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What type of brake pads do you buy?
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sope
1/2 ton status
I use the cheapest organic brake pads possible, usually Auto Extra because they're quiet, they don't grove your rotors and I find wheelin or even driving gravel roads your often replacing pads anyway because of rocks getting in there and cracking your pads and removing chunks.
mrhoes
1/2 ton status
I get lifetime pads from auto zone, you pay for them once and you never pay for them again and you can get new ones when ever you want.
89GMCSuburban
1/2 ton status
Wroooooong....you can not return them when they wore out from normal use for free new ones. They're gonna tell you to take a hike (unless you catch a moron). They'll honor the warranty if the pads are broken, but not if they normally wore out.
I use semi-metallic. I don't care about noise, and rotors are so cheap, I usually don't even turn them, I just replace them.
I use semi-metallic. I don't care about noise, and rotors are so cheap, I usually don't even turn them, I just replace them.
Cornfield creations
1/2 ton status
Semi-metallic all the way!
Carbon metallic are for severe duty applications and or race applications. They run off of high heat for their friction. Ceramic are nice because they don't make much dust if any, but are costly and I feel they don't grab as well unless combined with a cross drilled and slotted rotor. Organic usually make your wheels nicely black pretty quick and don't hold up to heat as well. When exposed to heat they like to crack up, glaze over and create hot-spots.
Carbon metallic are for severe duty applications and or race applications. They run off of high heat for their friction. Ceramic are nice because they don't make much dust if any, but are costly and I feel they don't grab as well unless combined with a cross drilled and slotted rotor. Organic usually make your wheels nicely black pretty quick and don't hold up to heat as well. When exposed to heat they like to crack up, glaze over and create hot-spots.
barneybasher1010
1/2 ton status
Lifetime always work for me from Auto Zone
guido666
1/2 ton status
I've worked at both Advance Auto (two different stores 100 miles apart) and at Autozone. If you bring back lifetime pads they get replaced. No questions asked. They make their money because nobody ever remembers to bring them back. They just buy new ones.89GMCSuburban said:
dodgedude99
1/2 ton status
for my Ram i had bought the Lifetime warranty Performance Friction Carbon Metallics from Autozone.
and i have returned them twice, worn out both times.
i had done the brakes on my dads nissan frontier a few weeks back, i had put semi-metallics on there previously, but this time went with Ceramics, it was a night and day difference in braking.
i slammed on the brakes and just about smacked my head off the steering wheel, it never stopped that well before.
and i have returned them twice, worn out both times.
i had done the brakes on my dads nissan frontier a few weeks back, i had put semi-metallics on there previously, but this time went with Ceramics, it was a night and day difference in braking.
i slammed on the brakes and just about smacked my head off the steering wheel, it never stopped that well before.
Lifetime warranty wheel cylinders are even better. Got a set of them a while back... it was funny at the time.
Me - "I need some rear wheel cylinders for an 87 K5 blazer, might be V10 in your computer"
Counter Guy - "Would you like the lifetime warranty ones?"
Me - "Is that no questions asked?"
Counter Guy - "Yes"
Me - "So if I go out in the mud this weekend, and bring these cylinders back because I got a bunch of dirt and god knows what behind the rubber, I get new ones?"
Counter Guy - "Yes"
Me - ::gets out old nasty wheel cylinders::
Me - "If I bring them back with this.." points to mud, grease, water, and god knows what that got behind the rubber.. "in them, I get new ones?"
Counter Guy - "Yes"
Me - "You don't sell lifetime warranty U-joints do you?"
Counter Guy - "I can check..."
Me - "It was a joke"
Me - "I need some rear wheel cylinders for an 87 K5 blazer, might be V10 in your computer"
Counter Guy - "Would you like the lifetime warranty ones?"
Me - "Is that no questions asked?"
Counter Guy - "Yes"
Me - "So if I go out in the mud this weekend, and bring these cylinders back because I got a bunch of dirt and god knows what behind the rubber, I get new ones?"
Counter Guy - "Yes"
Me - ::gets out old nasty wheel cylinders::
Me - "If I bring them back with this.." points to mud, grease, water, and god knows what that got behind the rubber.. "in them, I get new ones?"
Counter Guy - "Yes"
Me - "You don't sell lifetime warranty U-joints do you?"
Counter Guy - "I can check..."
Me - "It was a joke"
fortcollinsram
1/2 ton status
on my K5 I run the Napa United SemiMetallic pads all around. I ran the Napa Severe Duty pads for a while but they made WAY TOO much noise.
On my Cherokee I run Napa Ceramics...
On my Cherokee I run Napa Ceramics...
Jagged said:
I use the Lifetime pads from the 'Zone also. I haven't brought them back yet, but I have the reciept.
guido666
1/2 ton status
Jagged said:
IT'S NO JOKE! They do. Advanced Auto Parts does. I have 2 of them in the front axle (10b) and I carry two trail spares in the truck. Stamped right on the box "LIFETIME WARRANTY". I've taken them back a couple times. No questions asked. Like I said, they make their money on the fact that no one ever brings them back! I can get you pictures and part numbers / brand (I think they are called "SuperJoint") if you wish. They weren't expensive, $13 each I think.
dave_90_blazer
1/2 ton status
yup, i know a manager at an autozone, he doesn't careguido666 said:I've worked at both Advance Auto (two different stores 100 miles apart) and at Autozone. If you bring back lifetime pads they get replaced. No questions asked. They make their money because nobody ever remembers to bring them back. They just buy new ones.
Thanks everyone for the replies; it looks like the semimetallic are the most popular. I never paid much attention to what I was buying before, just whatever was the cheapest, but recently bought some organic pads for my Mustang because what ever the PO had on there was squeeling like crazy even though they were new. The organics don't squeel and make it stop quicker with less pedal effort, but that's on a 3,100 pound car.
90K5
1/2 ton status
Whatever the stockers are made out of...they lasted a lot longer than anything else on my Blazer....on the '01, i have the originals with 93K on them 
moturbopar
1/2 ton status
I bought the EBC green stuff pads. They helped braking out a bunch. Just doing some rough tests, the blazer stops about 20ft shorter from 75mph. And it takes so much less pedal effert.
metallic ony good sometimes..
I learned my 81 G10 Van with manual brakes stopped much better and with way less pedal effort with organic pads VS metallics..the Bendix factory rep was at our store doing an inventory,and I asked him if he was giving any freebies,the ones I'd bought didn't stop for sh**!-- (sometimes they would give the counter guys a set of pad or shoes and write them off)..he said he would "warranty" them for me--
I told him how my van's brakes sucked on the long trip to Hunter Mountain NY I took a week before,nearly got killed coming down the mountain-,I even had to downshift the tranny and stand up on the pedal to get it to slow down
--and I had no problem when I made the same trip a year ago with whatever pads were in the van when I got it!..and I'd bought the "top of the line" Semi-Metallic" pads for it too! 
He looked them up,and said "Power Brakes"??... "NO"!... he said "AHH"!..thats why!..I looked at him like
-You mean I'm SUPPOSED to run the cheap organics??..he said "Yes,the large rotors on the trucks,and other GM cars like Caddy's and Impala's dissapate the heat rapidly enough so organics are fine--Metallic pads require a lot more pressure(hense the need for power assist)and heat is what makes them effective!"...I didn't really believe a word of it..but hey,he was giving me a free set of pads,who am I to dispute his claims,right???..
I was suprised after I installed them!..I could actually lock up the front wheels,something I could never do with the metallic pads,unless there was sand under the tires!..and I didn't have to stand up off the seat anymore either!..
But my VW Jetta was just the opposite!--circular saw sized rotors (solid! ) Power brakes,and fairly big pads (nearly as big as the vans!)--but if I used organics,the brakes sucked!..metallics worked great in the VW..
So now I use this guide..small unvented rotors,power brakes--Semi,or "Full"Metallic Pads!
Medium sized solid or vented rotors with power brakes Semi-Metallic Pads !
Large vented rotors with manual brakes--Organic Pads!
Large vented rotors with power brakes--Semi-Metallic Pads..
The Bendix catalog used to specify what GM listed and used as OEM pads..my vans listing was "Organic"
--I though the more they cost,the better they stopped!..I was WRONG!. 
I find the "full" metallic pads last the longest in the vehicles that need them,but squeal like hell in a lot of cases..and aren't really nessasary in most cases either..they eat the rotors faster too,but they are so cheap now,that doesn't matter that much anymore.. I use "Semi-Metallics" in the vehicles that need metallics--or what the book lists as OEM equipment..Organics in my trucks with 11 or 12" rotors...I dont tow or carry weight too far,so I dont really need metallic pads..
I learned my 81 G10 Van with manual brakes stopped much better and with way less pedal effort with organic pads VS metallics..the Bendix factory rep was at our store doing an inventory,and I asked him if he was giving any freebies,the ones I'd bought didn't stop for sh**!-- (sometimes they would give the counter guys a set of pad or shoes and write them off)..he said he would "warranty" them for me--
I told him how my van's brakes sucked on the long trip to Hunter Mountain NY I took a week before,nearly got killed coming down the mountain-,I even had to downshift the tranny and stand up on the pedal to get it to slow down
--and I had no problem when I made the same trip a year ago with whatever pads were in the van when I got it!..and I'd bought the "top of the line" Semi-Metallic" pads for it too! He looked them up,and said "Power Brakes"??... "NO"!... he said "AHH"!..thats why!..I looked at him like
-You mean I'm SUPPOSED to run the cheap organics??..he said "Yes,the large rotors on the trucks,and other GM cars like Caddy's and Impala's dissapate the heat rapidly enough so organics are fine--Metallic pads require a lot more pressure(hense the need for power assist)and heat is what makes them effective!"...I didn't really believe a word of it..but hey,he was giving me a free set of pads,who am I to dispute his claims,right???..I was suprised after I installed them!..I could actually lock up the front wheels,something I could never do with the metallic pads,unless there was sand under the tires!..and I didn't have to stand up off the seat anymore either!..
But my VW Jetta was just the opposite!--circular saw sized rotors (solid!
) Power brakes,and fairly big pads (nearly as big as the vans!)--but if I used organics,the brakes sucked!..metallics worked great in the VW..So now I use this guide..small unvented rotors,power brakes--Semi,or "Full"Metallic Pads!
Medium sized solid or vented rotors with power brakes Semi-Metallic Pads !
Large vented rotors with manual brakes--Organic Pads!
Large vented rotors with power brakes--Semi-Metallic Pads..
The Bendix catalog used to specify what GM listed and used as OEM pads..my vans listing was "Organic"
--I though the more they cost,the better they stopped!..I was WRONG!. I find the "full" metallic pads last the longest in the vehicles that need them,but squeal like hell in a lot of cases..and aren't really nessasary in most cases either..they eat the rotors faster too,but they are so cheap now,that doesn't matter that much anymore.. I use "Semi-Metallics" in the vehicles that need metallics--or what the book lists as OEM equipment..Organics in my trucks with 11 or 12" rotors...I dont tow or carry weight too far,so I dont really need metallic pads..
4xcrazy
3/4 ton status
I try to run with the carbon metallic pads, only because they seem to be quieter than the semi-metallic, semi's seem to squeel alot more especially when heated up.
i have had the brakes fade on me a few times when running the semi-metallic pads as well from using them too much, and riding down a long downsloped trail, didn't want to go too fast, but low range was too low, rode the brakes and they got "mushy" and squeeled.
also use the disc brake quiet compound stuff too, keeps 'em nice n quiet.
i recently check in on the Performance Friction line up at the Zone,,, and they don't offer the lifetime warranty on them anymore,,,i was alittle pissed.
i have had the brakes fade on me a few times when running the semi-metallic pads as well from using them too much, and riding down a long downsloped trail, didn't want to go too fast, but low range was too low, rode the brakes and they got "mushy" and squeeled.
also use the disc brake quiet compound stuff too, keeps 'em nice n quiet.
i recently check in on the Performance Friction line up at the Zone,,, and they don't offer the lifetime warranty on them anymore,,,i was alittle pissed.
