cycle. This will improve your brake pedal feel immensely.
- As soon as you can, find a quiet road and bed the pads. Do about 5 to 10 light stops, a minute or two apart. This helps heat the pads and rotors up a bit. Then do 2 to 3 VERY HARD stops in a row from 60 MPH, backing off the pedal just before it comes to rest. This should get your pads and rotors smoking hot. Don't let the vehicle come to a full stop. After the 2nd or 3rd stop, drive normally for 10 to 15 minutes while using the brakes very sparingly if possible. Try to pick a quiet road so you can avoid coming to a full stop with the pads resting in one spot on a very hot rotor.
Brake pads contribute a lot to the feel of your brakes. As far as the rears go, you don't need the super-premium ones. Rears contribute very little to overall braking. I used NAPA Premiums on the rear when I put the NAPA Adaptive Ones on the front.
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littleblazer
Member
- Jul 6, 2014
- 9,265
If it helps (or confuses you more) we only put Delco on the sierra. Weighing in at 8000 lbs it still gets about 80k on pads and rotors. And that's just when they start chirping. Still some life left at that point. Company pays for that though so might as well.
HARDTRAILZ
Moderator
- Nov 18, 2011
- 49,665
DocBrown
Member
- Dec 8, 2011
- 501
I was just going to make that recommendation! I've always been happier with NAPA's brake parts than any others. I put their Adaptive One pads on my Sierra back in April and so far they are among the best pads I've ever had. Just make sure to follow a good bedding process.
Mirage
Member
- Feb 23, 2014
- 60
I just ordered a set of Brake-motive drilled and slotted rotors and ceramic pads-Front and Rear.
Adaptive One front pads installed. New NAPA "Premium" rotors also. The Adaptive One pads did not quite fit correctly into the caliper "slots". Too tall overall. I noticed they had a thick layer of paint on the backing plate tabs that fit into the caliper lots. So thick that it would not let me push the pads into the slots. So I had to sand/file down the tabs on just the ends to make them fit and not bind.
Anyways, I got them fitting perfectly, used the supplied silicone/grease on all the contact points, and put them all back together.
After following the bedding advice in above posts...Thanks ChickenHawk!....the brakes are amazing! Stops extremely well and predictable. Nice pedal feel. Overall very happy.
Next step is the rear brakes, although they are still pretty good, I'm going to just re-do them so everything is fresh at the same time.
Thanks to all for the input. VERY HAPPY! c good
Anyways, I got them fitting perfectly, used the supplied silicone/grease on all the contact points, and put them all back together.
After following the bedding advice in above posts...Thanks ChickenHawk!....the brakes are amazing! Stops extremely well and predictable. Nice pedal feel. Overall very happy.
Next step is the rear brakes, although they are still pretty good, I'm going to just re-do them so everything is fresh at the same time.
Thanks to all for the input. VERY HAPPY! c good
Mooseman
Moderator
Wish we knew who makes them for NAPA as their dealers around here tend to be on the not so cheap end of the scale.
littleblazer
Member
- Jul 6, 2014
- 9,265
This is what I dug up...
http://www.leagle.com/decision/In FDCO 20110107711/BRAKE PARTS, INC v. LEWIS
Mooseman
Moderator
Shiese! Just found out that Satisfied has been bankrupt since 2011
http://www.standard-freeholder.com/2011/02/02/satisfied-brake-bankrupt
All the stuff I read comes down to this. BPI, parent company of Raybestos, sued Satisfied for having copied the formula of their brake pads where a disgruntled employee sold it to Satisfied. Satisfied copied it as well as supplying NAPA their "Adaptive One" brand. Satisfied is sued by BPI and goes bankrupt.
So whatever NAPA has of these Adaptive One pads is what they have in their dwindling stock until it's exhausted.
But, I would imagine that Raybestos would basically have the same pads, right? Can't tell which ones it would be or they might not make them anymore since it is a 10 year old formulation.
http://www.standard-freeholder.com/2011/02/02/satisfied-brake-bankrupt
All the stuff I read comes down to this. BPI, parent company of Raybestos, sued Satisfied for having copied the formula of their brake pads where a disgruntled employee sold it to Satisfied. Satisfied copied it as well as supplying NAPA their "Adaptive One" brand. Satisfied is sued by BPI and goes bankrupt.
So whatever NAPA has of these Adaptive One pads is what they have in their dwindling stock until it's exhausted.
But, I would imagine that Raybestos would basically have the same pads, right? Can't tell which ones it would be or they might not make them anymore since it is a 10 year old formulation.
Chickenhawk
Member
- Dec 6, 2011
- 781
If Satisfied Brake Products made the Adaptive One pad for NAPA, they would have been forced to withdraw that pad from the U.S. market many years ago according to the injunction. I suspect that Satisfied Brakes could only sell their own name brand products in the U.S. This is why I suspect that Raybestos now makes the Adaptive One pad for NAPA. I know that Raybestos makes many of the brake and suspension parts for NAPA. I believe the Adaptive One pads will not be in short supply.
Mooseman
Moderator
NAPA could have played innocent victim and just said they didn't know about Satisfied's shenanigans. They would have lost a ton of money if they were prohibited from selling their existing stock and unable to return them to a bankrupt company.
I could see Raybestos/BPI stepping in and picking up that contract but I couldn't find anything about it.
I could see Raybestos/BPI stepping in and picking up that contract but I couldn't find anything about it.
littleblazer
Member
- Jul 6, 2014
- 9,265
It makes sense though. It also seems the terminology was changed to hybrid ceramic around that time.
Chickenhawk
Member
- Dec 6, 2011
- 781
I suspect this is why places like NAPA don't disclose who makes their products. They don't make anything themselves; they contract with the various makers to manufacture under their own name brand and to their own specs. They may change manufacturers from time to time, but the final product should (theoretically) be the same, regardless of who makes it or where in the world it is made.
Mind you, it doesn't take too much research to figure it out. Tie rod ends are (currently anyway) made by Moog (or their parent company Federal Mogul) for their standard line. They even have the same part number as the Moogs. Their premium line is made by Raybestos. Moog makes the same part for themselves, as well as AC Delco for the Advantage line. Raybestos makes the same part for themselves, as well as AC Delco for their Professional line.
Moog also makes the sway bar bushings for NAPA, including the new blue thermoplastic ones. They also make exactly the same ones for AC Delco plus many other distributors such as Autozone's premium line.
Lines are blurred and parts are made around the world.
Plus, as much as I hate Chinese-made parts and how the Walmart generation has put our friends and neighbors out of work, parts made in China factories to specifications dictated by the parent company SHOULD be the same quality. Chinese made parts often get a bad reputation from the same (or other) companies "knocking off" imitation parts for cheap.
It's a global market and there are few actual manufacturers left anymore.
Mind you, it doesn't take too much research to figure it out. Tie rod ends are (currently anyway) made by Moog (or their parent company Federal Mogul) for their standard line. They even have the same part number as the Moogs. Their premium line is made by Raybestos. Moog makes the same part for themselves, as well as AC Delco for the Advantage line. Raybestos makes the same part for themselves, as well as AC Delco for their Professional line.
Moog also makes the sway bar bushings for NAPA, including the new blue thermoplastic ones. They also make exactly the same ones for AC Delco plus many other distributors such as Autozone's premium line.
Lines are blurred and parts are made around the world.
Plus, as much as I hate Chinese-made parts and how the Walmart generation has put our friends and neighbors out of work, parts made in China factories to specifications dictated by the parent company SHOULD be the same quality. Chinese made parts often get a bad reputation from the same (or other) companies "knocking off" imitation parts for cheap.
It's a global market and there are few actual manufacturers left anymore.
C-ya
Member
- Aug 24, 2012
- 1,098
I put this set on both my wife's '04 Impala and my '05 TB EXT. She went through her pads in under 7K miles. I say "went through", but there was still some pad material. They were just so noisy. I put AC Delco Advantage pads front and rear and after bedding/cooling, it stops great once again. I noticed that one pad was worn more than the other (inside pad vs outside) and I think the calipers weren't sliding like they should. I made sure the pins were greased and installed correctly as I apparently had them on wrong. The Impala pins are different top to bottom and I had them backwards. Live and learn...
My truck still has the pads supplied with the set. I have about 10K on them and I have noticed a bit more pedal push than I like in the last month. There is still plenty of pad left, so I'll keep them on because I'm cheap and want to get some more use out of them. I'll put at least AC Delco Adv. on, if not Pro, when I do change them out.
ETA: Since I posted this earlier today, I was paying more attention to my brake pedal this afternoon and evening. I would like to clarify my earlier statement about my pedal travel. It is good 99% of the time. When I have to stop quicker due to rapidly changing traffic conditions (the idiot in front of me does something stupid, for instance), I notice more pedal travel but then, that is to be expected. So, I think I'm good on brakes for a while yet.
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Mike534x
Member
- Apr 9, 2012
- 926
I actually just did brakes on my TB last month after putting a set of A/C Delco Pro on in Fall '14 (then owner put organic pads....ugh). 3-4 months ago I noticed my stopping power dropped big time, brake dust all over the rims, pulled off the pads and found my Pro's cracked/deteriorating (front and rear). Bought a set of Monroe Pro"Solution" ceramics and have been pretty pleased with them so far, TB stops on a dime too now since I changed out the rotors as a safe measure. (using Napa's Premium brand).
Chickenhawk
Member
- Dec 6, 2011
- 781
While uneven wear, inside pad to outside pad, can be an indication of caliper problems or wear or incorrect lube on the slide pins, it can sometimes just be fairly normal. If there are no other indications of caliper problems and the pads are installed correctly, I wouldn't sweat it too much if the inside pads wear faster. I feel that they get exposed to a lot more road crap.
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Mike534x
Member
- Apr 9, 2012
- 926
I did inspect the rotors, didn't notice any warping or abnormalities with the surface. But I replaced the rotors to be on the safe side, but I plan to check the pads again when my tire rotation is due to see how they held up.
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