Brake Pads - OEM Vs. others (1 Viewer)

[Aifer]

Hey All,
I'm about 40% of my current brake pads.
I was wondering if the Toyota OEM's are the best or like in Jeep there are other and much better providers sometimes called HD or even have ceramic pads.
Till now, everything I used was OEM.
Thought?
Aifer

 

[bloc]

Hey All,
I'm about 40% of my current brake pads.
I was wondering if the Toyota OEM's are the best or like in Jeep there are other and much better providers sometimes called HD or even have ceramic pads.
Till now, everything I used was OEM.
Thought?
Aifer

Are they doing the job adequately for you? Many people like the OE pads for being quiet and dust free, and perform well enough. Many others that have a lead foot or a heavy build prefer something metallic like the TRD pads, or one of the higher performance options from EBC or Hawk. Those usually come with compromise though, like dust, noise, or much faster rotor wear.

I believe the OE pads are ceramic but could be wrong on that. Even if they are, there are many different compounds of ceramic, or metallic, or whatever, which may offer better performance. The stock ones are pretty good though.

 

[TeCKis300]

Hey All,
I'm about 40% of my current brake pads.
I was wondering if the Toyota OEM's are the best or like in Jeep there are other and much better providers sometimes called HD or even have ceramic pads.
Till now, everything I used was OEM.
Thought?
Aifer

It's about a balance of qualities. Is there a quality you would like to improve upon or is it just the idea of improving something?

For a stock vehicle, used in typical use cases, it's going to be really hard to beat stock pads. They are designed for consistent friction across broad operating temperatures. Tailored for the desired amount of bite and release to be easily modulated. With low dust, noise, and good longevity characteristics. Low wear of the pad but also disk itself. Lower possibility of uneven pad transfer.

Of course, if using it outside of nominal use cases, some of those characteristics can quickly become shortcomings. Things like really hard brake use and/or with really heavy loads is going to want something with a higher coefficient of friction and higher max operating temperature (MOT). Even upsized tires may want more friction to compensate for the leverage lost.

Getting some of those performance qualities is going to compromise things that @bloc brought up. Dust and noise is a big one and your wheels may be forever dirty just after a car wash.

 

[NoClue]

Just wanted to chime in with my 2c. Hawk LT pads are crazy noisy with OEM rotors! Even when break-in procedures were followed to the T

 

[BVE]

40% is plenty of life, so you must be simply lamenting about the marshmallow we all have for a brake pedal. Unless you do a BBK upgrade (which is overkill for most folks’ needs) OEM is the way to go.

 

[CharlieS]

My personal experience is that the tundra TRD are better than stock on the 200. The Stoptech Sport pads, although believed by many to be the same pad compound as the TRD, are more aggressive than I'd like, so I am sure they are different. The Stoptechs are overly grabby at the end of a stop, and very noisy when crawling rocks. I'm going back to Tundra TRD pads next time I need pads, maybe sooner.

 

[LTSR]

My personal experience is that the tundra TRD are better than stock on the 200. The Stoptech Sport pads, although believed by many to be the same pad compound as the TRD, are more aggressive than I'd like, so I am sure they are different. The Stoptechs are overly grabby at the end of a stop, and very noisy when crawling rocks. I'm going back to Tundra TRD pads next time I need pads, maybe sooner.

are these the pads you are referring to?

Toyota Tundra Trd brake pads - front - PTR090C111 - Genuine Toyota Accessory

Whether you’re boulder bashing or stuck in traffic, you quickly realize the left pedal is just as crucial as the right. The enhanced stopping power from TRD brake pads helps decrease stopping distance. Aramid- and ceramic-strengthened compound helps deliver an optimum combination of cold and hot...

parts.toyota.com

 

[CharlieS]

Yes. That link says no longer available. Bummer.

 

[CO18Cruiser]

EBC Extra Duty (orange) pads and BSD rotors.

 

[Aifer]

After replacing the front pads, original Toyota, they stay noisy on small dragging brake (like when parking).
My mechanic suggested to try another set (original). Ideas?

 

[04UZJ100]

After replacing the front pads, original Toyota, they stay noisy on small dragging brake (like when parking).
My mechanic suggested to try another set (original). Ideas?

Try bedding them in.

 

[NKP Garage]

If the braking with OEM pads is keeping you happy, just stick to stock. If you are looking for more braking power and less brake fade under heavy load the Powerstop Z36 setup is a great option and worked really well for me:

Builds - LX570 - Maintain Restore and Mod

I mounted it here, and angled it all the way up so that it is out of the way and my knee doesn't touch it. Worked out perfect.

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[goldwater58]

After going through 2 sets of OEM rotors with what I felt were normal/well mannered braking habits, I decided to switch up pads (I suspected uneven pad deposits on the rotors).

I settled on the Hawk LTS pads. Performance has been fine so far, but they are a bit noisy, even with brake grease and following the bed in procedure. If it keeps my current set of rotors happy, I'll probably stick with them and live with a little noise.

 

[Aifer]

Try bedding them in.

after further research I discovered that my mechanic didn't install the brake pads shims from the used pads... picture attached.
ordered a new shims set and will install them next week with some copper grease between the shim and the pad.

 

[TeCKis300]

after further research I discovered that my mechanic didn't install the brake pads shims from the used pads... picture attached.
ordered a new shims set and will install them next week with some copper grease between the shim and the pad.

View attachment 3336805

I find there's some tailoring or tuning that can be done with or without the shims. Classically, the OEM setup will have 2 shims: middle layer with lots of reliefs that keeps grease captive and a stainless shim against the piston.

More and more aftermarket pads come with some backing already bonded to the steel brake shoe. I would just add the stainless shim over that. Looks like some newer Toyota/Lexus have this setup as well.

Basically saying you may not want to add all the shims back. I find less shims to also give a more direct/positive brake pedal.

 

[Aifer]

and what about squeaking noise when lightly pressed? I suspect that is the reason after the pads replacement.

 

[BadReligion]

I just swapped out some OEM pads (had 55k mi on the originals, they did well but were down to nothing up front) with Stoptech Z36, since the TRD tundra pads are not currently available.

I tow a travel trailer and sometimes my 80, both of which weigh over 6000lbs so a slightly more aggressive pad was necessary. I feel like the Z36 pads definitely provide a firmer feel and less fade under heavy braking. My original rear pads were at like 70% but I changed them out too so the pad compounds were the same front to rear.

 

[El Skywalker]

Some aftermarket pads have removed the asbestos from their compound making them wear quicker.
Toyota did not do that, that is one of the reasons I would stick with OEM.

EDIT: Fellow mudder pointed out that they DO NOT use asbestos in brake pads anymore.
The more you know

 

[DenverLX]

I have used OEM on my 200, however I used aftermarket rotors and pads on my 100 and I regretted it. The pads and rotors were way more expensive and I believe they wore out quicker, and made noise. I didn't notice a difference in braking either.

I live in Colorado and tow a trailer up and down the mountain passes constantly so I just know that I am going to wear out brakes more quickly and I don't want to deal with the added expense and effort it takes to use aftermarket stuff. OEM for me.

 

[TeCKis300]

and what about squeaking noise when lightly pressed? I suspect that is the reason after the pads replacement.

I've tried a couple combinations of shims on the LTX pads. Even with all shims: stainless, sandwich plate, and bonded plate, it'll squeak on light applications. I've even added a second wishbone spring trying to get the pad off the rotor more positively. Inevitably while crawling through the school parking lot for dropoff - my kids and I joke about the squeaky mouse under the car. I'd recommend running the stainless shim.

That's the price I'll pay for more aggressive friction for 35s. The LTX also has great qualities elsewhere with less dust, higher maximum operating temperature (MOT) for towing safety.