Automotive → Brake Pad help...

2009 Nissan Altima 2.5 CVT

Had brakes inspecting during oil change. Front and rear pads are down to about 2/32. No rubbing yet so rotors are still good with no vibrating etc.
Of course place wanted $410+ to replace them. I am going to do it myself:

A few questions I need help with:

1.Looking at pads it seems I have several choices.
AC Delco, Monroe, Akebono, EBC.

Car is stock do don;t need anything super performance or anything. What are suggestions?

2. I was not going to do anything with rotors at this point. Safe to do?

Thanks In advance!

Stay with OEM, or equivalent. While not recommended, you could get by with breaking the glaze on the rotors, instead of turning them.

Thanks for the reply. Oem seems way overpriced. I can get Hawks for $35 less an axle.

Are Oem really worth that?

They generally are, and have the longest life.

You may want to check some reviews on any pad you choose.

Whatever brand you want go with ceramics.

You dont need to turn your rotors if there was no metal to metal contact or if they are not warped.
They only warp when overheated.
If you dont notice any vibration or shaking while driving then it most likely is not warped. Its not really that big of a deal to have warped rotors especially if you feel no vibrations.
If you feel some kind of vibration you can always get a dial indicator from harbor freight to measure it cheaply.

$410 to change 4 disk brakes? WTF?

OEMs generally have a very good balance of performance, in terms of durability, quietness, and stopping grip (hot/cold).

There are many replacement pads out there that excel in 1 or 2 of the above, with the third characteristic proving objectionable.

I bought a used beater, and the pads on it are noisy as hell. It isn't pleasant. The best part is that I am reminded each time I step on the brakes - that doesn't happen often, does it?

Some ceramics might be ok, but some are very good at killing rotors.
In this snakesnest of tradeoffs, OEMs are nearly always the safest choice.

Tell me about it....

$135 per axle for pads... $19 per axle for the hardware kit. 35 per to turn rotors.

And of course he needs to flush the fluid when he does it for $40.

What BS....

$40 ain't that bad for a bleed, and flush. But, he's making a ton on the rest. Jeebus.

Ceramics are not always equal.
Basically they are made with a mix of ceramic fibers, fillers, and metals.
If done right they are best at heat dissipation which means no warped rotors.
BTW, some OEMs are ceramic pads.
But just like OEM tires are not always the best, OEM brake pads are not always the best either.

So far I have used Raybestos Ceramics QS.
For the last 2 years I had Prostop Ceramics from Pepboys. They have never squealed once, and I have braked hard several times from 80mph to stop in emergency situations while traveling on the interstate. They even came with shims and anti-squeal lube.

I used them on a 04 corolla and I can say they are worth it and work great.
»www.pepboys.com/product/ ··· s_front/
I dont have one complaint about them.

I would say find a good quality ceramic pad.

I would like to add it is always good to check the thickness of your rotors. You dont want them to get too thin. You should look up the manufacture spec. An 09 will probably still be alright. Harbor freight has $10 calipers that work great for such a things and can be used for many things.

If your rotors are rusted, they could screw up the new pads.

If there is nothing special about your rotors, it may be cheaper to buy new ones rather than turn them. Or you could drop them in a plastic tub of with a gallon of home depot phosphoric acid and some water.

Believe it or not, I found much better prices on Amazon than Advance Auto (even with a 20% off coupon at Advance). Same with calipers. For reference the pads in question were Wagner Wearever MX650A. And Amazon was free shipping. The only caveat is that my project car is 10 years old so amazon may be discounting the parts that they dont move as often.