PontiacBonnevilleClub.com

I need to replace my rear pads and rotors and I am wondering what the best bet is. Anyone had any great success with any of them? I don't need anything too fancy, unless it plain works the best, but I do want something that will last well and resist warping.

Thanks!

I've heard good things about the new NAPA Adaptive 1 pads, and I'd get Ultra Premium rotors. Probably wouldn't hurt to check the fronts, either.

Ac Delco rotors with HAWK pads. My only complaint with them is the dust. HAWK is known for being dusty though. I have them on the GTO and a drive around the block and I have to re-clean the wheels. BUT, from a stopping standpoint, once they're warm. They'll put your head through the windshield on a hard braking situation.

NAPA is good too!

00Beast wrote:I've heard good things about the new NAPA Adaptive 1 pads, and I'd get Ultra Premium rotors. Probably wouldn't hurt to check the fronts, either.

Seem to have some meat on them, but I am getting a vibration when braking from highway speeds. Not through the steering wheel tho. Looks like the last rotors that were put on were cheapies.

CMNTMXR57 wrote:Ac Delco rotors with HAWK pads. My only complaint with them is the dust. HAWK is known for being dusty though. I have them on the GTO and a drive around the block and I have to re-clean the wheels. BUT, from a stopping standpoint, once they're warm. They'll put your head through the windshield on a hard braking situation.

NAPA is good too!

Thanks!
Never have gotten a bad Delco part, to be honest.

Heard good things about the HAWK pads. Will certainly keep those in mind!

I'd rather go with HAWK's on the front and NAPA's on the back than vice-versa. The front brakes do ~80% of your braking, the rears just keep the rear wheels lined up and help out.

I use Duralast Gold Ceramics for the pads both front and rear. The rotors are OE and have never been replaced or turned (128k).

I have already picked up the AC Delco rotors and the Duralast Golds to do a complete brake overall in the coming weeks.

The only reason I am replacing the rotors is I am just now getting a slight vibration under hard braking.

By the way, the Duralast golds have lasted ~36k miles.

Norm

I've put the Duralast Golds front and back on the SLE with no complaints. Dust isn't even that bad. The rotors have held up well so far.

Mark

Truth be told, I think one Chinese company probably makes 90%+ of all the rotors anyway, then AC Delco, DuraLast, NAPA, etc, all put their names/boxes on them.

Another thing with the HAWK pads, if you were to buy them, make sure you get a street friendly compound. Otherwise they will squeal. Even if you get them warm. Warm on the street, isn't warm to an auto-x/road racer.

I used ebc brakes and rotors all around, actually had a mechanic install them, well, their all shot now at only 12k, so I decided to inspect them, first I thought it was calipers hung up, but the pistons retracted without a problem, I noticed the pads were difficult to pry out, which is the problem, apparently the tabs on the pads were just a little too big, hence the problem, now I am using pro stock ceramics, and will have to turn the rotors on a pro cut lathe at a garage..........sometimes buying expensive doesnt mean better!! I havent touched the rear brakes, heard the e-brake can be complicated, the fronts are easy to do, just have to check for run out, Oh the dust from semi metallics is quite annoying, thats why I moved over to ceramic............hope this helps

if the pads weren't worn down completely (my guess is one of them got hung up and was dragging), a really cheap way would be to grind down that tab a little, allowing for it to slide in the crease/groove and at least buy you some time before you absolutely had to buy new pads.

Believe it or not, on my Chrysler van (I know a different vehicle, just thought it was funny is all), the pads are a universal pad and don't fit the grooves perfectly, and they specifically say to grind down the tabs to make sure they slide.

The inside pads were totally toast!!!!! yes, I believe they were absolutely hung up, its why I put my mechanic gloves back on and remembered why I do these things myself,,,,,,I'd feel better if I was the one who missed the tab issue and yes they can be modified to slide better, the mechanic obviously missed this and now I am doing the job.............its the rear ones I am concerned about, I hear a special tool is required for the e-brake.......will do more research on that issue and tackle it at somepoint, for now I am stuck with my 95 jeep...........

The only special tool I can think of for the parking/emergency brake is a parking brake cable release tool. But you'd only use that to completely replace them. There really isn't any "adjustment" in them. Any hangup (or lack of tension), in them is either in the cables themselves (causing the need to replace them), or in the caliper itself.

If you remove the parking brake cable from the caliper and manually apply the lever that the parking brake would pull, and there is no increase in friction caused by the brakes (I.E. trying to spin the tire with the brak applied), is indicative that the caliper isn't functioning properly, requiring caliper replacement. If it does do it's job, then releases that pressure when you let off the lever, the caliper is fine and it's in the cable itself.

There is no special tool for the e-brake. The only tool I used is
this one in order to retract the piston.

That's a regular service tool. You need that for several GM FWD vehicles to back up the pistons in the rear calipers.

The tool we're talking about is a specific tool for disconnecting/releasing tension on the e-brake cables for replacement. Most likely made by Kent-Moore.

For the rear pistons, I've found a needle nose pliers works just as well as the special tool, just be careful to not puncture the boot on the piston.

Indeed.

For five bucks I purchased a universal tool that turns the piston in, and the pistons turned in without much of an issue, however, something still isn't quite right, because even though the piston turned in all the way, it was a very tight and I mean tight fit once I put the caliper over the pads, I am wondering if its a possibility that the pad might be abit too thick???? at anyrate I am driving the car no real issues other than a warmer wheel which means theres friction goin on, I may end up replacing the caliper at some point, oh and whats up with the top bolt (pin) seems to be a press in pin of some sort, bottom bolt unbolted but top stays in it stumped me but the caliper just rolled upwards out of the way of the cradle............now I am replacing the blower motor due to squealing, very simple job thus far, ordered an aftermarket blower motor hopefully it will be fine.....

When the piston is all the way in, it should be flush. Was yours? The other thought is, to check the sliding portion of the caliper pin. The back flips up like you mentioned, but did you check to see that it moves side to side also? There still is some free play to check this when you have the caliper flipped up.

Actually, no it didn't slide side to side, didnt know it was suppose to, apparently that might be the problem, whats the correction for this>? that pin doesn't look like it can be replaced without having it pressed out, there is like a little rubber grommet in the end, but that didnt pull out either. whats your thoughts?