OEM pads and rotors vs Akebono legit question

[JeffKeryk]

Remember, when a vehicle is new, everything is as good as it is ever gonna be. The 1st set of brakes have the best shot at long life.
Having said that, Akebono, Raybestos, OE Honda parts should serve you well.

 

[rcs]

If someone else is doing these for you - how do you know its time for brake pads? Have you pulled a wheel and looked for yourself, or is someone telling you.

If your wearing them out in 30K and your not an aggressive driver then perhaps the caliper pins are rusty and there sticking - or maybe a caliper itself.

I don't like brake shops as there always trying to sell something you don't need, but I don't like the dealer either because you end up with the lowest man on the totem or the one that gets the job is PO's that he has been told to change brakes. However if I was going to the dealer I would simply let them use OEM likely?

If you have a indy you trust, I would likely go that way. Let them know there wearing out in 30K and you don't know why - its not your driving. The risk however is they fire the parts cannon at it and your into it for a couple grand for brakes.

Good luck!

So a little back story. I had Akebono's on there after the OEM ones. Akebono's were put on 2019. This summer I noticed a metallic rattle that my regular mechanic said was non-existent. I took it to another shop and they did a drive with me. They said the pads were loose in the clips and the pads were not fitting in the clips. The pads did not necessarily have alot of wear on them but they suggested a change to Wagener's that would fit properly. I was distraught with the noise it stressed me out thinking if I needed to stop in an emergency, my pads/brakes would fail. So I had them put on the Wagener pads, but the rotor's were still good, although there is some rust on the "hats". I guess I did not do a good enough job bedding the new pads into the rotor's so now I have the dreaded rubbing thumping when I am applying the brakes. I just want it all new and changed out so I can start over fresh. I know it is an added expense, but to me it is worth it.
The brake shop I would use is a friend of a friend, who is pretty honest. The dealership there is one particular mechanic/tech that the service writers use, he is the one that I request also. He has not let me down or ever requested something that was not needed, so I feel comfortable with him.
Thanks for your time and suggestions

 

[rcs]

Remember, when a vehicle is new, everything is as good as it is ever gonna be. The 1st set of brakes have the best shot at long life.
Having said that, Akebono, Raybestos, OE Honda parts should serve you well.

thank you! very true I did not think about that!

 

[Luftmasse]

I would say, prepping is more important.

If caliper pins are lubricated and pads are not stuck, I would then blame the pads.

 

[rcs]

I would say, prepping is more important.

If caliper pins are lubricated and pads are not stuck, I would then blame the pads.

Agree yes prep is everything!

 

[doitmyself]

My Jeep Patriot had OEM Akebono front brake pads. The aftermarket Akebono ProAct pads are completely different. Maybe a lesson to be learned here.
OEM Akebono: ...................vs...................Aftermarket Akebono:

The internet is an evil place for those of us prone to analysis paralysis. Internet amplification runs rampant. A half dozen bad reviews can spoil a product with 100 positive reviews. I was just going to say that the Raybestos EHT3 pads tend to get generally consistent good reviews here, but then saw this current thread: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/raybestos-eht3-pads.361173/ ...............oh well. Moral of the story: it's next to impossible to comparison shop for brake pads on the internet.

I am very pleased with the EBC Ultimax2 pads (OEM level, but GG) and plain coated rotors with 3 years of use. They have a slightly improved "bite" I was looking for and good wear. I bought them before cost went bonkers.

 

[rcs]

My Jeep Patriot had OEM Akebono front brake pads. The aftermarket Akebono ProAct pads are completely different. Maybe a lesson to be learned here.
OEM Akebono: ...................vs...................Aftermarket Akebono:
View attachment 123953View attachment 123954

The internet is an evil place for those of us prone to analysis paralysis. Internet amplification runs rampant. A half dozen bad reviews can spoil a product with 100 positive reviews. I was just going to say that the Raybestos EHT3 pads tend to get generally consistent good reviews here, but then saw this current thread: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/raybestos-eht3-pads.361173/ ...............oh well. Moral of the story: it's next to impossible to comparison shop for brake pads on the internet.

I am very pleased with the EBC Ultimax2 pads (OEM level, but GG) and plain coated rotors with 3 years of use. They have a slightly improved "bite" I was looking for and good wear. I bought them before cost went bonkers.

I am so grateful for the comparison pictures, that is what I needed to see. Thanks so much for that and for your response it really does help with my decision process.

 

[t1snwrbrdr12]

Thanks SC for your reply. I agree 30,000 miles is pretty low mileage for pads and rotors. It is amazing to me when I read that folks got 60,000 miles on their pads and rotors. I am not a panic stop driver,...think of me as a church lady LOL. I go to work, grocery store, church and home. I will always purchase top of the line in everything, buy once cry once is my moto
I did purchase Dynamic Friction pads and rotors Geomet 5,000 from Rock Auto with the appropriate hardware. I am just on the fence about those, since I have had read some mixed reviews about them. I will not be doing this job myself. As I mentioned I am either going to the dealership or independent shop.

I got dynamic friction recently on my Mazda due to some Mazda group swearing by them. I am not impressed at all. First set they gave me were the “improved performance” ones, whatever they called those. I complained to them (I ordered through them directly w/ a sales rep to use some Mazda group discount). I explained all I wanted was a quiet clean ceramic pad and he gave me some performance pad that squeaked and made tons of dust. They pretty simply replaced them with their oem line. Soon after their “geomet” rotors started pulsating (i live in a bad traffic area, but my oem rotors went about 20k miles before I developed any pulsation. Dynamic frictions only made it about 3k miles). Their “geomet” coating is junk too.

 

[rcs]

I got dynamic friction recently on my Mazda due to some Mazda group swearing by them. I am not impressed at all. First set they gave me were the “improved performance” ones, whatever they called those. I complained to them (I ordered through them directly w/ a sales rep to use some Mazda group discount). I explained all I wanted was a quiet clean ceramic pad and he gave me some performance pad that squeaked and made tons of dust. They pretty simply replaced them with their oem line. Soon after their “geomet” rotors started pulsating (i live in a bad traffic area, but my oem rotors went about 20k miles before I developed any pulsation. Dynamic frictions only made it about 3k miles). Their “geomet” coating is junk too.

Oh wow t1!!! Thank you , thank you for that honest real life experience!!! Now I know for sure I am sending them back to Rock Auto! I received the delivery Saturday opened the boxes and just looked at the pads. They did not seem to be beefy at all. I really needed to hear this! I purchased the Geomet 5,000 rotors and pads. You are a life saver, I was going to put them on anyway since I had already purchased them and was going to see how they did through the winter here in Michigan. Being in Maryland I am sure you have snow and ice also. Excellent thanks again, you saved me time and money for not putting them on. Everyone has different experiences, it is so hard to judge with internet reviews, especially if someone is using them in a non-snowbelt area compared to an area with no snow, I would bet they perform differently. That squeaking would drive me crazy. Have a great day!

 

[KrisZ]

I got dynamic friction recently on my Mazda due to some Mazda group swearing by them.

I would avoid their advice with anything regarding maintenance or parts or repairs. If you’re into “modding” though, that’s your place.

They are run by sponsors and push anything their sponsors tell them to and put down everything else. Years ago I was shouted down for recommending Duralast Gold pads, which I personally had good experience with on my old Mazda 3. At that time they pushed heavily EBC stuff. Seems like nothing has changed, just the brands they push.

 

[RooflessVW]

Try Brembo pads and rotors. www.brembostoreusa.com/shop/ Brembo make some of the best brakes in the world.

Their aftermarket stuff is pretty standard quality.

 

[rcs]

I would avoid their advice with anything regarding maintenance or parts or repairs. If you’re into “modding” though, that’s your place.

They are run by sponsors and push anything their sponsors tell them to and put down everything else. Years ago I was shouted down for recommending Duralast Gold pads, which I personally had good experience with on my old Mazda 3. At that time they pushed heavily EBC stuff. Seems like nothing has changed, just the brands they push.

Good to know Kris. Still appreciate t1's advice on the Dynamic pads and rotors

 

[doitmyself]

Thank you , thank you for that honest real life experience!!! Now I know for sure I am sending them back to Rock Auto! I received the delivery Saturday opened the boxes and just looked at the pads. They did not seem to be beefy at all. I really needed to hear this!

So, now what? You can peruse this and other sites (like I do) and narrow down your brand choices to 2 or 3. At that point, I usually invoke confirmation bias to overcome my analysis paralysis. What else can one do without solid data?

I Googled "Best Honda Pilot brake pads" and visited a Pilot forum with mixed results (10 people, 10 opinions). BITOG is excellent in that you get a variety of perspectives. Here, all brands (even Akebono) get mixed reviews (good/bad, little consensus). When I did my Patriot front brakes 3 years ago, I narrowed my biased choices to EBC Ultramax2/plain coated rotors or EHT3 pads/rotors.

My short EBC review at 3 years/26,000 miles: Light dusting, very good wear (pads/rotors). Excellent performance, slightly better "bite/grip" vs. the excellent but somewhat "soft" OEMs. I would buy them again. The rotor hat coating is still present. The edge and vane coating is gone and rusting, but better vs. my aftermarket uncoated experiences. EBC pads are U.K. made. COO of rotors is questioned. 3 years ago EHT3 pads/rotors had generally good reviews here (China made slightly bothers me).

I apply a paper thin coating of anti rust lube to my hubs/rotor hats (helps immensely).

 

[willbur]

Hi Guys, I am in a bit of a quandary. Analysis paralysis so to speak. When I purchased my 2015 Honda Pilot, the brakes and rotors lasted approximately 30,000 miles or so. I do only city driving. My second set were Akebono's pads and rotors. For some reason at the 3 year mark the pads became loose in the clips,...it could have been installation error. That aside....

BUT here is my question,...if OEM Honda pads and rotors are "crap" (this is what I have read, not my opinion) and I have also read that Akebono makes
the pads and rotors for Honda, then why are Akebono aftermarket better than OEM???
Please don't take this as a controversial statement. I am not trying to cause an argument here.. I am just a gal trying to make an informed decision, as to whether I have the dealership put on OEM or go to an independent shop and have them put on Akebono pads and rotors.
I can have the dealership put on the Akebono pads, but you cannot purchase the rotor's. They are made by WorldPac for Akebono (this is what Akebono told me when I called them) and only professional shops can purchase them.
Thanks in advance for your time and expertise in answering my question.

In my experience/opinion, the performance "ceramic"Akebono pads were poor. Left uneven pad deposits on the rotors, leading to pulsing/vibration, and faded under heavy braking. But, they were smooth( before pad deposits), quiet, clean, and lasted a long time. Get something else if you want strong braking. Lots of ppl here love them ,though

 

[rcs]

So, now what? You can peruse this and other sites (like I do) and narrow down your brand choices to 2 or 3. At that point, I usually invoke confirmation bias to overcome my analysis paralysis. What else can one do without solid data?

I Googled "Best Honda Pilot brake pads" and visited a Pilot forum with mixed results (10 people, 10 opinions). BITOG is excellent in that you get a variety of perspectives. Here, all brands (even Akebono) get mixed reviews (good/bad, little consensus). When I did my Patriot front brakes 3 years ago, I narrowed my biased choices to EBC Ultramax2/plain coated rotors or EHT3 pads/rotors.

My short EBC review at 3 years/26,000 miles: Light dusting, very good wear (pads/rotors). Excellent performance, slightly better "bite/grip" vs. the excellent but somewhat "soft" OEMs. I would buy them again. The rotor hat coating is still present. The edge and vane coating is gone and rusting, but better vs. my aftermarket uncoated experiences. EBC pads are U.K. made. COO of rotors is questioned. 3 years ago EHT3 pads/rotors had generally good reviews here (China made slightly bothers me).

I apply a paper thin coating of anti rust lube to my hubs/rotor hats (helps immensely).

That is why I love this site because of the folks with such diverse backgrounds, you are all wonderful and really help with the whole picture.
I have read good reviews of the EBC as well. I like that the rotor hat coating is still present because the hat on my rotor's is mildly rusted.
Which EBC ones do you have the, black, green or yellow?
I agree that some folks state the OEM Honda pads are soft compared to others. I do like a pad with a good "bite". So I will look further into these again vs Akebono vs OEM Honda.

 

[rcs]

In my experience/opinion, the performance "ceramic"Akebono pads were poor. Left uneven pad deposits on the rotors, leading to pulsing/vibration, and faded under heavy braking. But, they were smooth( before pad deposits), quiet, clean, and lasted a long time. Get something else if you want strong braking. Lots of ppl here love them ,though

Very true and agree Wilbur, they did leave pad deposits over time and made the rotors pulsate.

BUT doesn't this happen with every brake pad over time that it leaves deposits? And then the rotor pulsation begins?

 

[rcs]

My Jeep Patriot had OEM Akebono front brake pads. The aftermarket Akebono ProAct pads are completely different. Maybe a lesson to be learned here.
OEM Akebono: ...................vs...................Aftermarket Akebono:
View attachment 123953View attachment 123954

The internet is an evil place for those of us prone to analysis paralysis. Internet amplification runs rampant. A half dozen bad reviews can spoil a product with 100 positive reviews. I was just going to say that the Raybestos EHT3 pads tend to get generally consistent good reviews here, but then saw this current thread: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/raybestos-eht3-pads.361173/ ...............oh well. Moral of the story: it's next to impossible to comparison shop for brake pads on the internet.

I am very pleased with the EBC Ultimax2 pads (OEM level, but GG) and plain coated rotors with 3 years of use. They have a slightly improved "bite" I was looking for and good wear. I bought them before cost went bonkers.

I just checked those out and the EBC Ultimate2 they don't make for my year Pilot 2015, but thanks anyway, especially for the pictures

 

[tyman]

Remember, when a vehicle is new, everything is as good as it is ever gonna be.

That is definitely not true. There are a LOT of aftermarket parts that one can put on a vehicle that are better than OEM parts or factory stock parts.

 

[rcs]

That is definitely not true. There are a LOT of aftermarket parts that one can put on a vehicle that are better than OEM parts or factory stock parts.

That is good to know tyman,..can you expand on that for me and give me your opinion on OE Honda pads and rotors vs------your thoughts on an aftermarket better ones?? I am not debating here,...I am genuinely wanting to know before I make a final decision. thanks in advance

 

[benjy]

manufacturers CAN spec whatever quality THEY want for parts from OTHERS!!! read where OE tyres some had LESS thread than the same brand + style that aftermarket sold!! quality control varies a LOT these days especially on lower cost-profit items IMO!!