So in preparation to order Lady's front end rebuild parts from rockauto, I hit a snag when i got to the disc brake pads. Actually it was more like a bird flying into a window.

There are SOOOO many to choose from!!
There is a selection of cheapies $10-20, daily driver grades $15-35, and high performance ones $40-55.

I prefer brands i heard of like Bendix, Raybestos, AC Delco, and Wagner, but there are still a lot to choose from.

There are organic, semi-metallic, and ceramic. However, there is even an economy ceramic and hipo ceramic.

ALL of Raybestos ones are specified as for only 4-doors - I did not know there was a difference.

The pads that she is wearing now stop her okay at low speeds, but at high speeds, a panic stop is, well just that...
They were replaced before i picked up the car, so i bet they are whatever cheapos the PO's mechanic put on it.

All I want is very good braking performance in an emergency highway situation. I do not do the stoplight drag races that most people do.
She averages about 2000 miles a year but most is highway. She is all stock. Are the expensive ones much better than the mid-range ones?
I am pretty sure I do not want organic...

Any suggestions? Recommendations?

 

Get pads that aren't riveted. If you get riveted pads and they wear too far then the rivets will eat away at the rotors. This happened to my 75 Chevy Caprice in high school.

Of course, we know you wouldn't let the pads get that bad. That is just usually how I determine what pads or shoes I buy.

 

Good point - no rivets.
I had a bad brake hose cause a caliper on my Ford to stick, and the rivets made some very nasty grooves, almost rendering it useless. It is still a little warped, as the stupid parts shop workers could not chuck it in a vice straight even after two attempts. I gave up as it is too close to the discard limit now...

 

What's wrong with organics? Get a brand name SOFT pad for best braking performance. Yeah, it means changing pads more often, but the difference in braking is worth it to me.

Semi-metallics are an option, but I would not use ceramic on a car that old unless it has serious brake upgrades. I'd think they'd be incompatible with the rotor material and would eat it away quickly. Metallic will be bad enough about that.

And I'm one of the few who prefers riveted linings over bonded. I've had more than a few sets of bonded shoes/pads that were chatterboxes. Even had a couple break loose from their backplate.

To my knowledge four-door brakes are no different than coupe/convertible brakes. Not sure where that came from. Maybe like the Supreme headers myth.

 

I have had real good luck with EBC pads. I do a lot of stop and go driving and I am very happy with there lack of fading. They definitely cost more than generic auto parts store pads. I also put their Yellowstuff pads on my truck and it made a difference to me. I pull a 15k lb trailer, again in stop and go traffic, and it is much less stressful. None of the EBC pads I have purchased make any noise.

 

Like you said, you probably can't go wrong with a major name brand like Raybestos or Wagner.

 

I bet they don't fit Supremes either...

Obviously, there is no difference between 2dr and 4dr brakes.

As for riveted vs. bonded, I'll leave you with one horror story. My very first car was a 1968 Vista Cruiser with 4 wheel drums. I replaced the front shoes with bonded and the linings disbonded on me after about a month. That was exciting. I do believe this was a workmanship problem, since I've used many bonded disk pads since then with no issues. I do prefer riveted drum shoes, however. If the rivets ever touch the drum, you've gone too long before replacing them anyway.

 

One of the things about RockAuto is the selection can sometimes be overwhelming. Several months ago I replaced the brakes on my 94 Corvette. I knew I needed to replace the rear rotors. I ordered Wagner pads and rotors. I hate to tell you guys I now have a Corvette with rear rotors made in China. Yep, the Wagner rotors were made in China. About a month ago I did the brakes on the front of my 99 Expedition. I ordered from RockAuto again but bought the Motorcraft pads and rotors. I ordered them on Tuesday night and they were here on Thursday. RockAuto is great and I learned about them on this forum.

 

I used Car Quest Gold semi-metallics when I went through the front discs on my '71 SX. Also did the rotors, calipers, brake hoses and wheel bearings. I've bought a lot of their parts lately and have found good quality and prices much lower than NAPA.

 

Organic = Contains no asbestos.

Semi Metallic = More efficient, at the expense of excessive rotor wear.

Ceramic = High fade resistance/longevity, with a loss in efficiency.

Riveted lining/pads were specified for production because of their superior heat dissipation properties.

In a single "panic stop" from "normal highway speeds" in a passenger car, any OEM quality pad will be up to the job.

Norm

 

Thanks for all the input so far - has been helpful.

I figured the 4-dr spec was a snafu for sure.
For that reason I looked up the pads in the old GM parts book and found there were only two different types of pads used in 72 on the F85 discs:
#12300207 for OAI, manual brakes, police, and ambulance
#1154121 for all other power disc brakes

Anyone know the difference in those pads?

Basically I am looking for something with more grab. Is there one?
I did a fast stop on the highway once and I remember the line "where the he|| are the brakes" going through my mind... She stops okay at 30 and below, but above that, the suspense begins. Firm pedal, just not enough grab. Actually my Caddy is similar but not that bad.
Those pads seem to be lasting forever...

I will most likely choose riveted ones, as this set of pads should last her the rest of my life...

My ladyfriend had to get a new tire yesterday and the guy at NTB recommended Wagner and Raybestos also, particularly the thermoquiet line.

Norm, good summary of the types. I did not realize the ceramic ones loss efficiency - perhaps because they are harder? I am hearing this elsewhere, too.

 

I thought 100% pure Chinesium had a melting point of 75 degrees F? I would be careful with those man!

 

Additional research might indicate that the HD brakes came with semi-metallic and the standard came with organic.

Why does something this simple turn out so complex? Kinda like finding plain ol' "peanut butter" or "hot dogs" at the grocery store...

 

You shoulda been with me when I tried to get rotors for the late lamented K-Car.

Seems Chrysler used three different brake systems on those cars in 1987- standard, police/taxi, and touring suspension. Basically it was necessary to take the old stuff in to match it up, and I finally said hell with it and turned it over to the Exxon station up the street, and let them deal with it. Of course, that's when I found my little Aries LE was a bit of a sportster.

Those brakes had less than 2500 miles on them when Bambi ambushed and killed the K . And here it's coming up deer season again, so they'll be crazy from the rut and it will be dangerous to drive after daylight.


BTW Rob- back when these cars were new, organic wasn't even in the picture. Brake linings contained asbestos.

 

Not something that a change of pads will cure.

The master cylinder, brake lines, etc, should be matched to the rotor and pad sizes, and the weight of the car.

Notwithstanding, a problem elsewhere in the system, larger diameter rotors will provide increased leverage for quicker stops with less pedal pressure.

I used Olds 98 rotors on my '50 Coupe because of my many "panic stops" from 115+ miles per hour during "test & tune" sessions at the local strips. I use the softest OEM quality pads and/or lining my local O’Reilly’s sells.

Exactly.

Soft lining = More friction = Shorter life.

Hard lining = Less friction = Longer life.

Norm

 

So which Pads (brand/p/n) did you end up using and are you happy with them? I am getting ready to place an order with RockAuto in few days.

 

I ended up getting the Wagner Thermoquiet semi-metallic pads (MX52) and shoes (PAB242DR).
I have not put them on yet, but will do so this spring when the suspension is reworked.

I chose these for many reasons. By the discussion above, semi-metallic works more efficiently. Factory HD brakes were semi's. Given the little use the car gets, rotor wear will be minimal. My '86 Cutlass came with semi-metallics and it stops great. My Caddy came with ceramics and panic stops are in slow-motion.

When i bought the Wagners, they has a $30 rebate, so I only paid $10 for the complete set.
The guys I talked to who are in the repair business said Wagner was one of the top choices, so I feel pretty confident...