Subaru Breakpad

Disc Brake Pad Different Brands of Brake Pads Enhance Your Selection Criteria

There are many different brands of brake pads on the market today. A complete listing of aftermarket brands would be extremely long, so we will look at a cross section of what is available in the aftermarket. Some of these are the OEM suppliers, but if that is what you prefer, that is what you should look for, but with all these choices, you should be able to find a quality product that fits your budget. AC/Delco is probably the best known name for anyone that owns a GM vehicle. If you walk into a GM dealer and purchase brakes, there is a good chance that is what you will get. They have expanded their line to include the Durastop (economy) and Advantage lines. The Advantage line uses their Brake Effectiveness Evaluation Procedure (BEEP) testing. Since there are no federal performance standards covering replacement brakes, they came up with their own.

Akebono brand is the OEM line for many of the better known car manufacturers. General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Chrysler, Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi Motors, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru and Isuzu all use Akebono products on certain models. They developed something they call noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) technology to meet the needs of OEMs.

Bendix has been in the brake business since 1924. They manufactured their 200-millionth automotive brake shoe in 1967, so they have been doing this for quite some time. Bendix is constantly working on new brake pad composition to reduce noise and dust and makes a pad for virtually every vehicle on or off the road today.

Centric brand has many types of pads available. In business since 2000, their management team has an intimate knowledge of the product and the market.

Hawk pads are designed for the motoring enthusiast that is looking for a performance pad. Designed to reduce brake fade and resist overheating, these pads are worth the extra money if Monroe, in business since 1916, introduced their Premium Pads in 2005. These pads come complete, with all the extras you need to perform a complete brake job, pads, shims, clips and lube. Today they offer all types of pad composition.

Wagner Pads and Shoes fall under the Federal Mogul family of products. Their ThermoQuiet® line features a one piece manufacturing process, which helps dissipate heat. The Wagner EDGE® Laser-Shaped Friction™ technology focuses the caliper force to reduce vibration and eliminate noise.

Besides the above, there are many more, including the repackaging companies, such as Pronto, Federated, Beck Arnley, Napa, and many others.

All of the above manufacturers offer pads made of many different materials. Let’s look at them one by one and help you decide which is best for you. Remember, each will have positives and negatives; it is up to you to decide which is best for your driving conditions and needs. Different Types of Brake Pads

Organic Pads; these are the basic, inexpensive pads that replaced the old asbestos pads. When it became illegal to use asbestos, the manufacturers started using organic materials, such as rubber, glass, Kevlar and anything else that can stop a vehicle. High temperature resins bind all the materials together. They are environmentally friendly and do not squeal or chatter because they are soft. They do, however, create a lot of dust and do not last many miles. These are recommended for a vehicle that does mostly local driving.

Semi-Metallic brake pads are basically a mixture of graphite, steel, copper and iron. The materials are ground up and mixed with binding agents to form the pads. They are durable, have great stopping power when hot and are good at transferring heat away from the rotor. The down side is they do not stop the vehicle well when very cold; they are hard so they tend to wear out the rotors and they can be noisy. They also create a fair amount of dark metallic dust that seems to stick to wheels the wheels. This is a particular concern with the alloy wheels on many vehicles today. Manufacturers have different technologies to make the semi-metallic pads quiet, such as Posi-Quiet, ThermoQuiet and several others. The addition of shims also helps absorb the noise. These are recommended when good stopping power is required on heavier vehicles.

Ceramic brake pads are what many vehicles today are equipped with from the factory. These pads are manufactured using ceramic fiber, bonding agents, fillers and sometimes a small amount of metal (often copper). They produce minimal dust that is light in color and tends not to stick to the rims. The pads are durable, transfer heat away from the rotors well and have excellent stopping power even when used under harsh braking conditions, such as performance driving. They are also very quiet and do not cause excessive wear on the rotors. While these are an excellent choice if you like any of the characteristics, the cost may make you select something else. Shop around for a good deal. This pad is recommended for anyone that enjoys really driving their vehicle.

No matter which pads you decide on, the way they stop your vehicle is all the same. When you step on the brake pedal, the hydraulic pressure is sent to the calipers. The calipers then transfer this pressure to the brake pads, and this then increases friction between the pads and the rotors. This increase in friction causes the vehicle to stop. Any leak in the hydraulic system, whether a line, a seal or a caliper will cause a drop in pressure and negatively affect the stopping ability of your vehicle.

There are two distinct types of calipers that your vehicle can have. One type is called static or solid mount caliper, and the other is called a floating mount caliper.

Solid mount calipers are mounted to brackets in a fixed position at the wheel. There are either two or four pistons in these calipers. In either case, the pistons are positioned on either side of the rotor. When the brake pedal is pressed, the pistons push the brake pads evenly against the rotor from both sides. With this design, the rotors and pads wear evenly and the vehicle handles better under hard braking conditions.

Floating calipers are mounted onto a bracket at the wheel with a sliding bolt design. These calipers only have a single piston that puts pressure on the pads. When the piston presses the pad, it presses the pad against the rotor and the force slides the whole caliper away from the rotor and pulls the opposite pad against the rotor. This causes uneven wearing of the pads, as the piston side pad will wear more than the opposite side pad. With this design, the piston is always on the outer side of the rotor, and that is the pad that will wear faster. Regular Inspection of Brake Pads is Essential for Safety Concern

There are almost always indicators on brake pads. They are normally soft metal pieces that extend beyond the pad. When the pad gets down to the minimum thickness recommended by the manufacturer, the sensor will hit the rotor. At first, it will be a chirping sound, but will progress to a constant, loud squealing sound. Some upscale vehicles have electrical sensors that turn on a warning light on the instrument panel attached to the pads. No matter which type you have, as soon as you are alerted, the brakes should be serviced as soon as possible.

To visually inspect the pads, you need to set the car on jack stands and remove the wheel. You can then inspect how worn the pads are. If pads are allowed to wear too much, the metal backing on the pads may contact the rotor and cause deep grooves. If this occurs, the rotors will most likely need to be replaced. The piston may also come out of the caliper too far and that will then require the calipers to be replaced. How to Replace Brake Pad

If you have determined your brakes need replacement, it is a fairly simple job. You will need some basic tools. Different vehicles have different style bolts holding the caliper to the bracket. It can be a standard 6 point hex head, an Allen key or a Torx bolt. You need to check the service manual for the proper size and type of tool needed. A ratchet to use with the socket, a breaker bar may come in handy for tight bolts (some manufacturers actually use lock-tight on the bolts), as well as a large, sturdy flat tip screwdriver and a big “C” clamp. Loosen the lug nuts slightly before jacking the vehicle (use a cross pattern to loosen to prevent wheel warping). Jack the vehicle and support on stands as per the manufacturer’s recommendations. Remove the wheel and you will be looking at the caliper. The bolts holding the caliper are normally mounted from the inside, so you will be working from the opposite side of the wheel. Before removing the bolts, work the screwdriver between the rotor and the pad to make it easier to slide the caliper off. Remove the bolts (you may need that breaker bar). When the bolts are out, the caliper should be able to be removed. Remember, the hydraulic line is still attached to the vehicle. Remove the pads from the caliper and use the “C” clamp to gently slide the piston back into the caliper. Please note; excess fluid may come out of the master cylinder, so place absorbent cloth in that area. Also, 2 and 4 piston calipers require special tools to retract the pistons, as well as some pistons that need to be rotated in (such as older ford products). Be sure all the moving surfaces are rust free and everything moves freely. Clean as necessary and use the lube provided (or a bit of high temperature grease) on all moving parts. Inspect the rotors and replace or have machined smooth as necessary. You should always machine or replace the rotors if switching from one composition pad to another, as the different types of pads transfer a thin film which can have an adverse effect on the new pads. Be careful not to get any grease on the new pads and seat them into the caliper. Slide the caliper back into place and replace the bolts. Tighten securely. Reinstall the wheel, tightening the lug nuts hand tight. Lower the vehicle and tighten the lug nuts as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Repeat for the opposite side. When all done, start the vehicle and pump the brake pedal several times. By the third pump the pedal should feel normal. Use caution when first moving until you are confident the vehicle is stopping properly. Manufacturers have different methods of bedding in the brakes, but in general, you should perform a series of low speed stops and then higher speed stopping for about 15-20 minutes. Avoid full stops (sitting after stopping) if possible and then perform some open road driving to cool everything down. Try to avoid heavy braking for about 400 miles. Best Deals on Different Brands of Brake Pads, Toyota, Volkswagen ,Chrysler, Cadillac, Hyundai, Pontiac, Ford Brands only on TheAutoPartsShop. Get The Lowest prices,Free 2 Year Warranty on all Volkswagen Shock Absorber. http://www.theautopartsshop.com/auto+parts/subaru+disc-brake-pad.html