You're close on the price, but all the prices are shipped prices. You are only a few bucks low depending on which unitbearing you have. There are two common ones which determine which rotor you have.
In all the years I've been building, designing, manufacturing, and then testing brakes, the search for and testing of brake pad compounds is something that I'm not particularly fond of, but regard as a necessary evil. Like you, when I first started, I didn't know much different and figured pads are pads. After doing long term testing on at least 20 different brands and compounds within brands I discovered nothing could be further from the truth.
I've tested Morse, Hawk, Axxess, PFC, Centric, EBC, offerings from Raybestos, Wagner, and NAPA and now Black Magic Brakes.
When I found the BMB pads and tested them myself, I found them to be far better than the EBC yellowstuff which was my all time highest performing pad. I was blown away with how good they were and being the cynic that I tend to be when it comes to brakes, I bought 5 sets and had others test them for me with a few stipulations.
The test had to be public as in no communication with me before posting the results. I did not want anyone to think I had vetted the results before they were posted.
The rigs had to be running larger tires and be current users of Centric Premium rotors and EBC yellow pads. It's easy to look good if someone is running crap brakes, it's harder if they are already running the best we can find.
This thread was the result, please ignore some of my coy drivel at the beginning as we were pretty unsure how stuff would be taken, so we kept a lot of information to ourselves at first.
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f9/vanco-brake-pad-evaluation-1104156/index36.html
All that said, I'm now in a bit of a quandary. I don't think we are approved vendors over here and I certainly don't want to step on anyone's toes. We pay our vendor fees on a lot of boards and we certainly don't appreciate when someone tries to sneak in the back door without paying.
I was asked to pop in and clear up some things which I'm trying to do.
I guess the best way to handle it is by not responding to anyone contacting me on this board about brakes.
As for you believing one way or another, if you wish to test some parts and provide an unbiased opinion, we can arrange that. If they aren't the best stock replacement pads and rotors you've ever used, then you don't have to pay for them. If they are, you send me the full price. I only ask that you follow my instructions to the letter.
If you want to do that, you are the only one I will respond to about brakes on here and you can post any correspondence between you and I publicly whether it's a PM, email, or phone conversation.
Last caveat concerning this. If this post bothers anyone and it needs to go away, please let me know and it's gone.
group members have always been good to me! I just got to figure out how!:looney:
