Best break disc pads type/maker ??? (1 Viewer)

[GringoBob]

Hey folks... your thoughts, ideas and opinions please!

What is the best type of brake disc ??? Drilled (ventilated) slotted, solid (or other) ??? The best maker ??? How about break pads ???

I am going to redo my break discs and pads in the near future and hope to be able to upgrade them a bit. Thanks for any/all of your input.

GringoBob

 

[chap79]

For the price/value OEM is hard to beat. Run 100 series pads in the front for more surface contact on the rotor.

 

[lumbee1]

Front: 100 series EBC Green Pads
Rear: 80 series EBC Green Pads

 

[Proven]

I only ever buy plain disk brake rotors. None of those cross drilled or slotted rotors for me personally.

I’ve helped too many people that had those with pad swaps that became rotor swaps because the rotors were cracking around the cross drill holes and slots.

This could be for a lot of reasons but solid has been “solid” for me.

 

[HDJdreams]

I have some “generic” drilled and slotted Stoptech rotors and ceramic pads. I honestly can’t say if they are better than OEM, that was so long ago. The price was great and they “look” like they should cool better.

There’s lots of marketing hype, As far as I know, there isn’t any real testing specific to 80s where any aftermarket brake parts are compared to new OEM parts on an identical 80. Just butt dyno, “my new pads and rotors stop way better than my old worn out ones”.

Something that’s easy to overlook with “upgraded” pads is cold stopping characteristics. None of our trucks live on a racetrack oval, so hot stopping characteristics only matter on that one in a thousand trip down a long steep mountain and certainly not worth giving up cold stopping distance which is virtually all our daily driving.

 

[gummycarbs]

From what I've read, drilled rotors started as a weight saving effort, at least on motorcycles. Any advantage of drilled or slotted rotors is down to allowing expanding gases (from moisture, I assume) to escape from under the pad. Drilling or slotting a rotor shouldn't make much cooling difference, and you're reducing the amount of metal to soak up heat, so you're probably making it worse.

I'd either go with OEM or whatever cheap, Chinese-made disc they sell at your local auto parts store.

 

[Red Merle]

I bought these after hearing the spiel on the front axle rebuild video that everyone watches. I haven't had any issues in 10,000 miles so far.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=4423968&cc=1276679&jsn=452&jsn=452

 

[GringoBob]

For the price/value OEM is hard to beat. Run 100 series pads in the front for more surface contact on the rotor.

Now that's good info ! ...using the 100 series pads up front. I will be sure to do that ! Thanks!

But that begs another question. Can the 100 series rear brake pads also be used on a 80 series ?

Gringo Bob

 

[GringoBob]

Front: 100 series EBC Green Pads
Rear: 80 series EBC Green Pads

Great ! Another endorsement for the 100 series brake pads up front. And, I will check out EBC Green Pads ...they seem superior from what I have read so far. Thanks!

And, if the discs have enough meat left on them ...I probably wont rush to change them out.

 

[malteserunner]

I use Performance Friction carbon metallic pads on stock rotors. They work very well.

 

[GringoBob]

I only ever buy plain disk brake rotors. None of those cross drilled or slotted rotors for me personally.

I’ve helped too many people that had those with pad swaps that became rotor swaps because the rotors were cracking around the cross drill holes and slots.

This could be for a lot of reasons but solid has been “solid” for me.

Proven -
I have some mixed emotions on changing out the discs. There are possibly some superior types available out there. But, as you know, at least some of them just don't hold up. Which ones (if any) are superior to the solid/stock discs ? I need to do some study there.

Downhill in Costa Rican mountain regions you can heat up brakes at times. I cooked the brakes on both a (small block) Toyota Four Runner and a Mitsubishi Montero ...a bit scary (both times stuck behind a slow truck and forced to ride the brakes a bit.) But, I can engine brake a whole lot better with the 4.5l LC motor ...no problem yet ...that's one big reason why I bought the LC!

But, if I can gain some advantage (i.e., to keep the brakes cool) I may consider slotted/drilled brakes in the future. But, after all this feedback, if the stock discs I have still have enough meat on them ...I won't be in any rush. And, without sufficient positive reinforcement ...I may never change out the stock discs.

Thanks !

 

[GringoBob]

I have some “generic” drilled and slotted Stoptech rotors and ceramic pads. I honestly can’t say if they are better than OEM, that was so long ago. The price was great and they “look” like they should cool better.

There’s lots of marketing hype, As far as I know, there isn’t any real testing specific to 80s where any aftermarket brake parts are compared to new OEM parts on an identical 80. Just butt dyno, “my new pads and rotors stop way better than my old worn out ones”.

Something that’s easy to overlook with “upgraded” pads is cold stopping characteristics. None of our trucks live on a racetrack oval, so hot stopping characteristics only matter on that one in a thousand trip down a long steep mountain and certainly not worth giving up cold stopping distance which is virtually all our daily driving.

HDJdreams -

I do live in a country with large mountainous areas ...Costa Rica. I expected to get some firm recommendations on a superior braking system here. And, I have as far as brake pads are concerned. But rotors/discs ? The info is scant. I will check out Stoptech. But as you said ...there is a lot of butt dyno out there. Toyota engineers probably designed a reasonably solid product. The use of 100 series brake pads up front is possibly the best mod I can make.

A fun thing where I live is, you can go to the top (highest altitude) of my road (my pueblo) put your car in neutral ...and coast 2.5 to 3 miles downhill without applying any gas at all! And, again (with a little gas) another 3+ miles. .But, ...you will use those brakes a a lot if you don't have a high compression engine !!! And, there is more awesome downhill coasting in other parts of Costa Rica.

If you love SUV's and off the road experiences ...mud, mountains, sand, streams, rivers, jungle, forest, rainy-season, dry-season ...all in your backyard ...Costa Rica is a place you should visit (or live/retire) and a LC is the car/truck to have !!! I highly recommend it !!! ...But, you might want the best brakes possible !!!

 

[GringoBob]

HDJdreams -

I do live in a country with large mountainous areas ...Costa Rica. I expected to get some firm recommendations on a superior braking system here. And, I have as far as brake pads are concerned. But rotors/discs ? The info is scant. I will check out Stoptech. But as you said ...there is a lot of butt dyno out there. Toyota engineers probably designed a reasonably solid product. The use of 100 series brake pads up front is possibly the best mod I can make.

A fun thing where I live is, you can go to the top (highest altitude) of my road (my pueblo) put your car in neutral ...and coast 2.5 to 3 miles downhill without applying any gas at all! And, again (with a little gas) another 3+ miles. .But, ...you will use those brakes a a lot if you don't have a high compression engine !!! And, there is more awesome downhill coasting in other parts of Costa Rica.

If you love SUV's and off the road experiences ...mud, mountains, sand, streams, rivers, jungle, forest, rainy-season, dry-season ...all in your backyard ...Costa Rica is a place you should visit (or live/retire) and a LC is the car/truck to have !!! I highly recommend it !!! ...But, you might want the best brakes possible !!!

But, ...you will use those brakes a a lot if you don't have a high compression engine !!! Yeah ...and are not in 1st or 2nd gear (rather than neutral.)

 

[HDJdreams]

Now that's good info ! ...using the 100 series pads up front. I will be sure to do that ! Thanks!

But that begs another question. Can the 100 series rear brake pads also be used on a 80 series ?

Gringo Bob

No, won’t gain anything. They are about the same size pad, but different mounting.

Picture of used 80 pad on top of a new 100 pad, backing plates are the same size with tabs in different places on sides.

Other picture is the 2 next to each. If anything, the 80 pad has MORE surface area for the pad.

 

[HDJdreams]

@GringoBob it sounds like an amazing place!

I am not trying to flame you for asking the question.

I am just so frustrated that the is so much hype and so little data on pads and rotors. For being the most important piece of safety equipment on the vehicle, I wish pads had to come with some sort of SAE certification process. A data sheet that specifys the product had been tested on the vehicle at GVW weight (and list it) and says what rotors were used and how it performed cold and hot stops under standardized testing conditions.

 

[GringoBob]

@GringoBob it sounds like an amazing place!

I am not trying to flame you for asking the question.

I am just so frustrated that the is so much hype and so little data on pads and rotors. For being the most important piece of safety equipment on the vehicle, I wish pads had to come with some sort of SAE certification process. A data sheet that specifys the product had been tested on the vehicle at GVW weight (and list it) and says what rotors were used and how it performed cold and hot stops under standardized testing conditions.

Yeah ... i just checked out a dozen brake comparison web pages ...they are all over the place, and they largely contradict each other. What I did note was that Toyota brakes are almost always in the top 10 as are EBC ...but the EBC's get heavily dissed in a few surveys.

As I said ...all over the place, be it the writers'/testers' opinions or survey of the users' ratings. What is real ...what is fiction ??? So far stock Toyota or EBC appear the best for my purposes. The rest is unknown/confused.

You are right. It's surprising that there is not a a UL or Consumer Guide (or other) type testing group testing/approving or rejecting these things (like brakes and rotors and more) that are sooo critical to our personal safety.

Thanks for your input!
GringoBob

 

[amgraham]

I debated the 80/100 brake pad thing. Ultimately I decided to go with 80 pads because the 100s hang over the outside of the rotor and as they wear it is harder to inspect them. Plus if you install them with new rotors I was told they don't like to fit at first so sometimes you have to sand them down or run a set of 80 pads first anyway.

This is what I went with: OE Akebono fronts, WBR rears (all ceramic), WBR rotors all around. No regrets, stops great.

 

[Hornd]

Brakes (so no breaks) turn kinetic energy into heat.
The more mass you have to pull heat the better.
I would go with un-drilled and definitely un-slotted rotors.

Also warped rotors are due to pad build up not heat warp like common conception.
This is why having them turned down (milled) works.

 

[Hornd]

I debated the 80/100 brake pad thing. Ultimately I decided to go with 80 pads because the 100s hang over the outside of the rotor and as they wear it is harder to inspect them. Plus if you install them with new rotors I was told they don't like to fit at first so sometimes you have to sand them down or run a set of 80 pads first anyway.

This is what I went with: OE Akebono fronts, WBR rears (all ceramic), WBR rotors all around. No regrets, stops great.
View attachment 1640557

Akebono is a Toyota Family Company and what they use on most Lexus (Jeep also uses them on Cherokee). Solid Choice.
Aisin was OEM manufacturer for Brakes for the 80.
Another solid choice for those that want OEM, but cheaper.
I bought a set of rears to Test, but they showed up missing one pad so I never completed my mission (they refunded all my $). Currently I run EBCs on the Front. I think they are called green something. They were ~$45 and they grab well.

 

[Outsane]

The mass differences between drilled and solid is minimal. Especially if you consider the entire hub assembly heat soaks.

Another critical component of the brake system is the brake fluid and should be flushed on a regular basis. Good pads and rotors not help stopping power if they are filled with water and air.

I have experience with hi temp pads, it's true that cold bite is not as good. After the brake system warmed up they are spectacular and will stay warm for a while. Warming up the brake system can happen in the first couple of 25 mph stops.