DanMaxima

Well I'm due for a brake pad change and was wonder what you guys use nowadays. I used to have a set that was really dustly. What I got now is not nearly as dusty, but they have no...bite I guess you would say. Really had to hit the brakes hard this winter, like a wood on metal kind of feel. Would gladly trade low dust for bite.

I'm currently looking at:
[41000K] FRONT BRAKE PAD SET
Hitachis OEs
Performance Friction, Z-Rated

The slots in pads of the 1st link would result in greater bite than those in the 2nd link, right? I saw the Performance Friction Z-Rated recommended somewhere, but there was no elaboration. Thoughts? FrozenRotors also has the non-Z for <$60.

Feldman

iTrader: (1)

Hawk HPS

you wont want race pads, they don't bite at all unless you get them warmed up first

SiathLinux

I'm currently 1/2 way through the ones that came on the car (I only got it a little over a month ago).
I however almost always use Performance Friction Carbon Metallic - (The Z rated is 'new' and I've not needed brakes since those came out, may try them on the Maxima).

I can say on the 280ZX and the 280ZXt they stopped better than stock, they don't create as much 'black dust' on the wheels as other brands, and I've never had a pad failure (ie pad disconnecting from it's backing plate).

Just my 2 cents on brakes.

oh, one more thing - they do make them for Brembo and other major 'aftermarket' brands of 'rotor / caliper combination.
FYI - the Frozen Rotor site doesn't seem to list many pads - and I know they make them for a lot more models than they show - ie my 88 200SX (CA20e/5MT/RWD) had them, and I had front and rear rotors...

99BlackMaxMS

iTrader: (85)

OEM Nissan Pads

tigersharkdude

iTrader: (20)

Duralast Gold Cmax ceramic pads from autozone. you just cant beat the lifetime warranty

DanMaxima

Are you referring to the first link or the second? There seems to be a difference between the two (the Hitachis lack that center groove).

Good point on the z-rated being a no go, requiring warmup et al. I heard you can get Performance Frictions at autozone so I'm going to see if I can get the 'carbon metallic' locally and utilize the lifetime warranty (still can't believe they do that).

IlyaK

iTrader: (47)

PBR Axxis Ultimate. Bite good, but kinda noisy. And dust more than I thought they would.

99BlackMaxMS

iTrader: (85)

I was just saying what I was using. I had OEM pads on the car when I got it, and got a good 45K miles out of them from my driving alone. I just put new ones on last weekend.

NIGHTMAREuki

iTrader: (3)

Hawk HPS

bed them in properly and they will be best pads ever

DanMaxima

Where did you buy yours from?

It's seems like I just had the pads replaced. I want to say the car originals lasted me until past 60k, so my current ones lasted 20-30k (I'm at 90k).


The Hawk HPS -- what kind of lifespan are you guys getting with these?

Afterlife

iTrader: (1)

Stock 07-08 Altima pads Nissan has a TSB for brake noise and it replaces the pads and hardware so i now have an unlimited supply of "stock" pads with less then 10k miles on them.They are the same pad as a stock 4th gen pad.
With so many i have done i have a bucket at the house full of nothing but pads/hardware where i've swapped them out.

99BlackMaxMS

iTrader: (85)

I bought them from a Nissan Dealership If you go that route, try Dave Burnette at South Point Nissan, as he will give you a good discount on OEM parts. Search here for his #, as I don't remember it off hand.

I know that they were on the car before I got them, and I did some pretty aggressive driving (and braking) in the 45-50K miles since I have bought the car, so I would say that they have a pretty darn good lifespan.

They are a little pricey though, the fronts retail for $82 and the rears are $72, respectively. Worth it to me though.

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

Wagner Quite Stops

maxx0831

iTrader: (2)

hawks HPS, the best pads Ive used...a little noisey and alot of brake dust but great stopping power

ColombianMax

iTrader: (7)

Must be nice lol... I'll take a pair or two

Shock_and_Awe

I am in the same boat. I have Brembo Blanks front & rear sitting in my garage. Looking for pads now. I pm'd a few senior veterans on the forum about their opinions. Still need to decide between the following:

1. Centric Posi-Quiet Ceramic Pads With Shims
2. Satisfied GranSport GS6 Carbon Ceramic Pads
3. Akebono Street Ceramic Performing Pads
4. Wagner QC537 ThermoQuiet Ceramic Pads

balkan

I've been using Akebono Street Performance pads for the past 3k+ miles and I love them.

No noise, almost no brake dust, and great stopping power (even when cold).

max ride 41

iTrader: (4)

glad to see nobody's recommending ebc red stuff which i currently have. track pads, noise is ok, but dust is crazy, wheels are black every day. here's the problem, they're performance pads and my brembo rotors are warping with black heat spots and i do drive aggresively. when i slow to a stop, they dont grab smoothly and hop over the heat spots. i got a warranty and im getting akebono ultimate pads which they recommended for my set up. i thought the ebc's were to bitey, and chewed up my rotors.

Maximeltman

iTrader: (11)

Brembo blanks all 4 corners, Hardex up front, gripforce on rear. works coo.

Nealoc187

iTrader: (23)

I use these on my stock-ish daily driver, and I really like them for a daily driven pad.

HP+ on the street on my 3.5 car, Carbotech XP8s on the track.

Quickywd01

iTrader: (16)

Hawk HPS pads and brembo blank rotors.

cashoit

I had ceramics and they will squeal, not too loud but its def there. jus do some research to see which squeal the most quiet. Stoppin power was a lil better than tradional but not worth the noise...JMO

I went back to traditional pads from autozone and all is quiet now

RUDENESS

how much did the pads cost you?

aackshun

iTrader: (3)

PBR Metal Masters

Shock_and_Awe

Thanks for the info cashoit. I finally pulled the trigger on Akebono Street Performance for front and Wagner Therms for rear. We shall see. My car is loooooong overdue for maintenance overhaul/upgrades. Not to get off topic, but, just ordered the following from energysuspensionparts.com due to I am getting a lot of play with steering after my new struts were installed and a little dissapointed with performance:

Front Control Arm Bushings
Front Sway Bar Bushings - 20mm
MOOG-ES3438 - Front Outer Tie Rod End
MOOG-EV352 - Inner Tie Rod End

While installing struts, 1st mech stated my LCA needed to be replaced immediately. Several days later, had 2 front snow tires replaced w/Eage GT's and 2nd mech at diff shop said he didn't see anything wrong with LCA, but, tie rods are definately shot. I'm thinking to myself...wtf is this!!....
Kind of getting fed up. Makes you want to take courses in auto repair.
Anyway, having Brembo rotors, pads and all stuff aboved installed soon. I wonder if any licensed NJ mech org member wants to pick up a little extra cash and case of beer to do this work....

cashoit

I cant even tell u. I dont do my own brakes cuz i dont have jacks. I let my mechanic do it for me. Told him i wanted ceramics and new rotors, top line shyt . Total was $180w/ labor.

I saw all the old parts so i kno he swapped them and it stopped a lil better with ceramics. Breakes felt tighter too. But when applyin brakes and slowing down from 15-0 mph, there was a quiet squeal. It used to **** me the hell off . THat was the old max.

The max i have now, i swapped to tradional metallic and i dont hear nothing when slowing.

cashoit

YO man, u can see if they are bad urself. If They rusted to hell then replace em.

imports_only1

i only use OEM pads...everything i've tried are either too noisy, squeeks, too much dust, or needs to be warm to be effective. i don't race or drive aggressive. i prefer the smooth, quiet, linear stopping power of oem brake pads.

VQuick

iTrader: (17)

Bumping an old thread because Centric Posi Quiet pads were mentioned. I just bought a set of these for my '99. One of each pair of pads (front and rear) comes with a metal bracket that sticks out about 1" from the back of the pad. This is attached to the pad; it is not the brackets that go into the caliper. Any idea where this goes? Is this the correct pad for the Maxima?

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

akebono slotted rotors and pads

svezarov

VQuick,

are you referring to the metal piece that starts squealing when the pad gets to its minimum thickness? This metal piece is on every other pad and has to be installed on the inner side of the rotor.

VQuick

iTrader: (17)

Maybe. I've just never seen it on the OEM pads or the Porterfield pads that I had before. Photo below, let me know if you can't see it:

zach90z

iTrader: (1)

Hawk HPS is what I just installed and they are great make sure you bed them in properly

svezarov

correct. I can see it loud and clear. Once your pad gets worn down almost to nothing but not completely these metal brackets start touching the rotor and you will hear high pitched squeal that tells you "time to change pads"...

joshmachine

Like the previous member said, this lets you know when to change the pads. you can see how it works if you look at it closely. starts where the pad thickness is almost nothing..but check the positioning of this when you install. leading edge vs trailing edge with the rotation of the tires and inside vs outside of the rotors.
on mine, they are on the outside for front and inside for the rear.

VQuick

iTrader: (17)

Thanks. Does it go on the trailing edge of the pad?

Nealoc187

iTrader: (23)

it doesn't matter unless your pads wear unevenly (they shouldn't but if your old ones did then I'd install it on the side that got the lowest prior to changing).

i can't believe you've never seen the wear indicator before. some pads don't come with them but the vast majority do.

VQuick

iTrader: (17)

Welp, I've owned my Maxima for almost 10 years and this is only the second brake job I've done. I don't drive it very much, and most of the miles are highway miles.