I admit to being a bargain shopper. There were a few lessons in life that taught me about quality. The first time I installed a stereo system in my truck, I thought I had hooked something up wrong when in fact I simple cheaped out on the speakers. Eventually I came to appreciate nice clothes that would last more than a year. Ironically brakes are in a similar boat. Most people would say, “A brake pad is a brake pad.” Your mechanic might even tell you that, and that statement could not be farther from the truth. You may be familiar with certain brands you have seen over the years and think, “I have heard that name so they must be ok.” Again this is a falsehood. The truth is, cheap brakes should only be put on cheap cars. Brake pads are made up of certain a certain formula of a binding material and brake material. Each manufacturer has a different recipe and each claims there’s is better when most are just in it to make the pad as cheap as possible and get as much mark up as possible. Who cares, the shop selling it has to warranty it right? Well here are the nuts and bolts of the issue. Many cheap brake pads have material issues and fitment issues. The pads are not molded properly and can cause the pad to stick in the slide causing a hum or vibration squeal. Also most cheap pads do not come with new hardware, leaving you to use the old worn out clips which also can cause noise and wear issues. Now, if you have a nice car and you want a quality pad which feels good on the pedal and won’t make noise, you should look at an OE brand like Akebono or Textar. Both are high quality pads that seat and wear nicely. Furthermore when buying a brake rotor, purchasing a coated rotor will help with noise, vibration and rust mitigation. Spending a little more on you brakes will not only keep you from hearing noise issues, but your brakes will last longer. Even wear and a quiet ride are what sets a good brake job apart from a bad one. That being said, if your car is 10 years old with high mileage, you might consider going the cheap route. It is important to note that when installing cheaper parts, check for proper fitment. It may be necessary to trim a tab on the pad and clean or replace the pad hardware. Generally after a brake job the pads will not make noise until they seat into the rotor, so if your vehicle makes noise when you pick it up, that would usually be an indication of an improper install.
