Time for Front Brakes - What brand?

I've got a 96 Cherokee and it is time to replace front rotors and pads. I've used EBC green stuff before on a Rover and they have been OK. Anybody had good/great success with any other brand of pads/rotors?

I went to Autozone and got brakes from them, I beleive they are Duralast. Its nice because when ever I need new pads, shoes, or calipers, I just take mine off, bring them to autozone, and they give me new ones for free.

x2 on the AutoZone. Make sure to get the silver. They are a little softer than the gold and don't squeal as bad.

both Zone and Advance offer a "Gold" series of pads that are 'vehicle specific friction material' If you were happy with the original brakes, these will satisfy equally. Turn the rotors and lube the caliper mounting hardware and you should not hear any squeeks or squeals as both of these pads come with anti-rattle shims installed to reduce harmonic vibrations (squealing)
--Shorty

Anybody try these out? http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=SUM%2DDSEP%2D5115L&N=700+4294908280+4294908279+4294924677+4294922533+115&autoview=sku

They look like a decent deal at $60/side.

I tend to stick to Bendix, Raybestos, or Wagner.

Haven't tried slotted/drilled rotors yet, but since my rig is mainly a road-warrior, they're on my list...

would want to know who made 'em for Summit before I bought them-- there are some real cheapo Chineese rotors out there that could warp or break and that doesn't sound like much fun!
--Shorty

I prefer Bendix SUV

Does anyone like napa for brakes and rotors?

PS
When you shop at NAPA do they make there own parts so they are the brand?

NAPA (and most other "house" brands) parts are not mady by the store chain - they're usually rebrands of someone else.

Example - my local has a "house brand" of filters - they're rebranded Wix. They even use the same part numbers. However, they're also a buck or two cheaper.

Kragen's "house brand" of filters are made by Fram.

You start to get the idea... Kinda like TRW - they don't make parts, they just distribute them.

Begster said:

I went to Autozone and got brakes from them, I beleive they are Duralast. Its nice because when ever I need new pads, shoes, or calipers, I just take mine off, bring them to autozone, and they give me new ones for free.

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How long have you been running the AutoZone pads?

I installed some Duralast pads last June and I SWEAR they are awfully worn for not even a year of use....

My Chrysler rotors from June also warped within a month or two. Of course they were free, because they were part of a recall.....but still......warped rotors suck.

Same here with the duralast pads, and my valuecraft rotors squeek a lot...Im looking into the summit ones but Id like to see if anyones had any experience with them first, they look decent but like someone said they could be chinese junk.

you guys keep mentioning a chinese junk, How are you gonna fit one of hese on a Jeep?

BBeach said:

Same here with the duralast pads, and my valuecraft rotors squeek a lot...Im looking into the summit ones but Id like to see if anyones had any experience with them first, they look decent but like someone said they could be chinese junk.

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My Duralast pads also squeak. I wonder if they are down to the "warning" squeaking things to tell you that they are worn! In a hundred or so miles it'll be time for a tire rotation so I'll inspect then them.

Any idea why they'd be worn in less than 365 days?

Brake system is working properly!

BBeach said:

Anybody try these out?

They look like a decent deal at $60/side.

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If you want to do the more challenging Auto-X courses or road races, you've picked the wrong vehicle. As well, I doubt those rotors would be any good on a proper race vehicle.

They are most likely, cheapo replacement rotors that a fly-by-night company bought up, sent to a machine shop to have holes drilled in them and slots cut into the surface. That is the ABSOLUTE WRONG WAY to make SLOTTED AND DRILLED ROTORS. Most Porsche racing teams, when they get a new Porsche, take the OEM slotted & drilled rotors (made the right way) off and put on solid rotors. In many race conditions, the effects of the holes and slots hurt more than they help, some race conditions they do help more, but its usually the more severe race conditions.

On the street, they are nothing but show. The only thing the drilling and cutting has done to that replacement rotor, that was NEVER Designed to be drilled or cut, is too reduce the mass (a direct relationship to the heat absorption) and hurt performance and weaken the structure, making it more likely to warp or crack.

Warping rotors come from either inferior rotors or overheating the good rotors. Riding brakes down mountain sides, or standing on the brakes after you overheat them, so the pressure deforms the softened metal, etc.

Get good quality replacement rotors, no holes or slots. NAPA sells them for like $60 a side, never tried them, but I have YET to receive an inferior quality part from NAPA, something you can NOT say about Auto-Zone, AdvanceAuto or CarQuest.

As far as pads, I get the NAPA "AE" pads, about $55. "AE" is in the part number, they call them "Premium", but its their mid-level pad, not the cheapest not the most expensive. It comes with the anti-rattle shims, etc.

There is also a new, supposedly impartial, certification, DEA3? for brake parts, If it gets the certification it means the parts will perform as well or better than OEM on the vehicle. The pads/rotors I buy all have that certification on the box. I did some reading about it a few years ago, seemed like a good idea, but I don't really look it when selecting pads/shoes, it just seems that I see it always on the box for the pads/shoes I buy. Funny, the only set of pads I've bought that did NOT have that seal on the box, a cheapo auto-zone set I put on my Neon R/T, performed horribly, definitely longer stop distance than OEM. So, that seal just might mean something, seems every brake part I've been pleased with the performance had the seal, every part I was disappointed did NOT have the seal. Yes, antidiotal, but it appears to be something to look for when buying pads.

Do I see an extra hole drilled in that rotor?

Yep, I see an extra hole, out of pattern in that picture as well? Do you think an illegal immigrant working the drill press on a stack of cheapo replacement rotors, messed up and drilled in the wrong spot?

Yeah I noticed the rows of holes aren't equal around the entire rotor. I wonder if that messes up balance?

I liked the Raybestos semi-metallic on the front, but can't get them anymore through Pep Boys or Farm & Fleet. I've got their "ceramic" pads on the truck right now, but don't like those as much, rims are cleaner though.

Rick Anderson said:

If you want to do the more challenging Auto-X courses or road races, you've picked the wrong vehicle. As well, I doubt those rotors would be any good on a proper race vehicle.

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Did I say anything at all about autocrossing my jeep...I dont think anyone in their right mind (i know people have) would take a jeep out there. All I was wondering is if they were decent, it was a low price and people claim they make them stop faster with less fade. My cheapo valuecraft rotors are fine right now, they can be locked up and idc for fade anyways because I usually plan to slow down instead of waiting till the last second. The site shows its iron, same as the bendix ( http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=BEN%2D141602&N=700+4294908280+4294908279+4294924677+4294922533+4294839009+401108+115&autoview=sku )Not sure if its a different alloy or what. And why the hell is there that extra hole?