PeTeRtheEaTeR

can anyone suggest or recommend me what company I should use when I change my brake pads? I think I'm going to paint my brake calipers also. Spray paint good? Any suggestions or advice is welcome. Thanks.

happyricefob

iTrader: (7)

i highly recommend raybesto quietstop and OEM brake pads. if i could do my brake pads over again i would take raybesto over hawk HP.

spray and pray your brake caliper requires a simple can of high-color engine paint. it should be $3-4/can at your local autoshop. i used dupli-color.

PeTeRtheEaTeR

raybesto's are brake pads? where can I get these? I don't want to get it from the dealership cuz they tend to rip people off sometimes. I just want to pick up something from Kragen that would work.

Teameyekon

If you are keeping your factory rotors then you need to stay with the Akebono pad...They will cost you a little more than those knock-offs, but they will take care of you rotors a little better. Plus no other pad really stops our cars like Akebono's. I tried to use some cheap ones once and I almost had to lay Maxine to rest on 395S in DC...I got cut off at like 90mph and had to use the shoulder for extra stopping room. Trust me! Use the Akebono's.

PeTeRtheEaTeR

well i went to Kragen and all they had was raybestos. Which one should I use with my factory rotors? there was the organic ones for $37 and the ceramic ones for $50 or $60 i forget. I just want long lasting pads that work great.

Teameyekon - I have to use Akebono pads with stock rotors? Why's that? Where can I get the Akebono pads and for how much?

And has anyone ever heard EBC brake pads? A friend recommended them to me and he told me they don't leave brake dust and last a long time.

My situation right now is that I have to change all 4 brake pads and I was wondering how hard this was going to be. I read the instructions and it doesn't sound all that hard but I'd rather hear it from someone who has done all 4 before. The brake pads i have on right now was done by a mechanic and these pads lasted a long time so if changing them myself was going to be too hard then I was just going to take it back to him and have him do all 4 for me.

Brudaddy

iTrader: (2)

OkayPetertheEAter....here is the deal....I will try to answer all your questions as best I can. I actually have a little experience in this area:

1. I have EBC Greenstuff pads on my daily driver maxima. Result: very long lasting....not so little dust. They claim to be really low dust, but are not. I have been happy with the stopping power and the wear on them though. They have been seemingly good to my rotors(I have OEM rotors, by the way).
2. I have heard so many recommendation for the Raybestos Quietstop(I don't know of the make up of these, but just get the ones that say Quietstop on them). They are supposed to be lower dust than others and don't squeal and still wear well. They perform well from everything I have read on them. I will be changing to them as soon as the EBC wear out(I have had them on there for a year and they are about halfway worn...ha ha).
3. I would just stick with stock rotors. If you do a lot of just around town driving, you should do this especially. The reason being....you will be grating up your pads like a cheese grater if you get slotted or drilled for all that driving. The OEM's are cheap and work well($20 a piece, you should be able to get them at a local parts store).
4. Any other questions, just ask...

PeTeRtheEaTeR

thanks brudaddy for the help. But one more thing, where can I get a set of EBCs for both front and rear and for how much?

Brudaddy

iTrader: (2)

I would not highly recommend the EBC's. I can say that because I have had them on for a year. The biggest reasons I don't like them are as follows:
1. Pricey....I think my front pads were like $60-65, if I remember right
2. They dust too much. I mean, EBC says that they really don't dust, but they do....a lot.

Truthfully, I don't remember where I got them from. I just ordered them from some online place. However, I know that you can get the Raybestos Quietstops from www.rockauto.com and they are very quick to ship. I like their service a lot.

Also, are you sure that you need pads for the rear? I mean, they usually don't even wear out that much. Have you taken them off and looked at them?

PeTeRtheEaTeR

oh i had the impression that you liked the EBCs. Well, I don't mind the dusting because I have black wheels and I don't think the dust would show. I just want long lasting, quiet brakes for little money.
Yeah I need rear's because as the car moves, something under my car squeals and I was told by the Audi mechanic that that's a sign telling you that the rear brakes need replacing. And he showed me the brake pad and it was gone. So I guess it comes down to two. Either Raybesto quietstop or EBC greenstuff. Which one should I get?

I just visited rockauto.com and they're prices are very cheap. I just saw the Raybesto Ceramic (quietstop) for 79 for all four (part #pgd653qs & #pgd540qs) which is pretty cheap. Or should I settle with Acdelco? It's 69 bux for their part #17d540 & #17d653. Or maybe go down more? I don't know how to shop for brakes so bare with me.

Brudaddy

iTrader: (2)

Based on how many of the .orgers recommend the Raybestos Quietstop, I would get those over the ACDelco ones. I already did get those for my next set.

Here is the deal on the rears....did you see that pad that he said was gone? Sometimes, there is that little metal tab on the pads to give you a warning that they are getting kind of low. However, now days, the pad companies are making those tabs come halfway up the pad, so when it starts to alarm you, you still have a long ways to go. Does that make sense? When I get new pads, I tear off that little tab with some pliars. I mean, I rotate my tires every 5k miles so I am under there a lot and can do a quick check to see if they are bad. I don't need some little metal tab telling me when to change them. Besides, that is just to get you to buy pads more often. It is just a big scam.

The EBC's are all right. They are not too terribly quiet all the time, and they are pretty pricey for dusting as much as they do.

Check this out:

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=274201

Also, if you go through www.rockauto.com, use this discount code. It will at least help you on the shipping...


- You give this discount code: 8311393101 to friends, neighbors,
relatives, the guy at the corner garage--anyone you know who
works on cars or trucks.
- When someone places an order at www.rockauto.com and enters
your discount code in the "How did you hear about us" line of
the shopping cart, he or she will receive an immediate 5%
discount on that order.
- The discount code expires on May 11, 2004; so don't wait!

**Each month we see people who put the word "discount" in front
of their code and do not get the discount. Please enter ONLY the
discount code.**


Any other questions, let me know.
BTW, rockauto is fast with shipping and orders.

PeTeRtheEaTeR

Thanks for the discount number. Is there anything else I should buy besides the brake pads? Should I buy a shim kit? What is a shim kit? I'm going to be doing these myself with friends so if there's anything else I should know about, please let me know. Thanks.

Brudaddy

iTrader: (2)

A shim kit is something that goes on the pad between the pad and the caliper housing.
**DO NOT THROW AWAY THE PADS BEFORE YOU GET YOUR OLD SHIM OFF OF THEM!**

1. Your pads right now should have a shim on each of them. It is just a thin piece of metal that is inbetween the caliper housing and the pad itself. It clips onto the back of the pads. They are meant to just be used again and again. Just take them off of your old ones, and clip them to the new ones.

2. You will probably want to get this goo stuff (either it comes in your box with the pads....some manufacturers do that..........or you can go buy some in little packets from like Autozone or something) for very cheap that you put on the back of your pad. It goes inbetween the pad and the shim to keep down wheel squeal. It is just an anti-friction type of thing. with your shim being metal, the shim being metal, and the caliper being metal....that is the formula for squeal without some lube.

3. You will also want to rip off that little clip thing that warns you when the pads get too low. I would recommend that you do this so that you don't waste pad. If you rotate your tires often (you should every oil change), you will be able to get under there every once in a while and check the pads. It is very easy to do.

4. Make sure to check out your rotors while you are under there. If they are notched or look like they have a lot of wear, you might want to just replace them. You can get some generic blanks for like $20 that will do just fine with your high grade pads.

PeTeRtheEaTeR

thanks dude, i'll let u know how it goes after i get done replacing them. Thanks again. Bye

Brudaddy

iTrader: (2)

Cool. No problem.
Let me know.