Best Brake Pads For A Daily?

"Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy" (camshaft-chris)
11/18/2016 at 12:13 • Filed to: Ask Oppo, Brake Pads, Daily Driver, Crown Vic, Crown Victoria, Panther

The ‘ole white whale needs a new set a brake pads in the rear, so I figured I’d just go ahead and replace ‘em all while I’m at it. It’s been a long time since I’ve actually bought brake pads for a car, so I figured I’d see what the Oppopinions were. What’s the best brake pad for a daily driver? And..... GO.

DISCUSSION (14)

DW78 > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
11/18/2016 at 12:16

I really like Stoptech “Sport” pads. I have them for a combo street/track pad on my 02 Z06 and I’m quite happy with them

bob and john > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
11/18/2016 at 12:17

w/e is in stock at the auto parts shop

HammerheadFistpunch > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
11/18/2016 at 12:17

Well wood is out, first off and I’d also avoid anything made with dairy or gluten to be safe. Some people have used cell phones but I wouldn’t.

vondon302 > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
11/18/2016 at 12:22

About a month ago I

Kinja'd!!!

put wear master ceramic pads and rotors on my p71. So far they’re great and no squealing. Don’t know if their the best but good price good performance.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
11/18/2016 at 12:37

Organic should be fine for rear, semi-metallic in front if you’re looking at being CHEEP. If you’re looking for something fancier, there is a line of Raybestos pads out there that are supposed to have the best qualities of semi-metallic *and* ceramic, but the car I just put a set on hasn’t really done enough miles to say anything about yet.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
11/18/2016 at 12:42

I’ve always thought Hawk HPS (and whatever they are calling the updated version) represent the best pad you can happily run on a daily driver. Very good bite, great modulation, and good fade resistance (for a street pad) and reasonable life. They tend to match real well with Centric’s high carbon alloy rotors.

I rank stoptech’s sport pads/ whatever the called the old version as a close second. They are very much like the Hawk HPS, but at a much lower price point. I’ve matched them up with Centric’s premium rotors with good results. Over the long run, the stoptech pads are not quite as rotor friendly as HPS pads.

When I want the best, I pick up HPS pads for me street cars with great rotors. When a 90% solution will do (like putting new pads on my mother’s car), I pick up the Stoptech sport pads with very good, but not great rotors. Think of it like buying a Korean car.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
11/18/2016 at 13:48

On the front, I have HPS pads on regular line C-Tek rotors, and the biting power is pretty decent for a Panther. The best part is that they never fade when I’m steadily braking my way down the pretty steep, 4km long hill between my house and town. On the back I have C-Tek rotors but just cheap semi-metallic pads.

Benjamin Rolland > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
11/18/2016 at 13:51

Whatever’s cheapest at auto zone

 > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
11/18/2016 at 14:05

If you are doing brakes on that Vic pictured above I suggest doing 98-02 big brake swap. The improvement in braking performance is night and day.

crowmolly > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
11/18/2016 at 14:24

Same here. I’ve run HPS on all my DDs for years. Only complaint is that they are a bit dusty but it’s totally worth it.

BigBlock440 > Benjamin Rolland
11/18/2016 at 14:37

Not the cheapest, but the next step up, comes with a free replacement set, or they did just a few years ago when I last returned them.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > crowmolly
11/18/2016 at 14:59

I found that any pad worth running is dusty. I think of it as a prerequisite.

crowmolly > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
11/18/2016 at 15:04

Also true!

Sidwndr > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
11/18/2016 at 17:02

If you plan on keeping it awhile, get the lifetime warranty ones from autozone. As long as there is pad left, tgey replace for free. Have done this 4 times now on my suburban