Hey guys, I NEED to get new pads for my 91 L98 car. I was wondering what would be a good set of store bought pads? I don't race the car (much,lol) and it's mainly my daily driver. I do have PBR Disks on the rear. What would you guys recommend for a good replacement? I did a search but I didn't come up with a lot.

 

You first might consider what you want your brakes to do besides stopping. Generally, ceramic brakes are quiet, dissipate heat well, and have lower dust (light gray dust). Metallic pads are more aggressive, louder (squealing), and more dusty. Metallic pads tend to wear down faster than ceramic. However, manufacturers keep trying more exotic materials and combination of materials.

With a DD that you might occasionally do an autocross, I'd think a set of street performance ceramic pads would meet your needs. Tire Rack has a couple of performance street pads with good stopping characteristics and moderate dust & noise.

Hawk HPS Street brake pads (Performance Street)

StopTech Street Performance Pads (Performance Street)

 

Honestly dust doesn't bother me too much really, I wash my car every weekend anyway, lol. My biggest thing is good stopping power and lower noise. I've been looking at the Stillen pads that have been getting some good reviews but honestly I don't have much time to wait for them to get to my door with shipping. Wear sensor on the front left is driving me crazy lol. What would be a good off the shelf brand to get me by unitl I save up the fundage for a full upgrade that I can pick up at any parts store? I'm thinking I might go this route when the funds allow....

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/brak...-ultimate.html

 

I used stop tech based on a recommendation on here from one of the mods... They work really well, don't squeak, and still stop great after 2 years now, and there is less dust than my stock 10" front disc brakes.. (I now have LS1 fronts)

 

If cost is an issue, and you need to replace very soon (you do), check your local Advance, Pep Boys, etc. and see what a good set of their pads cost. For instance, Pep Boys has 4 different types of their own brand pads plus EBC, Yellowstuff, and Akebono. A good set of store brand pads will always be better than worn out pads. If you have the $$ for Stillen pads, they are brand name and should serve you well until you can afford Hawks, etc. Or you may find your driving style doesn't require expensive street performance pads.

 

The front rotors were $60 a pair. You can wait the extra few days for the parts to come in.

 

I already replaced the front pads with the NAPA premium ceramic pads for the time being. I still have to do the rears this weekend. I was almost metal to metal on the front....so no, I couldn't wait a few days for the new rotors/pads to come in.

 

I've always had good luck with NAPA products. Glad your were able to replace before any damage to the disk.

 

Stillen pads top notch, There shipping was a pain since I had to have someone around to sign for them, But so far they are a real nice pad all around.

 

For the moment I just went with duralast mid grade semi metallic for the rears for now, they are doing good enough for a daily at this point. When funds permit I'll upgrade to better stuff. I just NEEDED to replace the pads right now.

 

I installed the napa premium ceramic pads after some unknown duralast pads. I went ceramic because my factory gold wheels are a pain to clean. the old pads stopped well, but they got hot and fadded really fast. The ceramic pads do not stop well at all. Increased pedal effort, the pedal dropped way down. almost need 2 feet for an emergency stop. Will different rotors cure this problem?

 

I don't think so. My front rotors are NAPA solid rotors. Cheap. But they work. It's the NAPA ceramic pads that are holding you back. If you switch to the Stillen D-154HD front pads like I have, you should notice a huge improvement in stopping ability. And no issues with fading.

My only worry in emergency stops is will the person behind me hit me? Because my brakes work good. (You can see my setup in the quoted link higher up in this thread)

 

I've been reading nothing but good about the stillen pads. Do they give you a lot of brake dust?

 

Very minimal. I would buy them again in a heart beat.