Best automotive replacement brake pads according to redditors

A lot of people seem to misunderstand where break squeaking comes from. It's very rare that the sound actually comes from the contact of the pad and rotor. Rather, the squeak comes from the contact of the pad and the caliper: see image.

Basically, as the brakes rub against the rotor, they like to vibrate and wiggle around a bit, and it's that direct metal-on-metal contact between the backing plate and the caliper that ends up squeaking.

The easiest and best solution is to get some Disk Brake Quiet and apply a small amount of it to the back of your pad where it would normally be in contact with the caliper. This creates just enough of a buffer that the brake pad can shimmy around as it needs to, but won't rub against the caliper and squeak.

FIPG is just RTV silicone, right? CRC makes this stuff which is basically RTV with a funny shaped nozzle on it for exactly this purpose. I've used it and it does stop squeaks, but also is a huge pain in the ass that you have to be careful not to get everywhere and is impossible to get off your calipers.

Start of a long line of new parts for the 2000 XJ:

• Spicer ball joints
  
• Timken Hubs
  
• Drag link
  
• Drag link end (to pitman arm)
  
• Drag link adjusting sleeve
  
• Tie rod end (to drag link)
  
• Tie rod end (to DS steering knuckle)
  
• Steering Damper
  
• Front rotors / pads
  
• Rear drums / shoes
  
• Random o2 sensor that has exposed wires
  
  Finally got the ball joints out yesterday around 1pm.
  
  Had to go get an impact gun to even touch the axle nut. Then the damn 13mm 12 point bolts that hold the hub in. Some how I did not strip a single one but have no faith in putting them back in, so now waiting for new bolts to be delivered. Every single cotter pin on the ball joints were so rusted and pushed into the castle nut that I couldn't get them out, so go get new impact sockets (and another trip for swivel sockets for the upper) and unleash all hell to shear the cotter pins off.
  
  
  Finally got to pushing the ball joints out and the OTC set receiving cup is a touch to big for the lower ball joint, so off to Harbor Freight to get an adapter set.
  
  Anyways, half a rant but happy to hopefully have a Jeep that wont wobble down the road.

Buying from the dealer is great because of convenience and returns, but you can usually get the same OEM parts online for cheaper if you can look up your own part numbers. These are the exact same OEM pads for your car the dealer is charging $110 for half-price

Brake pads are perfectly fine to buy aftermarket. You can go to an auto parts store or buy online.

At an auto parts store they will usually give you an option of different qualities. Usually the most expensive ones are about the same quality as OEM pads. I would buy those. The cheaper pads will work decent, but they will wear out faster.

I prefer to shop online. Check out rockauto.com. From there I'll google the different options they present to see if there is anything positive or negative about the brand/model. Then once I've settled on a few option I might buy I cross shop those parts on Amazon and Ebay and will buy from whichever of the 3 it is cheapest.

EDIT: Searched and found these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HO7B84 That is probably what I'd buy. Made in Korea just like your car likely from the same OEM supplier

EBC Brakes DP32185C EBC Redstuff Ceramic Low Dust Brake Pads EBC Redstuff Ceramic Low Dust Brake Pads https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YAZC4GO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_YnNBzb7SEBJXE

They sell it in fancy red "made for this purpose".

Those Hawks are great pads if you want overall stock performance without the dust, just keep in mind you can find them much cheaper on Amazon:
Front - https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01300T4AS/
Rear - https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B019NTMBKA/

Just keep in mind that they, like many parts on Amazon, say they don't fit but those are the proper part numbers for a FiST.

Also keep in mind that they are ceramic based, so they do take one stop to warm up. So if driving along on the freeway and your brakes are ice cold then you need to give plenty of pedal effort on that first random stop. Initial bite is also a touch lower, but not much like some people insist, but also ceramics last much longer and don't eat rotors as bad as semi-metallic.

I pretty much entirely agree with /u/ItPeon_7919 -- though I thought I'd toss in another recommendation as well. Not that there's anything wrong with StopTech. I'm personally a big fan of EBC and use them for both street and track cars.


Front rotor pricing example:


https://www.summitracing.com/parts/ebc-rk7740?rrec=true


($148 pair)
Rear:


https://www.summitracing.com/parts/ebc-rk7739?rrec=true


($105 pair)


For their pads, Ultimax is their OE replacement and probably fine for a normally driven daily 2.0L. Greenstuff if you want a bit of an upgrade over OEM and are a bit more of a spirited driver. Redstuff is their "nice" street compound, lowest amount of dust, and what I personally put on my daily, but I think you'd be fine with Green. Yellowstuff is more street/track hybrid.


Greenstuff pricing example:

https://www.amazon.com/EBC-Brakes-DP22171-Greenstuff-Sport/dp/B00YAZBJPG/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_3?keywords=2016+mazda+3+ebc+greenstuff&qid=1556314860&replacementKeywords=ebc+greenstuff&s=gateway&sr=8-3-fkmrnull&vehicle=2016-80-2435------------&vehicleName=2016+Mazda+3


($73 full set)


Hope that helps!

If you track/autocross your car, EBC/Hawk are some good stuff.

If you only want OEM replacement, can't go wrong with Brembos for a whopping $38 for rear+45 (Type-S) or 50 (base) shipped to your door from Amazon.

Is this kind of mileage out of pads normal or am I doing something wrong?

I had to change both pads (front and back) after not even 300 km (~185 miles) riding (~10.000 meters (~33.000 ft) altitude change). Pads used: Link

I am not that light weighted (but sub 100 kg (~200 lbs)) but changing the pads every month sucks. Discs are clean (and I clean them every now and then with breakcleaner and I have no rubbing/sound problem.

I'm not an expert on brake pad brands, but when in doubt oem isn't a bad route to go.

https://www.amazon.com/2007-Genuine-Honda-Front-Brake/dp/B00D8F0SUG

"Disk Brake Quiet" Like this stuff from CRC which I use creates a rubber like film when it dries to stop metal chattering against itself. It is on the pad faces backings and they do not need to move once installed against the caliper bracket and caliper cylinder, so a lubricant is not needed.

As far as the grease Syl-Glide is silicone based and works very well. The Permatex Ceramic lube I use lists as being "Compatible with internal/external brake rubber and plastic hardware, including ethylene-propylene rubber."

It’s just a tacky goo that you put on the back of the brake pad (according to the DIY video I watched about a month ago). Stops the inevitable brake squeak

I haven’t tried it but am planning to. I just had my 5000 mile service and asked them to look at it (first Harley) and the brake noise came back louder... so frustrating

CRC Disc Brake Quiet 05016, 4 Fl Oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CINV88/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_pOF7AbP1Z6HSX

This happened in mine too until I changed the brake pads and used this where the pads contact the caliper.

I'm assuming the shop checked to see if the pads were worn? Brakes are designed to screech unpleasantly if the pad is worn out.

If you think the pads are dirty maybe try taking them out and cleaning them off with some brake cleaner and an old toothbrush?

edit: clean the rotor, too.

another edit: some research tells me that some folks have had noisy brakes due to the brake piston rubbing on the metal back of the brake pad. Some people have put a piece of duct tape between the piston and pad, and there is also a product called CRC disk Brake Quiet

most of my cars never ever squeak, i don't do anything at all.

but the one car that did squeak required that i put a silicone type liquid that solidifies in-between the bad and brake piston.

https://www.amazon.com/CRC-05016-Single-Brake-Quiet/dp/B000CINV88/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=brake+squeak&qid=1573783729&sr=8-1

The brake squeal is due to the pad itself vibrating within the caliper. You could always just pop them out, and apply some CRC BrakeQuiet to the back of the pads and pop them back in to resolve it.

Squealing has nothing to do with pad thickness. The only thing that matters is pad thickness - replace when they get under "nickle thin." You can addresss the squealing by applying anti-squeal paste to the backsides.

I usually grease the following locations:

• Where the rotor contacts the hub
  
  
• Where the wheel contacts the rotor
  
  
• Where the pad's "ears" contact the caliper bracket (It appears that you have clips there. Grease where the clips touch the caliper bracket AND where the pad ears go into the clips.)
  
  
• Where the bad backing touches the caliper. (It appears that you have decent quality ceramic pads WITH shims.) If the shims have adhesive, do NOT grease where the shims attach to the pad.)
  
  It seems you have done all this in your original post... I can only offer two more solutions:
  
  1.) Bed your brakes in hard... Get it on the highway and do a few hard stops from 70 MPH down to 30. This'll heat up the pads and burn off any impurities that may be on the surface of them.
  
  2.) They sell a red goop at auto parts stores. https://www.amazon.com/CRC-Disc-Brake-Quiet-05016/dp/B000CINV88
  Use a thick layer of that to adhere the shims to the brake pad.
  
  You're literally rubbing two chunks of metal together... The brake rotor and brake pads. There's bound to be some vibration. The idea is to minimize that vibration. Usually grease helps stop the vibration from getting from the pads and reverberating in the rest of the front end of the car... The shims and clips act like springs and prevent vibrations. The red goo acts like a cushion and further dampens vibrations.
  
  The squeaking noise is harmless, but annoying. If you can't get rid of it, don't worry too much.

CRC Disc Brake Quiet http://www.amazon.ca/CRC-Disc-Brake-Quiet-05016/dp/B000CINV88

https://www.amazon.com/Nissan-46512-H0101-Rubber-Stopper-Brake/dp/B00TNL826G

Maybe this?

I got the brake pads from my local autozone, for my 2007 saturn ion, and they gave me this style, but they were too thick, what I actually needed was this style. Not sure what the other ones are actually for, maybe the redline series, not sure, but they were actually taller than the rotor and to thick.

So, I was doing some research online and it seems that for "weekend warriors" a dedicated track pad might not be the best choice. It says they're pretty stiff and will eat through rotors if you try to daily drive on them.

A few forums just recommend premium brake pads rather than something super expensive.

Here's what I found: TRW TPC1479 Premium Ceramic Front Disc Brake Pad Set and TRW TPC1099 Premium Ceramic Rear Disc Brake Pad Set. I've been wanting to upgrade to ceramics to reduce the brake dust on my wheels, but it seems they'll be pretty good for the occasional track use, too.

Any thoughts on these?

https://www.amazon.com/CRC-Disc-Brake-Quiet-05016/dp/B000CINV88

https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-BE1044-Blue-Disc-Brake/dp/B00MY3J9FI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1511287168&sr=8-3&keywords=brake+pads+ford+focus

This is a SUPER easy fix. Take the wheel off, undo one of the bolts on the caliper and flip it up - the pad falls out. Get a block of wood and push the pistons back in, insert new pad. Flip the caliper down. Bleed the brakes if you're feeling particularly completionist.

You can do two wheels in an hour, easy.

The drum brakes? Yeah, take those in. But do your own front discs next time!

[Here's a set of AC Delco ceramic brake pads off Amazon. $25, and just buy something with it to get free shipping.] (https://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-14D477CH-Advantage-Ceramic-Front/dp/B00KUL9XSO/ref=au_as_r?_encoding=UTF8&Make=Jeep%7C42&Model=Wrangler%7C356&Year=2002%7C2002&ie=UTF8&n=15684181&newVehicle=1&s=automotive&vehicleId=1&vehicleType=automotive)

You're right, Jeeps are meant for fun. But if that's your only car and you're borrowing your mom's car to get around, you need to fix it pronto. The squealing comes from the rotors and other stuff. Whatever. The pads are the cheapest and quickest fix right now. You can buy some anti-squeal lotion and put that on the pads if you want.

I use this applied to the back of the brake pads. I have never had a car make brake noise for a long long time with this stuff applied onto the back of the pads and calipers lubed up.

https://www.amazon.com/CRC-Disc-Brake-Quiet-05016/dp/B000CINV88/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1494050530&sr=8-2&keywords=brake+pad+grease

We replaced the rear brakes at 64k miles on our 2013 but that was a bit late (one pad was totally gone and ruined the rotor). I don't think there's an indicator to make noise when the pad is almost worn out. We bought the car with 26k miles on it and I don't think the brakes had been changed before that.

Replaced the rotors with cheap Callahan ones from Amazon @ $50 for both and got a great deal on these Power Stop 16-1665 Z16 Ceramic Brake Pads for $10 used, like new from Amazon warehouse deals. You should be able to find new brake pads for under $40 easily.

The old rotors were stuck pretty well on the hub but there is a hole on the rotor that you can put a screw into to push the rotor away form the hub. The bolt that came with this kickstand happened to fit the hole perfectly. This video shows what I mean.

as far as "4 units" goes, some shops have their own unit of measurement. They might not use quarts or litres but use a generic "since most cars take 5 quarts, we list it was "4 units" which is a measurement that includes enough oil and labor to do the service. I have also seen some shops measure a "unit" as 1.25 Quarts, for invoicing reasons its easier to say 4 units rather than 5 quarts since most cars use about 5-5.5 quarts of oil. This parts price is reasonably accurate for OEM oil.

Brake pads, when you buy a set for the front of the car, come in one box. So one box of brake pads is enough to do the entire front end.

Rotors are sold individually, so your car would need two front rotors and one set of brake pads.

Also, those parts prices are astronomical, as most brake job places there is a ton of markup there.

Brake Pads

Brake Rotors

I put some Wagner’s on last year. They are quiet and work as well as OEM. I did not need to change the rotors.

https://www.amazon.com/Wagner-ThermoQuiet-QC1711-Installation-Hardware/dp/B00IEP2W2M

http://www.amazon.com/Auto-120-0116-Disc-Brake-Pad/dp/B004HO7B84?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
This one right here, cheers!

I can do my own front brakes, with no power tools, in about 2-3 hours. Firestone, with this coupon, is $200 for the front brakes, these are the pads they use. So it's almost $175 in labor there, with the coupon, assuming they don't still charge you for parts, which is not explained on the coupon.

I don't get paid $87 an hour, so it's seriously worth it for me to do my own. I can get mine and my girls done in one sweatty greasey morning, and save $350 over paying some teenage grease monkey to do it for me.

I just got Bosch front pads for $40 and Bosch front rotors for $70. Replaced them myself on my Versa, so no labor. Only took about an hour, and I'm slow. Seems steep to me, but I'm not a mechanic.

EDIT: Well, I looked it up and you can get pads and rotors for less than me. Considering that you paid more than twice that for parts, I'd definitely say you're getting overcharged. I looked up the labor time too, and it should take no more than an hour.
Here are fitting pads for $28 and here are fitting Bosch rotors for $43.

Well, there are a number of people in this thread saying it's a fair price. I disagree, and would point out that I'm the only one posting links to ACTUAL prices. A markup on sales is reasonable for a business to make a profit; a markup that is over double the retail price is not.

You talking about this stuff which I was told to put on the slide pins and "ears" of the brake pads? Or this other stuff which clearly advertises stopping squeaks but I've never used and really don't know where I'm supposed to apply it?

Also where am I supposed to apply it and what is the difference between them? Could I use both? Also can I use it on my motorcycle because the front brake squeaks constantly even tho the pads are fine?

https://www.amazon.com/CRC-Disc-Brake-Quiet-05016/dp/B000CINV88

I have always used the same stuff I use on the pins on the ears. I think you can put it on the back too, but I use this stuff: https://smile.amazon.com/CRC-05016-Disc-Brake-Quiet/dp/B000CINV88

I have no idea if that stuff works or not to tell you the truth, it's just what my dad always used and it doesn't seem to cause any problems. The $6 bottle will last me decades.