If your Toyota’s brake pads have become screeching lunacy, like mine have, then… Clearly, now is the time to swap them out.
Confusion is a common occurrence on Toyota forums. What brake pads are the best option? Which is better, OEM or aftermarket?
For a Tundra, for instance, these OEM Toyota brake pads are the best option. Simply keep your old shims because the kit doesn’t come with them.
I’ll tell you why and how I advise you to use aftermarket parts with different models. I’m referring to:
If not off-roading, the Toyota Tacoma and 4Runner: Akebono; if off-roading and towing, this PowerStop Z36.
Before I go into detail about each model’s reviews, I’d like to list a few companies that you can typically rely on. These are made by a reputable company that excels in performance measures, and the products will last you for a very long period.
What are the brands then? These things:
The latter two are generally excellent, but I don’t think their strongest suit is with Toyota applications. Despite being strong overall, I’d pick the first three. Additionally, ACDelco is a wonderful brand, but I’d save them for US-made automobiles because they don’t work well with Japanese production.
Let’s now examine each model and application in more detail.
To find the information that applies to your car, use the Table of Contents.
In This Article...
Which brake pads are suggested?
Which brake pad, whether ceramic, semi-metallic, or organic, is the best option for you? It depends on the ride quality you expect from your car, the manufacturer’s recommendations, and your driving habits.
Semi metallic brake pads are perhaps a better option if you drive your car like a high-performance sports car or own one. On the other side, if you commute frequently in cities, a solid ceramic brake pad would be a better choice. The best, least expensive alternative for your driving habits may be an organic brake pad if you don’t put a lot of mileage on your car.
Regardless of the kind you pick, make sure you routinely get your brakes tested and your brake pads replaced. When the metal tang at the pad’s base squeals when it makes contact with the rotor, your brake pads are worn out and need to be replaced. All varieties of brake pads include tangs that serve as wear indicators; if you hear one, don’t put off getting new brake pads for too long. The choice therefore is yours between organic brake pads for a cost-effective solution or ceramic brake pads against metallic brake pads.
The comparison of some of the differences between organic, ceramic, and metallic brake pads is shown in the straightforward table below.
Which brake pads work better: ceramic or metallic?
Simple differences in the materials utilized to make each brake pad account for the distinction between ceramic and semi-metallic brake pads.
There are specific scenarios where ceramic and semi-metallic brake pads both offer different benefits when selecting one for a vehicle.
Most drivers choose semi-metallic brakes because they offer superior braking across a wider variety of temperatures and situations, making them ideal for performance vehicles, track driving, or when towing. They are constructed from a material that effectively conducts heat, which enables them to sustain higher temperatures during braking while also assisting the cooling process. Semi-metallic brake pads typically cost between organic and ceramic brake pads but can be noisier than ceramic brake pads.
Even though they are noisier, ceramic brake pads can quickly recover from extremely high temperatures, meaning less rotor damage. Compared to semi-metallic brake pads, ceramic brake pads produce a finer dust when they wear, which leaves less debris on the wheels of the car. When compared to semi-metallic brake pads, ceramic brake pads often last longer and, throughout their lifecycle, offer greater noise management and less rotor wear and tear without compromising braking performance. Research is required before choosing between ceramic and semi-metallic brake pads because not all car makes and models are compatible with ceramic brake pads.
You may choose the ideal brake pads to match the particular vehicle and driving requirements of your customer by being aware of how brake pads work and how various brake pad materials are best suited for certain purposes.
Does purchasing OEM brake pads make sense?
OEM parts are the same as the parts that were initially installed at the factory; OEM stands for original equipment manufacturer. Every component you see on a new car is an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) part.
The quality of an OEM replacement component is ensured when you purchase one because it was created especially for your vehicle. This is especially true of brake pads because braking systems are frequently created to maximize the performance of a particular pad. Several factors make OEM brake pads crucial:
- A system that has been expertly balanced includes brake pads. There’s a fair chance that the brake system in your car was built around the brake pads the manufacturer selected. This is due to the fact that brake pads serve as the brake system’s “heart.” The system will be noisy and produce a lot of dust if it isn’t built with the pads in mind.
- OEM pads often produce little to no dust and are quiet. One of the most common complaints that buyers have about their vehicles is brake noise, which is bothersome. OEM pads are frequently made to be silent. Regarding brake dust, it can corrode rims in addition to making them appear bad. OEM pads are made to create little to no dust.
- OEM pads are produced with meticulous precision. Fitting brake pads correctly is crucial since a pad that isn’t exactly the right size or dimension will function poorly. These problems can occasionally just be loud noise (squealing and scraping), a lot of dust, or a limited lifespan. Because of the precise tolerances required by Honda, OEM pads fit perfectly.
- Your safety depends on your brake pads. Honda and other major automakers are aware that their customers’ safety and wellbeing are crucial to the success of their business. Therefore, OEM brake pads are always of the highest caliber.
Are brake pads that cost more worth it?
You can be sure that budget brake parts will function as intended because they must still adhere to requirements established by vehicle manufacturers. Premium brake pads, however, will work better in specific circumstances.
Increased stopping power and reduced brake fade are potential benefits of premium pads. This implies that braking effectiveness will not change as brake temperature rises as a result of frequent braking. High-end brake pads and rotors may provide some drivers a superior “brake feel” since they appear smoother and more accurate during braking.
Is Akebono a reliable name?
Some aftermarket brake pads don’t offer the same value as OE brake pads. Some aftermarket brake pads far surpass those made by original equipment manufacturers in quality. Choosing a reputed brand is the greatest method to get a better pad.
We have examined hundreds of various brake pads as brake pad experts. We can confirm that Akebono is one of the top manufacturers of brake pads.
A well-known company with a history in the brake parts sector is Akebono. More specifically, ceramic friction technology is an area where Akebono is renowned for breaking new ground. The brake pads from Akebono are made of a unique combination of ceramic compositions. These compositions offer a plethora of advantages that significantly elevate Akebono brake pads beyond their OEM competitors. These advantages consist of:
- increased pad life
- more forceful halting
- increased rotor life
- less sand
We offer three types of top-notch Akebono brake pads. Let’s examine each one’s main focus.
How are OEM brake pads made?
Some aftermarket producers advertise the “OE-quality” of their brake pads. Are these brake pads just as effective as genuine OEM brake pads, and what exactly does it mean?
OE-quality and OEM are not synonymous terms. The distinction between these two terms is as follows:
- The maker of original equipment makes OEM brake pads.
- Aftermarket vendors that assert their brake pads are constructed to OEM specifications produce OE-quality brake pads.
The “OE-quality label is uncontrolled,” which is the issue with OE-quality brake pads. Because of this, practically any aftermarket manufacturer might use it to their products. There isn’t a set of OE-quality standards to adhere to. There is no true way to tell if all brake pads described as OE-quality are actually produced in accordance with OEM specifications.
To be safe, we don’t believe that OE-quality brake pads are on par with genuine OEM brake pads.
What brakes are the finest to purchase?
Akebono’s ProACT Ultra-Premium Ceramic Brake Pad Set is a high-quality alternative, available for American and Asian automobiles, despite being a little more expensive than other choices on this list. You can be sure you’re getting an OE-quality product that is appropriate for the vast majority of automobile owners because Akebono is the largest supplier of OE pads and the preferred option of automakers in North America.
These brake pads are made using friction compositions that are vehicle-optimized with an eye toward minimizing brake dust and decreasing noise, vibration, and harshness. These are excellent OE ceramic brake pad replacements, but they can also be used to replace standard brake pads.
These brake pads will not only offer minimal dusting and smooth braking but also better pad wear performance, resulting in longer intervals before requiring replacement brake pads.
Which company makes the greatest brake pads and rotors?
Since the middle of the 1990s, Power Stop has been a reputable manufacturer of some of the highest performance brake rotors. This firm has become one of the leading producers of brake discs in the industry because to the consistent delivery of high-quality products over the years.
The brand’s rotor lines include some well-known items like the Z23 and K200 rotor kits with outstanding ceramic brake pads. Because these discs are made of high-quality stainless steel, the heat generated by friction is distributed evenly.
There are slots and perforations integrated on the discs to keep the rotor surface dry and simple to clean. As a result, water and other debris easily travel through, increasing the car’s braking capability.
This brake kit from this brand would be a great choice for people who appreciate matching brake rotors and brake pads. Although it would seem expensive, investing in it would be profitable because the car would function properly. These rotors are expected to cost between $65.19 and $202.94.
Which brake pads are the most durable?
The strongest and longest-lasting brake pad material on the market is ceramic. The next type of brake pad is metallic and semi-metallic. The market’s softest and least resilient brake pad material is organic rubber.
In order to respond to your inquiry, ceramic brake pads outlast metallic brake pads. They also make less dust and noise. Ceramic brake pads typically cost more than metallic ones because of this.
Why screech ceramic brake pads?
When driving a sports car or taking a city bus, squealing brakes are both inconvenient. Even though it is annoying, Porsche’s engineers want you to know that you shouldn’t be concerned.
The German corporation has created a brief but pretty in-depth film on the topic, most likely so that dealerships can give it to customers or show it to them to help reduce complaints about the problem. In essence, the narrator presents two options: either accept it because Porsche brakes are the best in the world, or constantly accelerate.
Cold brakes can squeal at low speeds in any car, it’s a fact. If the brakes are carbon-ceramic, strong pedal applications at substantially higher speeds are required for the pads and rotors to attain operational temperature. The brakes must be repeatedly stopped from moderate cruising speeds.