Do Aftermarket Brake Pads Really Meet OE specs?

[mechtech2]

Longest possible life is not the main consideration for me with brake pads.
How they grab [rated on the side of the pad] is #1.
Dust and noise are concerns, also.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Trav
Frank you could always get some severe service pads.They will last as long as OEM.They are made for commercial vehicles like Police cars and ambulances.
MA State Police garages use them to service the cars.
Look up a late model Police interceptor on Rock and check the brakes,they can usually be had for SUV,vans,and other cars.


Thanks Buddy! I always went with the premium offerings which never lasted as long as OEM. I'll have to look into your suggestion next time I need brakes.

 

[stenerson]

I bought the loaded calipers with lifetime warranty at autozone.
I replace them every three years for free. That's on wife's
caravan. They're easy to replace. Instead of replacing pads I
just replace the whole enchalada.

 

[SteveSRT8]

we've had excellent results in the aftermarket, but we generally buy the premium products.

Currently running a bunch of different platforms on NAPA adaptive pads, they are excellent, but a bit dusty. Even our 9,500 pound vans stop very nicely in all conditions.

I just got a set of Wagner Thermo Quiets for my friends Silverado on sale at AAP. I expect them to be excellent also.

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: article
FMVSS 135 is the current standard and applies to 2000 and newer cars, and 2002 and up light trucks. Compared to the previous FMVSS 105 standard, FMVSS 135 requires roughly a 25 percent reduction in pedal effort for the same stopping distance.

FMVSS 135 says vehicles less than 10,000 lbs. (except motorcycles) must be capable of stopping within 230 feet from 62 mph with cold brakes (under 212 degrees) and with no more pedal effort than 368 ft. lbs.


Hard to believe that was updated in 2000! Car and Driver's worst performer in the 70-0 braking test in 2010 was the 3/4-ton Dodge Ram Megacab, at 209 feet. That translates to about a 150 foot stop from 62 mph. My car did 60-0 in 110 feet and 70-0 in 160 feet when it was tested in 2004, about twenty feet shorter on the 70-0 distance than a typical economy car. Tires are a huge factor though.

How would one determine pedal effort in the form of torque, anyway? Must be an error.

Originally Posted By: article
To make sure the brakes meet their engineering criteria as well as customer NVH and performance expectations, the OEMs do extensive validation testing before a vehicle ever hits the showroom floor.


I wish Mazda had done some NVH testing on my OE brakes before sending it out!

I do think that brakes are a bad place to save money by using no-name parts. Not as bad as steering components or tires though.

 

[nthach]

I've been real happy with my Axxis/PBR Metal Masters and Deluxe pads on a Lexus - they are close to OEM as far as noise and "feel" goes but the semi-metallic pads are a little chatty. OTOH, I have Wagner ThermoQuiets on the family beater van and they are NOISY and GRABBY cold but are great once they warm up after a few stops. I never had luck with Raybestos. Bendix pads are adequate, I have their CQ pads up in the back.

 

[Dan55]

+1 on the MetalMasters

 

[dave1251]

On my trucks I have never had a OEM pad that last longer than 20K. But mostly the trucks get the nice SoCal traffic treatment, also with towing 7,500 pounds thru mountians, trips to lake tahoe, trips to the desert for off-roading, bed full of camping supplies, tables, beds, rocks, pet supplies, and hauling around a family of five. To top it off my wife drives it half of the time and she likes riding the brakes and of course she grow up in Mexico and has lived in SoCal for the last 8 years. So she has no concept of a gradual stop you can see why brake pads can not last more than 20K on my truck. After market pads I have not had the same problem but it is not much differnt 25-30K for pads on NAPA or AutoZone aftermarket pads. But for 60 bucks for a set of pads I can not complain because my trucks perform under some taxing service. My front shocks are almost always done at 30K also.

 

[Whimsey]

For my 1996 Contour my OEM pads lasted 45,000 miles. I replaced the OEM pads with the more expensive OEM pads versus the Motorcraft dealer replacement pads. I have to check them to see if they need replacement soon, I have 90,000 on the car now. I kept the factory rotors and did not turn them. They still stop fine without any vibration.

Whimsey

 

[Tornado Red]

Originally Posted By: hisilver
I also am a fan of the Akebono ceramics. Just replaced them on a Silverado and they dust very little and stop maybe a touch better than OE.


I have had great luck with the Akebono ceramics, though they need to be warmed up a bit for best stopping power.

I have heard that NAPA's premium ceramic pads are made by Akebono, but I cannot confirm this.

 

[Islandvic]

i am going to do a brake job on my 2005 Suburban Z-71 with 88k miles.

I have narrowed pad choice to AC Delco Ceramic vs Akebono ProAct Ceramic...

Your thoughts..

 

[SteveSRT8]

the factory replacements are rarely the exact pad installed on your truck when produced.

It's pretty hard to beat the factory at their own game.

But beware the term 'ceramic', it's no guarantee of satisfaction. It has been turned into a marketing hype buzzword.

 

[NHHEMI]

This is a general response and not to anyone in particular...

I am sorry but in my experience as a car owner and auto field worker selling this stuff( parts and service )OE brakes are some of the worst. I would not in anyway call them the standard you want to compare to if you want to offer the consumer a quality product. More like minimum standards not to kill you or get a car through warranty like most OE parts.

My family and I have had trucks, cars, mini-vans, and suv's from GM, Dodge, Ford's, Mitsubishi, Honda, VW, and even Toyota and the OE brakes on all of them left a lot to be desired. The worst for me personally would be the Toyota( Tacoma )and then a couple Dodge Ram's( 97 and 2001 ). I personally have never seen more than 25K from OE brakes and I drive like an old man.

I have had much better performance and life out of quality aftermarket brake parts. Certainly if you go into the local AutoZone and buy the cheapest value line of brakes they offer you are going to be getting pretty poor quality. They will have marginal performance and life plus tons of dust. That doesn't mean OE brakes are the standard we should look for though.

I can get premium braks such as EBC and Hawk for less than OE and they are leaps and bounds better. The rotors are of a better composition plus they usually come drilled and/or slotted which improves cooling which leads to longer life and improved performance. The brake pads will also have a better composition so they will grab better, last longer, and produce far less brake dust. A no brainer to me. When it comes to brakes( and most OE parts for me )aftermarket is the only way to go with a few exceptions.

OE brake parts are "ok" but hardly "the standard to compare to" IMO. I don't go out and buy the cheapest thing I can find as I know that will be worse. I certainly can go to the aftermarket and buy a product that will outperform OE brakes for less money however.

 

[JustinH]

At least with my 03 saturn ion, the OEM pads were at least 50 percent at 60k miles.

I replaced them because the rotors were rotten with rust. This brake setup would have lasted 70-80k no problem.

The aftermarket ceramic pads aren't going to last that long, nor are the rotors.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
the factory replacements are rarely the exact pad installed on your truck when produced.

It's pretty hard to beat the factory at their own game.

But beware the term 'ceramic', it's no guarantee of satisfaction. It has been turned into a marketing hype buzzword.


+1