Best brake pad material
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 4,284
Likes: 1
From: Whitehall Pa.
Ceramics are good but they do wear the rotors faster (but no dust). I like them on my SUV they will go up to 70k miles for me. But there are other pads that are easier on the dust that are cheaper and not as aggressive. But then again if it's a weekend cruiser the ceramics and rotors could last you a very long time.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
Likes: 487
From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
What are you looking for in brakes? Daily driver? Weekend autocrossing? Track Days??
Ceramics will do a great job for a daily driver and won't leave much of anything in the way of dust. OEM pads are a semi-metallic compound and will not dust a lot.
There are some aftermarket semi-metallic pads that will be an improvement over stock but leave just a little more dust. The Hawk HPS is one example. Good street performance and even work for autocross.
Then there are some semi-metallic pads that work well for high performance driving and will generate a fair amount of dust. The Hawk HP+ is an example; they will be OK for street use but squeal when cold and during track days will generate tons of dust.
Ceramics will do a great job for a daily driver and won't leave much of anything in the way of dust. OEM pads are a semi-metallic compound and will not dust a lot.
There are some aftermarket semi-metallic pads that will be an improvement over stock but leave just a little more dust. The Hawk HPS is one example. Good street performance and even work for autocross.
Then there are some semi-metallic pads that work well for high performance driving and will generate a fair amount of dust. The Hawk HP+ is an example; they will be OK for street use but squeal when cold and during track days will generate tons of dust.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,082
Likes: 50
From: Palmdale CA
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
I bought brake pads at discount auto parts.
I got the Premium ones which were 60, but returned them upon learning I needed that money for other things. So I bought WEAREVER Gold for the front and WEAREVER Silver for the rear.
Anyone know how much ugly dust is gonna stay on my rims and wheels? Also are they good, or should I return them and buy a better brand or something. Haven't installed them yet.
I got the Premium ones which were 60, but returned them upon learning I needed that money for other things. So I bought WEAREVER Gold for the front and WEAREVER Silver for the rear.
Anyone know how much ugly dust is gonna stay on my rims and wheels? Also are they good, or should I return them and buy a better brand or something. Haven't installed them yet.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 6,381
Likes: 66
From: SF bay area C.A.
C4 of the Year Finalist
What are you looking for in brakes? Daily driver? Weekend autocrossing? Track Days??
Ceramics will do a great job for a daily driver and won't leave much of anything in the way of dust. OEM pads are a semi-metallic compound and will not dust a lot.
There are some aftermarket semi-metallic pads that will be an improvement over stock but leave just a little more dust. The Hawk HPS is one example. Good street performance and even work for autocross.
Then there are some semi-metallic pads that work well for high performance driving and will generate a fair amount of dust. The Hawk HP+ is an example; they will be OK for street use but squeal when cold and during track days will generate tons of dust.
Ceramics will do a great job for a daily driver and won't leave much of anything in the way of dust. OEM pads are a semi-metallic compound and will not dust a lot.
There are some aftermarket semi-metallic pads that will be an improvement over stock but leave just a little more dust. The Hawk HPS is one example. Good street performance and even work for autocross.
Then there are some semi-metallic pads that work well for high performance driving and will generate a fair amount of dust. The Hawk HP+ is an example; they will be OK for street use but squeal when cold and during track days will generate tons of dust.
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Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,759
Likes: 8
I bought brake pads at discount auto parts.
I got the Premium ones which were 60, but returned them upon learning I needed that money for other things. So I bought WEAREVER Gold for the front and WEAREVER Silver for the rear.
Anyone know how much ugly dust is gonna stay on my rims and wheels? Also are they good, or should I return them and buy a better brand or something. Haven't installed them yet.
I got the Premium ones which were 60, but returned them upon learning I needed that money for other things. So I bought WEAREVER Gold for the front and WEAREVER Silver for the rear.
Anyone know how much ugly dust is gonna stay on my rims and wheels? Also are they good, or should I return them and buy a better brand or something. Haven't installed them yet.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,759
Likes: 8
Have you noticed if the pads leave alot of brake dust on the wheels?
I'm thinking either the Wearever Gold brake pads. Or taking a chance on a cheap set of 30 day warranty on Wagner Thermoquiet pads.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,759
Likes: 8
If you have air in the system, you really need to pressure or some do a vacuum bleeder setup. If you don't have that stuff, then you probably need to just take it to a shop and let them bleed/flush the system.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,478
Likes: 4
From: Formerly from the Great White North but now residing in the Desert Southwest NM (The Land of Dis-Enchantment?)
Im using the Carbotech Bobcats for Street/autocross and like them a lot. Use to use Hawk HP+ but a lot of dust and weren't great cold.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 12,742
Likes: 43
From: Color my life with the chaos of trouble.
Like others have said... depends on what you want to use them for. If you AutoX, why not have a set of pads for that and a set of ceramics for the rest of time on the street? It takes about 15 minutes to change brake pads on one of these things.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,759
Likes: 8
I just drive mine around town. Debating between discounted 30 day warranty Wagner Thermoquiet, or limited lifetime Wearever Gold pads from Advance.
I'd be willing to say it takes longer than 15 minutes. It would probably take me that long to get everything out, jack it up and get one wheel off.
By the way, do the pins need to get lubed? I know on my Firebird, the calipers float and the guide pins and sleeve need lubed. Not sure if the Vette calipers are set up the same. I looked up replacement pin sets as I read it recommended to replace the pins when you do pads, but I didn't find much at Autozone.com
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,759
Likes: 8
I think I'm leaning towards those Wearever Semi-Metallic Gold brake pads. They have a lifetime warranty vs. the discounted 30 day warranty Wagner Thermoquiet pads online.
I'm sure the Wearever Gold are probably better than what is on there now as the PO was cheap. I know the PO must have used cheap rotors since the edges of them are rusted. Though at least they aren't rusted out to where metal is flaking off like the 5 year rotors on my Firebird that I just replaced.
I'm gonna get the rotors turned as the fronts you can feel a ripple in them. But if they are too thin, then I'll just get Wearever rotors at $40 a piece. I'd say they are probably better than the $33 Napa rotors.
You really have to be your own mechanic. As I've had the Vette in many shops and told them to check the brakes, etc. Then I go out there and the rotors have ripples in them that means they need to be turned or replaced. And I'm betting the brake pads are wore out.
I'm sure the Wearever Gold are probably better than what is on there now as the PO was cheap. I know the PO must have used cheap rotors since the edges of them are rusted. Though at least they aren't rusted out to where metal is flaking off like the 5 year rotors on my Firebird that I just replaced.
I'm gonna get the rotors turned as the fronts you can feel a ripple in them. But if they are too thin, then I'll just get Wearever rotors at $40 a piece. I'd say they are probably better than the $33 Napa rotors.
You really have to be your own mechanic. As I've had the Vette in many shops and told them to check the brakes, etc. Then I go out there and the rotors have ripples in them that means they need to be turned or replaced. And I'm betting the brake pads are wore out.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 6,413
Likes: 9
From: The Old Dominion
By the way, do the pins need to get lubed? I know on my Firebird, the calipers float and the guide pins and sleeve need lubed. Not sure if the Vette calipers are set up the same. I looked up replacement pin sets as I read it recommended to replace the pins when you do pads, but I didn't find much at Autozone.com
The C4 front caliper is one of the weirder ones to me, in that it slides on the pad backing plates mainly. Most of my GM cars have had internal pins with rubber dust boots that were highly greased. It also meant the pads didn't have to clip into the calipers. I believe our rear caliper works that way, with greased internal pins.
Edit: Actually, I don't know what year your car is. I am referring to the '88+ setup, but maybe the pre-88 calipers had "normal" sliding pins?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
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From: Life is just one big track event. Everything before and after is prep and warm-up and cool-down laps
Cruise-In III Veteran
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St. Jude Donor '12
I replace my front slide pins (j55) when they start to corrode.
They are cheap enough. I replaced all my calipers over the winter and I'm trying some high temp grease made for moving parts on calipers on the ridge where the pads sit and on the pin. Haven't changed pads yet this year son no observations.
Drat - reminds me I need to get front and back pads before the next event.
They are cheap enough. I replaced all my calipers over the winter and I'm trying some high temp grease made for moving parts on calipers on the ridge where the pads sit and on the pin. Haven't changed pads yet this year son no observations.
Drat - reminds me I need to get front and back pads before the next event.