Time for new front brake pads. Where to go?
11-14-2012, 08:42 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 06-26-2011
Location: Elburn, IL
Posts: 122
Time for new front brake pads. Where to go?
Hello all. The front pads are squealing, so it's time to finally swap out the stock pads. I say "finally" because I can't stand how dusty the stock pads are in the front. The car only has 36k miles, so that seems kind of early, but oh well!
From what I read, I should go ceramic due to a lower dusting of the pad. I do not drive my car very hard and rarely brake hard. Should I go to the dealer or is there another shop that sells a front ceramic pad that has proven well on the SS? This is for a non-Brembo set up by the way. Also, I want them installed at the shop. Thanks in advance!
Brian
From what I read, I should go ceramic due to a lower dusting of the pad. I do not drive my car very hard and rarely brake hard. Should I go to the dealer or is there another shop that sells a front ceramic pad that has proven well on the SS? This is for a non-Brembo set up by the way. Also, I want them installed at the shop. Thanks in advance!
Brian
11-15-2012, 05:58 AM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: 07-05-2008
Location: Akron Ohio
Posts: 5,464
I just did my brakes and found a great combo.
I went with the EBC Red pads. These are great for aggresive driving but are low dust and will not eat up the rotors. Good quality pads are the key to good brakes and performace.
Also Hawks work well. I use nothing but either on my cars anymore.
As for rotors just put a set of stoc replacment rotors on from Bendix or some other name brand MFG. The fancy ones are nice if you want the look but the solids will give you the best performance and will save you a lot of money.
If you are going to save do it on the rotors and spend the extra money on the pads.
Once installed bed or burnish them in and you will get better performance and help prevent the pulse that many complain about. Each pad company have a similar set of stops with a different number and how fast. Just read their directions and follow them.
So far my EBC's have been much better than stock in stopping and also dust. It has cut my dust by 2/3 to 3/4. My wheels used to be black in 2-3 days and now it takes much longer. They do still have some dust but you will with any pad as there are no dust less pads. The HHR SS wheel also is a dust catcher.
The brakes are also very easy to do and there are video's on the web to help.
As for miles a lot of people forget that it was not long ago most cars front discs were used up by 30,000 miles if you do little highway driving or drive more aggressive. Just in the last 10 years have some systems done better on brakes with the use of the ABS system and electonic proporsioning valves.
My 2004 GTP with the Bosch electonic balance system woud go 65,000 with my wifes aggresive driving. people who drove easier would get more. Also on that system the front and rear pads would wear dead even. If the fronts were gone the rears were the same.
Either way do yourself a favor and spend the money on good pads and save the money on the rotors and you will do fine.
The Bendix rotors and EBC Reds I know first hand on the SS as being a great combo and much less dust.
I went with the EBC Red pads. These are great for aggresive driving but are low dust and will not eat up the rotors. Good quality pads are the key to good brakes and performace.
Also Hawks work well. I use nothing but either on my cars anymore.
As for rotors just put a set of stoc replacment rotors on from Bendix or some other name brand MFG. The fancy ones are nice if you want the look but the solids will give you the best performance and will save you a lot of money.
If you are going to save do it on the rotors and spend the extra money on the pads.
Once installed bed or burnish them in and you will get better performance and help prevent the pulse that many complain about. Each pad company have a similar set of stops with a different number and how fast. Just read their directions and follow them.
So far my EBC's have been much better than stock in stopping and also dust. It has cut my dust by 2/3 to 3/4. My wheels used to be black in 2-3 days and now it takes much longer. They do still have some dust but you will with any pad as there are no dust less pads. The HHR SS wheel also is a dust catcher.
The brakes are also very easy to do and there are video's on the web to help.
As for miles a lot of people forget that it was not long ago most cars front discs were used up by 30,000 miles if you do little highway driving or drive more aggressive. Just in the last 10 years have some systems done better on brakes with the use of the ABS system and electonic proporsioning valves.
My 2004 GTP with the Bosch electonic balance system woud go 65,000 with my wifes aggresive driving. people who drove easier would get more. Also on that system the front and rear pads would wear dead even. If the fronts were gone the rears were the same.
Either way do yourself a favor and spend the money on good pads and save the money on the rotors and you will do fine.
The Bendix rotors and EBC Reds I know first hand on the SS as being a great combo and much less dust.
11-15-2012, 09:27 AM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: 03-01-2008
Location: Kali
Posts: 113
Hello all. The front pads are squealing, so it's time to finally swap out the stock pads. I say "finally" because I can't stand how dusty the stock pads are in the front. The car only has 36k miles, so that seems kind of early, but oh well!
From what I read, I should go ceramic due to a lower dusting of the pad. I do not drive my car very hard and rarely brake hard. Should I go to the dealer or is there another shop that sells a front ceramic pad that has proven well on the SS? This is for a non-Brembo set up by the way. Also, I want them installed at the shop. Thanks in advance!
Brian
From what I read, I should go ceramic due to a lower dusting of the pad. I do not drive my car very hard and rarely brake hard. Should I go to the dealer or is there another shop that sells a front ceramic pad that has proven well on the SS? This is for a non-Brembo set up by the way. Also, I want them installed at the shop. Thanks in advance!
Brian
11-15-2012, 10:11 AM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: 11-20-2006
Location: Peoria, IL
Posts: 931
I had to replace mine @ 28K miles. My rotors were in good shape, and I went with basic "gold" pads from AutoZone. They are ceramics and do not dust much at all. I know they don't perform quite as well as some pads, but I don't push my car either. They've already lasted longer than the stock pads, and they have tons of pad left.
11-15-2012, 10:41 AM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: 07-17-2006
Location: Dallas, GA
Posts: 6,052
Just besure they actuall install the pads you brought.....
11-15-2012, 11:22 AM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: 03-01-2008
Location: Kali
Posts: 113
I had to replace mine @ 28K miles. My rotors were in good shape, and I went with basic "gold" pads from AutoZone. They are ceramics and do not dust much at all. I know they don't perform quite as well as some pads, but I don't push my car either. They've already lasted longer than the stock pads, and they have tons of pad left.
i rather have pads that dust and wore out faster , but it
is there when it counts.
11-15-2012, 12:14 PM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: 07-05-2008
Location: Akron Ohio
Posts: 5,464
My EBC pads stop faster, have very little dust and are very quiet. On my past cars they have always been the best performing. The only others I have used that were close were Hawks.
I almost changed my stock ones out a while back just because of the dust alone.
You can get the EBC pads online Summit will be the cheapest and if they are not they will beat the price. They had mine instock front and rear too.
As for rotors anymore I just replace them and not cut them or anything else. Stock Bredix rotors are not that expensive and I feel better on new ones for as often as I have to do brakes.
You can do like Solman said just bring the pads in and have them install them. The EBC pads are red powder coated so you will know they are on. they do have a small black noise pad on them. Just make sure the shop will install your pads before you go in as some shops will not do that.
Note some will hit you with a little more labor too as they make money on the pads they sell so they may try to make it up.
Most OE pads are like tires in many cases the lowest bidder and not always the best quality you can buy. Most top brands will not sell OE because they can't make money on what the MFG will pay. Remember you get what you pay for.
The exceptions are cars like the ZR1 etc. Just look at the crappy tires we get and the same applies to the rest of the many supplied parts.
I almost changed my stock ones out a while back just because of the dust alone.
You can get the EBC pads online Summit will be the cheapest and if they are not they will beat the price. They had mine instock front and rear too.
As for rotors anymore I just replace them and not cut them or anything else. Stock Bredix rotors are not that expensive and I feel better on new ones for as often as I have to do brakes.
You can do like Solman said just bring the pads in and have them install them. The EBC pads are red powder coated so you will know they are on. they do have a small black noise pad on them. Just make sure the shop will install your pads before you go in as some shops will not do that.
Note some will hit you with a little more labor too as they make money on the pads they sell so they may try to make it up.
Most OE pads are like tires in many cases the lowest bidder and not always the best quality you can buy. Most top brands will not sell OE because they can't make money on what the MFG will pay. Remember you get what you pay for.
The exceptions are cars like the ZR1 etc. Just look at the crappy tires we get and the same applies to the rest of the many supplied parts.