What brakes do you guys use?

[97prizm]

I run a small mobile mechanic business and I’m just wondering what brakes are used here. I mainly use Raybestos RLine and their Element3 line. Ive used some store brands and centric rotors aswell. On rock auto there is alot of options for let’s say a 2016 Town and Country. I see people mention Wagner, Bosch, and Dynamic Friction a lot. What brakes do you guys recommend that have little to no noise and good stopping power for a 2016 Town and Country.

At least on my neon the Wagoner quiet stops (I think) were coated and a little heavier duty.

 

[97prizm]

I used Elements 3 on at least a dozen cars years ago and they proved to be a good pad and rotor combination, today they are the lowest crap you can buy. I am thinking with First brands going belly up if they didn't cheapen the product to increase profits in an attempt to the wolves at the door away. The only thing it did was ruin the companies reputation.
For Japanese I just buy OE (I paid $15 more for Suby OE than Akebono) and Euro by a large margin Zimmerman and ATE. with aftermarket quality going down quicker than a hooch hound on a bender I cant be bothered messing with that.

Baer and DBA seem to be a great aftermarket choice.

 

[PontiacHO]

Since I’m an old curmudgeon, I had the bright idea to order Delco pads (Rock Auto) for my 2017 GMC Sierra. What a stupid mistake that turned out to be. They dust up my wheels like the old Autozone pads. I wonder if they were counterfeit junk in a Delco box.
Akebono from now on…

 

[Fattylocks]

Last set of pads I bought were Motorcraft with the blue paint.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Anybody here use Pagid Silver pads? I'm running Elements 3's right now but want to move to something else next time I do brakes since they seem to have gone downhill.

I ran Akebono ProACTs before the Raybestos and didn't like them. They lasted fine and were quiet, but they had very low initial bite and little pedal feel. I'm looking for something with good bite but low dust, which I know is difficult.

Pagid Silver is worth trying

Since I’m an old curmudgeon, I had the bright idea to order Delco pads (Rock Auto) for my 2017 GMC Sierra. What a stupid mistake that turned out to be. They dust up my wheels like the old Autozone pads. I wonder if they were counterfeit junk in a Delco box.
Akebono from now on…

AC Delco has a few different lines

There's actual OE, labeled GM Original Equipment or GM Genuine

Then there's AC Delco Gold (formerly Professional), reboxed mid-grade aftermarket parts. For brakes, they're Raybestos, and Raybestos has been declining in quality (see the First Brands bankruptcy)

They also have an even lower line called Silver (formerly Advantage), which is white box scrap

 

[50yr Street Mech]

Use to run Wagner Thermoquiet's. Low dust, wore out too fast. Running Advics now. Dirtier, but last longer and better braking.

 

[TomYoung]

Just a few friendly suggestions from a Shop owner and mechanic:

1. Lose the Raybestos Element 3's - they used to be my go to pads - loved them but now they are awful. Poor fitment and worst yet poor pad material. I have already seen failures on several cars I did in the past that I good will warrantied they were so bad - my personal vehicles as well experienced cracking pads, pad material coming loose, glazing and noise. I actually would not risk any Raybestos brake parts at this point. There have been several others discuss the lack of quality as well here on BITOG.

2. Get yourself a commercial account at Autozone and go ProVantage(or your choice but my opinion and experience proved AZ to be the best) and use their GOLD series brake parts. They run specials all the time where you can increase your profits. The run brake specials were you get 2 Gold rotors and Gold pads for $149 or less. That means you can make good money on the mark up. The best reason is the warranty they provide - any issues and they pay your labor.

3, Stop all mail order parts unless absolutely necessary. I mean this 100%. When you fix a car and have to warranty a part - you have to wait and go thru hassles on line and the customer is never happy about waiting. You get your parts local from AZ or where ever and you can replace that part same day and retain a customer.

With that all being said - I have been using AZ gold series pads and rotors and have been extremely happy and have zero comebacks....but still get haunted from the element 3's I did way before switching to AZ brakes in Jan of last year.

Pretty sure the autozone brand is Duralast, and they are very good parts believe it or not.

 

[Selmorides]

Powerstop ceramic with coated rotors.

 

[Andyd95]

Honestly back to using a lot of dealer pads again, every car this week got dealer pads except for one Toyota that received Advics. Never regret getting dealer pads.
As far as rotors a mix of dealer, textar, and akebono.

 

[Nyati]

I run a small mobile mechanic business and I’m just wondering what brakes are used here. I mainly use Raybestos RLine and their Element3 line. Ive used some store brands and centric rotors aswell. On rock auto there is alot of options for let’s say a 2016 Town and Country. I see people mention Wagner, Bosch, and Dynamic Friction a lot. What brakes do you guys recommend that have little to no noise and good stopping power for a 2016 Town and Country.

factory Porsche Carbon Ceramics

 

[The Critic]

Honestly back to using a lot of dealer pads again, every car this week got dealer pads except for one Toyota that received Advics. Never regret getting dealer pads.
As far as rotors a mix of dealer, textar, and akebono.

Same. Far fewer issues with dealer pads.

 

[iCurious]

Same. Far fewer issues with dealer pads.

Not sure if it's my luck with Toyota OE Pads/Rotors but I always have noise problems after 20k miles of usage.

 

[The Critic]

Not sure if it's my luck with Toyota OE Pads/Rotors but I always have noise problems after 20k miles of usage.

Any pad can get noisy once the chamfers have worn off.

 

[97prizm]

Since I’m an old curmudgeon, I had the bright idea to order Delco pads (Rock Auto) for my 2017 GMC Sierra. What a stupid mistake that turned out to be. They dust up my wheels like the old Autozone pads. I wonder if they were counterfeit junk in a Delco box.
Akebono from now on…

I think I replaced mine with Duralast after lubing the slides on the caliper. Dust is very minimal.

 

[97prizm]

View attachment 304144
factory Porsche Carbon Ceramics

Porsche also offers a mid level brake package with white calipers. The rotors are tungsten carbide, which is very hard and durable. It took a custom engineered brake pad to work with it.

 

[Andyd95]

Same. Far fewer issues with dealer pads.

In a perfect world dealer
Belts (Mitsuboshi and Bando stuff fairly good though)
Hoses
Gaskets
Brake pads

And yes there are exceptions and can’t always make this happen

 

[D1dad]

I was all in on ebc but after a few fitment issues and the non stop dusting, regardless of what line used, I’m done with them. The stopping powers is second to none, but the center slots on every pad used fills up with their break in coating and needs chiseled out. Kind of defeats the purpose of the slot. One car still has oem, only 17k on it. Another has thermo quiets, which are fine but the rears came with 30% less material. For most cars that’s not an issue, but it is for sure on Nissans under sized pads. My 3rd car has advics and although I lost a tad bit of stopping power, they’re fantastic. No dust and plenty of bite with a little more pedal. The adbics on are on my 18 rogue which is famous for pad knock and the advics are spot on in fitment.

 

[nthach]

I’m breaking my no-parts store pad rule again. I might need to replace rear pads on a 17 Prius. Using Duralast Gold for that. Yes, I know, Toyota pads or Akebono/Advics. The car is used as a cab and will see the brutal streets of San Francisco, so it will be using the service brakes a bit more than regen at lower speeds. Fronts look fine, but like the RXh, I noticed the rears are going sooner. A friend’s Subaru does the same.

 

[Elroy the Brave]

I’m breaking my no-parts store pad rule again. I might need to replace rear pads on a 17 Prius. Using Duralast Gold for that. Yes, I know, Toyota pads or Akebono/Advics. The car is used as a cab and will see the brutal streets of San Francisco, so it will be using the service brakes a bit more than regen at lower speeds. Fronts look fine, but like the RXh, I noticed the rears are going sooner. A friend’s Subaru does the same.

If you are using the Prius as a taxi cab, then I agree that it makes total sense to use the lifetime warranty Duralast Gold pads from autozone

 

[nthach]

If you are using the Prius as a taxi cab, then I agree that it makes total sense to use the lifetime warranty Duralast Gold pads from autozone

Yea. I’ll use Toyota/Subaru OEM(not TCMC) or Akebono/Bosch pads for the family fleet or friends. Though, I’ve been impressed with the Duralast Elite(Bosch made) on the Sienna. My complaint is that they’re a bit noisy when cold. Oddly enough, the price wasn’t terrible($45, O’Rielly wanted $70 for BrakeBest or ImportDirect), cheaper on Rock or Amazon but AZ is 10 minutes away.

These pads(DG1423) are made in China by Baofeng Brake. They claim to supply BYD and I would assume the Chinese JVs for GM/Honda/VW, Geely and Tesla Shanghai. I was expecting to get Indian pads(MAT Roulunds India) - since I usually see Made in India on the labels of Duralast Gold/BrakeBest Select/Carquest Blue or Platinum. The only other Chinese pads I’ve used were WorldSource One(Worldpac house brand) and DFC 5000 series.