Brake pad recommendations

M

meborder

Joined
Apr 27, 2014
Messages
876
Location
SD - South Dakota
I’ve got a 2014 Expedition with the most terribly squeaky brakes I’ve ever heard. It is truly horrible.

Bought it a year ago and they looked to be brand new when purchased. I’m assuming that the dealership put on new pads and rotors just before selling it since everything looked new when I bought it. But they have been squeaky since day one. They stop well and don’t dust, even are a shimmed pad, but the noise is terrible and even a bit embarrassing.

normally I get the Wearever Platinum from Advance. I’ve used them for years and have always been happy with them. But I thought I would reach out to see what else might be good, particularly anything available from rock auto.

I need ones that are quiet, don’t dust, and can handle the heat that comes with towing. I tow more often than the average bear up to 7,500 lbs so they can’t fade under stress. For all of these reasons I’m inclined to stick with a ceramic pad since I’ve had the best luck overall with ceramics in the past


I’m perfectly happy to go with the whatever platinum again, but I’m open to suggestions as well.

thanks in advance.
 
I just installed raybestos EHT pads, also called Element3, on both our f150 and Lexus sedan. I am quite pleased. I’m coming from pads 3x the cost, Akebono and Hawk primarily. I can’t say enough good things about the raybestos pads. They have a lot of support on this board.

you may also need to rough up the rotors, or replace them, to mitigate the squeal. I like a belt sander against the surface while it spins.
 
I always buy the cheap , local pads that have lifetime warranty . Never have to pay for them again , for that vehicle .

I am an old man and drive like one . I do not have to have super / performance pads / shoes . In 50 years , I could probably count the number of pairs of rotors / drums I have purchased .
 
I have been a fan of EDC pads and rotor combo but have to say for less coin the Power Stop's have been really good on my 15 F150. Enough so when my Subaru needs the next set I'm going Power Stop over EDC.
 
WyrTwister said:
I always buy the cheap , local pads that have lifetime warranty . Never have to pay for them again , for that vehicle .

I am an old man and drive like one . I do not have to have super / performance pads / shoes . In 50 years , I could probably count the number of pairs of rotors / drums I have purchased .
Click to expand...

I'm no there yet but God Bless ya old man.
 
I put the OEX pads on my wife's Expedition. So far they've squeaked the least out of several different sets I've had on there including Napa semi-metalics, Orielly house brand semi-metalics, and Wagner Thermosqueals. I've had a few squeals but not a lot.
 
Last edited:
I have had good luck with Autozone duralast gold max on two of my cars. They are low noise and seem to have good breaking power. I have used them for several mountain road runs and have yet to experience any brake fade or other characteristics causing me to worry about braking safety or cause me to slow down. My last set lasted around 50k miles with no noise. They were free to replace.
 
BISCUT said:
I'm no there yet but God Bless ya old man.
Click to expand...


Thank God I do not live in the rust / salt belt !

I watch Eric O.'s videos on his South Main Auto channel on youtube .

He lives in up state NY and you should see some of the rust buckets he works on ! And , yes , he does lots of brake jobs .

You NY'ers have my sympathy ! :-(
 
meborder said:
I’ve got a 2014 Expedition with the most terribly squeaky brakes I’ve ever heard. It is truly horrible.

Bought it a year ago and they looked to be brand new when purchased. I’m assuming that the dealership put on new pads and rotors just before selling it since everything looked new when I bought it. But they have been squeaky since day one. They stop well and don’t dust, even are a shimmed pad, but the noise is terrible and even a bit embarrassing.

normally I get the Wearever Platinum from Advance. I’ve used them for years and have always been happy with them. But I thought I would reach out to see what else might be good, particularly anything available from rock auto.

I need ones that are quiet, don’t dust, and can handle the heat that comes with towing. I tow more often than the average bear up to 7,500 lbs so they can’t fade under stress. For all of these reasons I’m inclined to stick with a ceramic pad since I’ve had the best luck overall with ceramics in the past


I’m perfectly happy to go with the whatever platinum again, but I’m open to suggestions as well.

thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Pull the pads and lube the pins with silicone grease or Sil-Glide, put some CRC on the shim then put them back in. It is not usually used on pads with shims but it works fine, in the rust belt we use it all the time to muzzle noisy pads.
I suspect the mechanic tried to "bed" in the pads and probably caused this, this is also common.

Amazon.com: CRC 05016 Disc Brake Quiet - 4 Fl Oz.: Automotive

Buy CRC 05016 Disc Brake Quiet - 4 Fl Oz.: Brake Pads - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com
 
" I need ones that are quiet, don’t dust, and can handle the heat that comes with towing. I tow more often than the average bear up to 7,500 lbs so they can’t fade under stress. For all of these reasons I’m inclined to stick with a ceramic pad since I’ve had the best luck overall with ceramics in the past"

I tow with a Suburban usually heavy as well.

I would stick with the two heavy hitters - Raybestos EHT and Wagner Thermoquiet. The Element 3 (EHT) if you are used to OEM brakes are instantly noticeable. All business when it comes to braking. Never heard a squeak or a complaint.

I do believe that Thermoquiets will do the same. I came upon an open box set on Ebay for $12 and they are on the shelf.. couldnt pass them up. They are next in line.
 
Trav said:
Pull the pads and lube the pins with silicone grease or Sil-Glide, put some CRC on the shim then put them back in. It is not usually used on pads with shims but it works fine, in the rust belt we use it all the time to muzzle noisy pads.
I suspect the mechanic tried to "bed" in the pads and probably caused this, this is also common.

Amazon.com: CRC 05016 Disc Brake Quiet - 4 Fl Oz.: Automotive

Buy CRC 05016 Disc Brake Quiet - 4 Fl Oz.: Brake Pads - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com
Click to expand...
What Trav said. Brake squeal usually comes not from the friction surface but from the hardware and back of the pad vibrating at a high frequency. Spray the back of the pads with the CRC brake quiet and lube the pins before buying new pads. While in there you might want to rough up the rotor surface with sandpaper to knock any glaze off of the rotor.
 
Trav has some good advice to try and salvage what you've got. No reason not to try ayways...

After that, I've bee very happy with the Wagner OEX pads when I've used them...
 
Purchase the Bendix Premium brakes pads from Rock Auto under Daily Driver or I think you can buy them on Amazon. They have been excellent brake pads quiet and wearing nicely. Bendix is a big name in the heavy duty truck industry and I have had nothing but good luck with those parts, so I figured I would give there light duty brake parts a try and I'm glad I did.
 
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