front brake pads
 

Hello All,

Anyone changed their own front brake pads? How involved is it. What pads did you use? Any special tools needed to do the job?

thanks Jamie

Yup. Pretty easy to do with no special tools needed. I read lots of stories about squeeling brakes after installing cheap pads so I followed the advise of many here and went with the Dodge pads. They cost around $90.00+ but I have not had one squeek whatsoever. I've also heard NOT to buy the cheap pads Dodge sells either.....

a 6" C clamp is helpful that you may or maynot have.

I have the C clamps. Any feed back on the genos garage brand. I did a search and many people seem to like that brand.

thanks Jamie

I know you are asking about swapping pads.....I'd swap the pads & rotors.

I recommend the CHP drilled & slotted rotors and axxis posi-quiet pads....Granted I just put them on my dak....I also have them on my F150.

Can't beat the pedal feel...push more...truck(s) stop harder (i.e. nose dive) As opposed to factory when you push more, it doesn't feel like any more braking is happening.

HTH

Tony

TonyB,

How much does that set up run?

thanks Jamie

Jamie,
I buy 'em from At the top, you can look up your application.

On the web, they list up to '04....Rotors are $137 ea (Slotted), they don't have a listing on phils' web site for the pads....My dakota, if I remember correctly were ~$30 for 1 axle. I would expect the 3/4 and 1 ton's to be similar.

BTW...Not affiliated w/ Phil's...just a satisfied customer.

HTH

Tony

TonyB

That's a little out of my piggy bank range at the moment. I wanted to put something else out on the table to discuss.

I checked with my dealer who told me the mopar part for brake pads was 133 dollars. The mechanic went on to say they have the same exact brake pad in different packaging with a different part number for ~$54 for all four pads for the front end.

Also have you guys heard that most auto parts houses will turn the rotors for cheap? I have a little bounce while braking.

What say you all to this.

thanks Jamie

Not 100% familiar with the package from Geno's...however if you are doing towing I highly would not recommend going with drilled rotors, slotted is ok but will increase pad wear slighlty, but definitly not drilled. Drilled rotors are not a good choice because of several factors. First is that since there are holes drilled there is effectively less surface area for braking to taking place (less pad in contact with something to turn energy into heat and slow the vehicle). Cross drilled rotors are also notoriois for cracking as there is more stress areas when the rotors are heated and cooled. The original reason that cross drilled rotors were used on high performance sports cars was more about weight savings leading to better performance than about braking efficiency. Go to a race track in your area for a road course race and see how many of the drivers are running cross drilled rotors...I would bet the more experienced drivers aren't. For the serious heavy duty braking demands our 7klbs trucks go through I would stick with factory rotors and if you really wanted look into either factory pads or Hawk pads. The only problem is a higher performance pad will usually lead to more squeal due to the higher metal and performance compunds which create higher coefficient of friction to stop better.

I would also not trust that the cheaper mopar pads are the same as the more expensive. They may look the same but likely the actual friction material is probably drastically different! I would go with the more expensive factory pads.

I take braking very seriously and if you look at my picture gallery you will see what my other hobby is and why I like having brakes that actually work (especially at 200km/h+) and do extensive research on properly setting up a braking system.

Ok thanks,

Where can I find Hawk pads?

jamie

Hawk's website is :

http://www.hawkperformance.com/

There are also some other manufacturers such as cobalt friction, ebc, and a few others that I can't think off off hand, I'll repost later if I remember them.

I personally use Hawk's in my race car ( a race compund) but their street versions for cars and heavy duty trucks are likely of the same quality. Their pads compounds are completely engineered and tested for the duties they are to perform. OEM (not the cheap mopar ones) are great quaility as well and may or may not be cheaper.

The company I couldn't remember was Carbotech. Many racers use these pads as well and they can make pads in any compund for any car or truck on request if they don't have any in stock.

http://www.carbotecheng.com/

Coablt frictions site is:

http://www.cobaltfriction.com/

Again Factory premium pads from Dodge are still a very, very good pad with great life and very good squeal characterisitics with great fade resistance as well in my opinion. I would not go with a jobber type brake pad over a factory premium pad.

Thanks,

I dont' know much about pads. If I don't tow much at all if any, what compound should I use? Organic, semi-organic, semi-metalic ect. I'm at a loss for what to use for my application.

Jamie

Go with semi-metallic. They have the best fade resistance. Organic pads are good in very cold temps or for preventing squeal but are hard to find and usually don't have as good of fade resistance. As for compound...best to just read the descriptions and temp ranges/characteristics of every pad available. If you call Hawk's toll free number you can actually talk to one of their engineeers who will help match the right pad for you application. I also believe that Carbotech will give the same advice. Obviously race compunds are no good because they usually don't start working until you get decent heat into the pad which is bad for city/normal driving. If the companies offer a Severe duty truck pad line this is probably the ones to consider because they have been engineered to provide proper temperture range operation, proper fade resisatnce based on the weights of vehicle to be stopped, proper co-efficient of friction compound to allow for faster stopping without excessive wheel lock-up and proper pedal feel at various operating characterisitcs as described above.

Hawk is a division of the wellman group who makes brake pads for a vast majority of the vehicle manufactuers for new cars from the factory. They are very repuatble. If you want an nteresting read on the wellman products group there should be a link on the Hawk website under company info, they supply friction materials to a huge number of factory groups, everything from clutches to tranny friction plates to whatever.

http://www.wellmanproducts.com/

Now that I have made this all complicated and everything....my advise is to stay with the factory premium pads as they are probably the best pad that is easily attainable.