Brake pads

[orangeGMC]

Who makes the best brake pads? I mean for stopping, I don't care about brake dust, high mileage. I mean push the fat pedal and STOP!

EBC Greenstuff, Hawk, 911, organic, metallic, carbon metallic?

 

[perp]

Factory pads from the dealer have always done me best, cost a little more though

 

[Triaged]

Raybestos Brute Stop pads are about the best you can get from a parts store. If you want/need better then that get some Willwood or Hawk racing pads (I wouldn't get just their street pads).

If you go for the Brute Stop's (carbon metalic) get them for a 96 Caprice with the cop suspension. They are made to fit the same caliper as the standard #52 pad but are a good bit bigger to last longer (brute stops are soft pads and lasting a bit longer would be a good thing).

This is some VERY GOOD info on brake pads:
http://www.nlectc.org/testing/brakepads.html
Note the .pdf download on the right.

 

[PsychoticDeadGuy]

i sell those raybestos pads all the time, thay are amazing...a little costly though, but not for me...i say get the ray pads....

 

[R72K5]

you have to keep in mind that its not all about the pad as much as it is in the condition of the entire system also,

have to have good shape hydraulic parts too, not severely worn, no air in it, etc. or no pads will make much difference, the goal is to get the most volume to the whyeel cylinders/caliper pistons as easily as possible/least restriction as possible

 

[jarheadk5]

Avoid the Wagner ThermoQuiet pads. Absolutely worthless. If I wasn't so broke right now I'd have replaced them already (less than 3 months old...).

I had Axxis MetalMaster pads in the front of my Eclipse before the Wagners. They were great - but I don't know if they make truck sizes; I think they just do sports cars and import performance.
I haven't heard anything bad about the EBC Greenstuffs. I had EBC semimetallics in my old Laser - they worked well and lasted for nearly 60K.

 

[ntsqd]

System condition is important. That is the place to start or any improvements will be lost.

Be carefull though, when you say "least restriction possible" as that might lead someone to think they need a larger hose & tubing size. Def don't want to go there, the expansion under pressure of larger tubing can make a HUGE diff in pedal feel.

The wilwood equivelent to the Brute Stops was the "D" pad. The "E"'s are nearly the same pad, but do not dust as much.

 

[orangeGMC]

THe rest of my system is just about all new. New mc, rear steel line, proportioning valve, rear rubber hoses, new calipers,rotors,pads for disc conversion. Now it is time to tackle the front. I have new rotors and the steel line already. Now I just need new calipers, pads, and extended hoses for the front. The rear stops great and I want the front to stop as well as the rear.