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Best brake pads and rotors? Guess what is important to me! Guess! Do it!

52K views 89 replies 47 participants last post by  Systemlord 
#1 ·
hey im looking for best aftermarket brake pads, it gotta be something that is better than OEM...

thanks!!!
 
#2 ·
What's wrong with the OEM pads that they are not meeting your expectations?

Noise?
Dust?
Wear?
Stopping performance?

You gotta bring more to the table.

Jay
 
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#3 ·
"What's wrong with the OEM pads?"

Speaking of braking, the initial bite of the brakes is good and makes for a segment-average 124- to 127-foot stopping distance from 60 mph. We did notice, though, that the brakes tended to heat up quickly and lose that initial bite when you use them a lot.
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests..._accord_first_test/viewall.html#ixzz2dZGAF1dJ

Braking: [Grade:] C. Customarily weak Honda brakes. No significant distance fade in our test, but an uninspiring pedal.
http://www.edmunds.com/honda/accord/2013/rating-details.html?sub=sedan

If there’s a downside to the Accord’s excellence, it’s that it also encourages heroic driving, which has taken a toll on our brakes. We noticed a vibration through the brake pedal after a few months, so when the service indicator lit up for an oil change around 10,000 miles, we had the dealer perform an inspection. All four rotors were turned under warranty, ameliorating the problem for a while, but by the time our second service warning tripped just after 20,000 miles, the vibration had reappeared. This time the dealer resurfaced just the front rotors, which seems to have worked for now. Having the rotors turned twice within 20,000 miles, however, has us concerned, as Accords have long carried anecdotal reputations for having weak discs.
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...ort-sedan-manual-long-term-test-update-review
 
#4 ·
Speaking of braking, the initial bite of the brakes is good and makes for a segment-average 124- to 127-foot stopping distance from 60 mph. We did notice, though, that the brakes tended to heat up quickly and lose that initial bite when you use them a lot.
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests..._accord_first_test/viewall.html#ixzz2dZGAF1dJ

Braking: [Grade:] C. Customarily weak Honda brakes. No significant distance fade in our test, but an uninspiring pedal.
http://www.edmunds.com/honda/accord/2013/rating-details.html?sub=sedan

If there’s a downside to the Accord’s excellence, it’s that it also encourages heroic driving, which has taken a toll on our brakes. We noticed a vibration through the brake pedal after a few months, so when the service indicator lit up for an oil change around 10,000 miles, we had the dealer perform an inspection. All four rotors were turned under warranty, ameliorating the problem for a while, but by the time our second service warning tripped just after 20,000 miles, the vibration had reappeared. This time the dealer resurfaced just the front rotors, which seems to have worked for now. Having the rotors turned twice within 20,000 miles, however, has us concerned, as Accords have long carried anecdotal reputations for having weak discs.
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...ort-sedan-manual-long-term-test-update-review


Interesting. My OE brakes have 32,000mi on them and there is no shimmy. I live in a valley and im constantly using the brakes as im always going up or down a hill.

We had to have the discs turned on our Oddy. Dealer said they were in spec but they felt the shimmy and turned the rotors under warranty. I have since taught my wife how to not hot stop the brakes and the issue has not come back in 7,000mi. I wonder if what they are feeling is really pad material deposits on the rotors.

Understanding the beating that I put on my Accord, I have been impressed with the performance and resistance to shimmy they have. But thats just my perspective.

Jay
 
#6 ·
I drive the manual so I down shift as often as I can to save my brakes but next summer I'm buying ebc drilled and slotted rotors with ebc pads as well. I have owned them before and they stop amazingly but are a bit louder than stock.
 
#8 ·
No Hawk, Carbotech pads

Hawk does not make pads for the 9th generation Accord. Call them up at 1.800.542.0972; if enough people ask, maybe they'll start making HPS pads for us.

Carbotech also does not make pads for the 9th generation Accord. The can't get the backing plates.
 
#9 ·
Just crossed 31000 Miles... Just started feeling a vibration come through the steering wheel when braking mild-medium from 70 MPH...Does not happen when braking at speeds lower than 65 MPH. Brakes never squeal though... So I'd say they are doing well? Am I risking damage by not doing anything right away?
 
#10 ·
I have Hawk Ceramic HPS brake pads and they've been absolutely incredible at stopping, especially under high speeds and hard braking. The only thing I'm not a fan of is the fact they produce a decent amount of brake dust.

I installed some new rotors and pads on my buddy's car. Put on some Stoptech Cross Drilled Ventilated brakes along with some Akebono brake pads and they're a lot better than stock at not only braking, but brake dust as well. German cars, BMW in this instant, have enormous amounts of brake dust and these Akebono's that we put on give off ZERO brake dust. I'm quite jealous. When I come around to needing new pads, I'm going to be trying out those akebono's because it would be nice to not have to worry about any ahah
 
#11 ·
I've used both Hawk Performance and Akebono and I agree with the above post on dust and stopping ability.

Be sure to clean and lubricate the caliper guide pins each time you swap the pads. sometimes you'll get a vibration just because those guide pins are binding and that can shorten the life of the rotors and pads.

I'm at 17k mi. after 6 months and just started feeling a slight vibration under high speed braking. i'll have them check it out at the 20k oil change. i stop very smoothly (but i do stop quickly). course, the wife just drove the car for a few days and she is terrible about hard stopping because her Camry has a much lower brake pedal engagement.
 
#12 ·
It would be great if more guys here could email Akebono (customerservice@akebono-usa.com) or any of the other manufactures to get them to know that there is interest in aftermarket brake pads/rotors because the 9th gen is almost in its 3rd year now and there's still not many products out, especially rotors.
 
#16 ·
It's like asking whose pizza is best or which is the best car.

If you're an aggressive driver, then performance pads may be for you. They have somewhat better fade (hot friction). But that usually comes at the expense of one or more of a) noise, b) dust, c) cold friction. If you live in a cold climate, those first few stops may take longer.

A few years ago, Car and Driver did a severe brake fade test on family sedans, SUVs, and performance cars. These were a series of ten 0-100-0 runs with a specified short break time in between - sort of like the way people drive in Boston. The findings were interesting. The performance cars were so fade resistant they had to decrease the rest time between cycles to stress the brakes to the point of fade. The family sedans all had longer stopping distances into the test, but they all stopped - none of the Accord, Passat, or Malibu had complete fade. Their conclusion - daily drivers have far more braking that the daily driver will ever need.

The ONLY way a pad/rotor combo will stop you faster is if the initial bite is extraordinarily strong. And even then, the improvement is small, although I will grant you sometimes a few feet can prevent a very bad day. Every modern car's stopping distance is limited by wheel lockup, which is limited by the tire's grip on the pavement. Some long-time forum members probably have a drinking game around any time I say this: if you want to stop your car faster, get grippier tires.

There is a school of thought that says OEMs spend millions of dollars testing and optimizing the corners of a car and you should grab the benefits of that testing and stay OEM all the way. That's true if you weight everything the same way the OEM does. I'm speculating, but I'm guessing Honda places a priority on things such as predictable brake response, low noise, low dust, and COST. If hot friction matters more to you, then you will likely be unhappy with OEM type pads.
 
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#18 ·
the reason i want to change my brake pads is... well they make sounds!!! since i bought the car from the agency. it made like a sound i can't describe it... after 10k km it came back!

some ppl told me to change the brake pads. i want to change it but i don't know what to change it to...

help? i don't think i want to buy the OEM ones. i want something better... i usually drive fast. i face traffic everyday tho. so it rly depends on...
 
#19 ·
I'm thinking EBC slotted rotors and red stuff pads. How do you all feel about slotted rotors? I was thinking slotted and dimpled..but I realize that will take away a good bit of surface area away from pad/rotor contact.
 
#22 ·
Many, many posts by yours truly on this. It's like running your pads over a cheese grater - noisier, faster wear, more dust. But they do look cool. Speaking of cool, they have no meaningful improvement, if any, in cooling efficiency. It's theoretically possible holes could prevent an air hockey puck effect in which pad offgassing floats the pad, but very unlikely to happen in real life.

Like EBC Red Stuff a lot. Have run them on my wife's car. Better initial bite than Akebonos and quiet, but seem to have poorer holding power at a stop (i.e., easier to roll with the EBCs). Good choice IMHO
 
#20 ·
Stop recommending pads that don't fit or aren't available

For reasons unknown, many brake pad manufacturers sell front pads for the LX only and NOT for the EX, Sport or Touring models. I don't care how good a pad is, if it's not available for my car, any recommendation is worthless.

Anyone want to start a list of actual pads that fit non-LX models with links to where they can be purchased?

From a Michelin post on DA: Brakes stop wheels but tires stop cars: choose your tires wisely.

Drilled/slotted/dimpled rotors are mostly for show and cannot be resurfaced. Increased ventilation/cooling/room to "expell gasses" also results in loss of swept area for actual pad/rotor contact.

"Isn't the function of ABS to prevent wheel lockup, which is consistent with what I've always heard, that ABS actually increases stopping distances?"
You can't steer a skidding tire, and on regular road surfaces skidding tires take longer to stop. Also ABS is able to modulate all 4 brakes independently (which can't be done in cars without ABS) for best stopping. Most people cannot effectively modulate brakes (i.e., on the cusp of skidding/not skidding) on non-ABS equipped cars; to best way to stop an ABS-equipped car is to simply stand on the brakes. "ABS actually increases stopping distances" has gone the way of 3000 mile oil changes and the dodo bird.
 
#23 ·
Show me the pads!

"I'm thinking EBC slotted rotors and red stuff pads. "
"Like EBC Red Stuff a lot."


Show me EBC Red or Green FMSI 1654 pads and where to buy them.

I once tried GreenStuff and I liked OE better.

The best pads I ever used were Axxis ULT, but the eat the crap out of rotors in a hurry. I had Carbotech 1521 pads on my 2008 Civic Si and liked them, but they are pricey, and Carbotech does NOT make pads for 9th gen non-LX cars.
 
#24 ·
"I'm thinking EBC slotted rotors and red stuff pads. "
"Like EBC Red Stuff a lot."


Show me EBC Red or Green FMSI 1654 pads and where to buy them.

I once tried GreenStuff and I liked OE better.

The best pads I ever used were Axxis ULT, but the eat the crap out of rotors in a hurry. I had Carbotech 1521 pads on my 2008 Civic Si and liked them, but they are pricey, and Carbotech does NOT make pads for 9th gen non-LX cars.
http://www.autoanything.com/brakes/61A3071A0A0.aspx
 
#26 ·
Fail!

Show me EBC Red or Green FMSI 1654 pads and where to buy them.

1KDH: http://www.autoanything.com/brakes/61A3071A0A0.aspx

WRONG!

That listing is for "Front Pads - Full Set - FMSI: D1506" (wrong pads) and "Rear Pads - Full Set - FMSI: D1336" (wrong pads).

Correct pads for 9th gen non-LX: FMSI Front 1654 Rear 1451
 
#28 ·
When I had my 7th gen coupe, my rear pads were wearing before the front pads, about every 2.5 years. I switched to Hawk pads for both front and rear, and found they wore twice as long. Performance was great and they didn't squeal like the OE pads tended to do. I will probably use Hawk pads on my 9th gen sedan when the time comes.
 
#29 ·
No you won't!

I will probably use Hawk pads on my 9th gen sedan when the time comes.

Because Hawk doesn't make them for the 9th gen non-LX Accord.
 
#30 ·
For me it's not a matter of stopping faster. I don't like brake vibration. That is the only reason I would consider different pads and or rotors.
 
#31 ·
Well you better disconnect your ABS. Because nothing vibrates more then when ABS kicks in.

If you are having a vibration on normal braking then indeed something is wron and I would say a warped rotor.

When I need pads I will change to slotted rotors and the pads recommended for them.

Last I bought were StopTech Cyro slotted and hawk pads and they work like a champ in that application.

Since I am on a fixed income I want to wear OEM out first then get aftermarket for those parts.

It gives the aftermarket world time to catch up while I wear out OEM and get my moneys worth out of them.
 
#33 ·
I'm in the same boat. I could buy aftermarket rotors and pads now but I'm going to wait till spring and go nuts. New stop tech rotors and hawk pads are definitely on the list. Can't wait :)
 
#34 ·
Yes, you will wait. Yes, we have no bananas.

hawk pads are definitely on the list. Can't wait

Apparently you haven't read through this thread. There are NO Hawk pads for 9th gen non-LX cars. At least not yet.
 
#38 ·
hawk pads are definitely on the list. Can't wait

Apparently you haven't read through this thread. There are NO Hawk pads for 9th gen non-LX cars. At least not yet.
I'm sure he read the thread. He's probably going to wait and see if they become available in the near future. The link I sent you from autoanything is deceiving..as it does list the sub model for EX, EX-L etc., but does not specify between 4cyl and 6cyl.

After your posts, we get it..the pads are not available.
 
#35 ·
Some of you may want to consider getting a big brake kit if you are going to go with STOPTECH rotors.

STOPTECH rotors run $200+ I believe and goods pads about $60+ which leads to the reasoning for getting a BBK since it's a few hundred more.

The BBK I'm putting together should cost around or less than $500 using FastBrakes brackets, 350Z rotors, eBay SS lines, OEM spec pads, RL 4-piston calipers.
 
#36 ·
I never considered those.. I'll check it out though. I'm guessing it's a good upgrade from stock?
 
#39 ·
Oh no you don't "get it"

It does list the sub model for EX, EX-L etc., but does not specify between 4cyl and 6cyl.
After your posts, we get it..the pads are not available.


1. Autoanything does list EBC Red Stuff pads for non-LX 9th gen. I get it.
2. The FMSI numbers are NOT correct. They MAY fit, but are not the Honda specified pads. I wouldn't use them or recommend them.
3. 4 cyl AND 6 cyl non-LX 9th gen front pads ARE the same.
4. Rear pads are the same for ALL 9th gen Accords.


http://www.bernardiparts.com/SearchOptions.aspx?Search=SKU&SkuNo=45022-T2G-A00
http://www.bernardiparts.com/SearchOptions.aspx?Search=SKU&SkuNo=43022-TA0-A80
Click on "Vehicles on which this part can be used".

Unless you are posting just for the sake of putting yourself out there, please do your homework first.
 
#40 ·
It does list the sub model for EX, EX-L etc., but does not specify between 4cyl and 6cyl.
After your posts, we get it..the pads are not available.


1. Autoanything does list EBC Red Stuff pads for non-LX 9th gen. I get it.
2. The FMSI numbers are NOT correct. They MAY fit, but are not the Honda specified pads. I wouldn't use them or recommend them.
3. 4 cyl AND 6 cyl non-LX 9th gen front pads ARE the same.
4. Rear pads are the same for ALL 9th gen Accords.


http://www.bernardiparts.com/SearchOptions.aspx?Search=SKU&SkuNo=45022-T2G-A00
http://www.bernardiparts.com/SearchOptions.aspx?Search=SKU&SkuNo=43022-TA0-A80
Click on "Vehicles on which this part can be used".

Unless you are posting just for the sake of putting yourself out there, please do your homework first.
I'm sure when you saw that link you knew it was a honest error (I was trying to help.) The way the brake pads are presented on the (autoanything) webpage, one could easily mistake that the pads will work for a non-LX vehicle..that IS how it is listed correct? Thank you for doing your homework, and letting everybody who may not understand know..THESE PADS DO NOT WORK ON ANYTHING BUT A LX. I also wonder when you say they may fit but are not Honda specified..why does the website list the EX, EX-L trims as a option. We do many upgrades that are not particularly Honda specified..I just put a TLX sway bar on my Accord....
 
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