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NAPA Safety Stop ceramic pads?

gw204

NAXJA Forum User
Location
St. Leonard, MD
Up until recently I was running Performance Fricition carbon metallic brake pads on the front of my 2000 XJ. They performed well and I never heard a single squeal out of them...not even when they starting tearing into my rotors (no wear indicators on them). I fully intended on getting another set until I learned that 1) the lifetime warranty on them had been discontinued and 2) all Autozone had in stock was the Duralast pads that I have read tend to squeal a lot.

So, I went to NAPA instead and got a set of their Safety Stop ceramic pads. Turns out they squeal like crazy too. Has anyone else experienced this? I'm wondering if I just got a bad set and need to try and return them for another set, or if I should bite the bullet and get something entirely different?

Thanks.
 
did you resurface the rotors? if the rotors are glazed over and you just slapped new pads on there they will squeak every time. Also unless the rotors on your vehicle are specifically designed to have ceramic pads from the factory, installing ceramic pads will shorten the life of the rotors due to the cermaic being deposited on the surface of the rotor itself and causing heat issues.

Safety stop is napa's mid level brand, but i sell the shit out of them and never get any come backs. I don't have any experience with the cermaics but ive had safety stop pads on my XJ for the last 30k miles and they're holding up great.
 
The rotors (also NAPA, part no. NB 4886923, Premium series) were degreased and installed new. I was going to have the existing ones turned but that was $20/rotor whereas new one weren't that much cheaper.

There wasn't anything mentioned on NAPA's website about those rotors not being compatible w/ ceramic pads, so I assumed the combination was OK. Was that a mistake on my part?
 
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it's not that those specific rotors are incompatible, if your brake system from the factory is not designed to run ceramic pads, you shouldn't be using them.

when ceramic pads heat up they deposit small bits of material on the rotors, because they are contacting a material they were not designed to be used with. same thing happens when you use standard pads on a car that was meant for ceramics, but the other way around - the rotors ruin the pads. Over time this can cause all kinds of problems such as premature pad wear, pedal pulsation, and heat cracks in the rotor surface. Your 2000 should have organic compund pads on it which are much softer than the ceramics you put on it. I'm willing to bet this is the cause of your problem.

Any time you change rotors AND pads, there is no reason they should be squealing. the sound is caused by excessive vibration - either from the pads grinding into the rotor surface, or the pads vibrating in the caliper. did you grease up the areas that the caliper contacts the bracket, the spots that the pad contacts the caliper, and lube the sliders on the caliper bolts? I would take the pads back, tell them they squeal something terrible, and you would like to exchange them for the standard organic compound pads. for your 2000 that would be part number : SS7358A for the mid grade pads and number: UP7358A for the top of the line ones.

edit: I just saw you said they want to charge you $20 a rotor to turn them. Holy christ on a hot fudge sunday that's highway robbery.
 
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it's not that those specific rotors are incompatible, if your brake system from the factory is not designed to run ceramic pads, you shouldn't be using them.

Your 2000 should have organic compund pads on it which are much softer than the ceramics you put on it. I'm willing to bet this is the cause of your problem.

Well said. I put ceramic brake pads on my 99 ONCE. No more! They were very tough on my rotors.
 
I didn't lube the spots where the pads contact the calipers or where the calipers mount, but I did lube the sliders. That's all I've done in the past and never had a problem. I don't like to lube spots that are exposed as the lube tends to collect and hold dirt.

Anyway, I'll see if I can return the pads.

Grimm, would you also recommend returning the rotors due to the transfer of material you mentioned?
 
Yama: Yes I've worked at a NAPA store for the last 6 years, been manager for the last 5.

gw: If they are charging you $20 a rotor to do it, I would find somewhere cheaper.. My shop charges $9 each. 20 is robbery. I would have them turned though, yes. especially if the surface of the rotors looks glazed or scored. You probably don't need to but I don't like to cut corners with brakes. Best of luck to you!
 
Almost any performance pad, regardless of material, will give satisfactory performance if the rotors are turned/replaced AND a proper procedure is used to bed in the pads.
 
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