lunas

My dad is doing me a favor and taking care of my rear brakes which need to have the pads replaced. Hes having a freind install some new ones. To replace the current pads they went to Kragen and got a semi-metalic set for $60. Since hes doing me a favor im not goin to complain but i was wondering how good these pads are? Im not too familiar with brakes so any information is appreciated. Im not looking for serious performance here but breaking is a rather important issue even for a daily driver.

Thanks

BadCo.

I put a set of Raybestos PG PLUS semi metallic pads on the Z28.(paid about the same amount as you) It stops pretty damn good... not much else I know what to say about them but whether they stop the car well or not..they do

TobyZ28

Ive had bad experiences with them squeeking after serveral months from the initial install

Z06Z28

I have them on my stock rotors and they work really good. Make sure you use that sticker that sticks to the backside of the brake pad which cushions the pad and the caliper when it seats. That area might squeak a few months down the line but it should'nt be that bad. A few times they did squeak for me but very softly, then went away after awhile. My dad has the same pads and his squeaks sometimes but it's not loud so get dont worried, just a faint squeak sometimes but not routine. I'm happy with them otherwise.

Please follow the break in procedure. If you've never had any other pads, I'd suggest being easy on them for the first month or 800-900 miles of brake use and don't race around yet. You'll see why when around 800-900 miles it starts to soften up. I had some minor issues of stopping response withing the first 500 miles so just keep it tame. After awhile it will get back to normal and you'll be able to brake with no probs.

BadCo.

Mine never squeaked, there's not enough info to determine why yours squeaked to say it was the pads fault is just impossible on this internet.

b55baron

I put them on my wife's '99 Tahoe. They were the "heavy duty pads" for trailer towing. Shortly thereafter, my wife complained that they were squealing. After 4000 miles, and lots of whining, I checked them and found the pads were more than half worn out. My wife didn't have to drive in rush hour traffic nor did we tow anything. The pads were just basically expensive ($58.00) crap.

I know there is a world of difference between a Camaro and a Tahoe and that Tahoes are hard on pads but I will never again put Raybestos pads on anything I own.

BadCo.

[QUOTE=b55baron]I put them on my wife's '99 Tahoe. They were the "heavy duty pads" for trailer towing. Shortly thereafter, my wife complained that they were squealing. After 4000 miles, and lots of whining, I checked them and found the pads were more than half worn out. My wife didn't have to drive in rush hour traffic nor did we tow anything. The pads were just basically expensive ($58.00) crap.

I know there is a world of difference between a Camaro and a Tahoe and that Tahoes are hard on pads but I will never again put Raybestos pads on anything I own.[/QUOTE

so...basically... shortly after the install your wife complained that they were squealing yet you drove 4000 more miles on them? then finally check them to find out they were worn out halfway??? do you generally wait 4000 miles to check a squealing noise after a fresh brake install?...I know Id have my car right back up on the rack man...sounds like an inadequate or improper install, again it is impossible to say on this internet...

b55baron

The noise was intermitant at first and got progressively worse. I checked the pads (dis-assembled both sides) when she first complained and nothing appeared wrong. I drove it a few times and didn't hear anything. When I did hear it, I pulled the tires and checked them again. I've been putting pads on cars for 25 years and never seen any wear so fast.

There was nothing wrong with the installation. I've been thru two sets since then (30,000 miles each) from another manufacturer without problems. The Raybestos pads were garbage.

BadCo.

Don't hold back, what do you use now instead of the Raybestos? Exceeding brake life from 4k miles to 30K miles is a decent leap and therefore probably a good pad worth telling us about. (I'm surprised you did not mention it) All this negative and nothing postive is a downer brother. Let us hear some good news I am sure the originator of this thread would like to hear what pad you use now, which may in fact be far superior. How much did you pay etc.

See yah on the road, John

lunas

hey, i just wanted to thank everyone who responded. The pads have been installed and seem to work well.

pvkn1ght

I installed a set of PG+ on my rear discs maybe 6mo ago. They've performed well on the daily commute as well as during "spirited driving." I think they've had ~10-12k mi and they're 'bout gone now and I will be putting on a new set. They perform well but seem to wear very quickly. I try to run a better pad up front, and the Satisfied Ceramics seem to be lasting a lot longer than the PG+. I too would like to know of a better replacement pad. I hear BENDIX and UNITED are decent OEM replacements?

p.s. no squeeling here, used pad-lube on the back when installing

b55baron

The pads I've been using on my wife's Tahoe are Performance Friction Metallic pads from Autozone. I also have them on my '89 K5 Blazer. I have an '03 Sierra that is my daily driver. When it need pads, I will put them on it. As I recall, the set for the Tahoe was around $35.00. The pads wear well, are quiet, and don't produce much dust. Best of all, they have a lifetime warranty. When the first set on the Tahoe were worn out, I took them back and they handed me another set for free.

I didn't mention this before because I have not tried them on my Camaro and don't know how they will do with "spirited driving". I bought my Camaro used last summer and it has not needed brakes. Plus, the original question was about opinions on Raybestos pads.

Within the next month or two, I plan on installing the SSBC four piston front calipers, pads, and rotors as well as their rear pads and rotors. If anyone has tried the Performance Friction Metallic pads on their f-body, I would be curious to know how they performed, especially when driven hard.

BadCo.

I'll drag this out a little further then let it rest. How do the brakes
actually perform? I realize that quietness and wear prevention is a part of performance yet this is not the primary function of a brake pad. How is the stopping power using these pads? I am curious because if the Autozone pad actually outperforms the Raybestos in it's primary function then I would go for the Autozone.

Seeing that you have had both on the same vehicle I am curious as to your opinion on the comparison between the two.

thanks, John

b55baron

I don't recall there being any difference in the brakes performance.