DURALAST BRAKE PADS at AutoZone

[hholbein]

I don't know what people think about Raybestos pads, but the premium ceramic pads I put on mine 30K miles ago are wearing at least as well as the OEM ones they replaced, are less grabby, and have more or less eliminated the annoying black dust and warped rotors of the original set.

A little more pedal effort to stop when it's very cold out, but much easier to modulate and less prone to fade, IMHO.

I think they were only $45 from RockAuto. Being a lazy guy, I'd rather do a break job infrequently and do it with high-quality trusted brand materials.

[paulclawson3]

Holy ****, didn't think I'd get 20 posts. Dear god, or (madre de dios), I didn't mean to start fights or upset anyone, so I apoligize in advance. I've been at work/school all day and didnt have much time to checking the forums (plus looking on my android, sucks hard on "ANY" forum website)

I've been doing more research, on all 3 grades of duralast and all 3 grades of raybestoes, all 3 grades of Ate, and all 3 grades of brembo.

Ate is the winner, but Ate is damn-expensive, plus Raybestoes is having a huge mail in rebate special. Looks like I'm going to rockauto to get raybestoes pads.

Also for AutoZone's Duralast parts, there motor mount is a frowny (but has a lifetime warranty). There batteries give you 8 yrs, but you can easily void the warranty. Duralast is cheap, but O'Reilys BrakeBest and AdvancedAuto's Wear-Ever are far far worse.

[adventureoflink]

Originally Posted by paulclawson3

Holy ****, didn't think I'd get 20 posts. Dear god, or (madre de dios), I didn't mean to start fights or upset anyone, so I apoligize in advance. I've been at work/school all day and didnt have much time to checking the forums (plus looking on my android, sucks hard on "ANY" forum website)

Eh, it's fine.

and agreed on mobile devices sucking hardcore. At least I don't get taken to SF mobile on my Android, but it is a PAIN to browse. Just another reason why I still say PC/Mac dominates the internet and gives the best experience. Oh well.

Originally Posted by paulclawson3

Ate is the winner, but Ate is damn-expensive, plus Raybestoes is having a huge mail in rebate special. Looks like I'm going to rockauto to get raybestoes pads.

Unfortunately sometimes you have to browse all over for the good parts...

Originally Posted by paulclawson3

Also for AutoZone's Duralast parts, there motor mount is a frowny (but has a lifetime warranty). There batteries give you 8 yrs, but you can easily void the warranty. Duralast is cheap, but O'Reilys BrakeBest and AdvancedAuto's Wear-Ever are far far worse.

yeah, and let the lifetime warranty mount take out my studs at least, if not the timing cover... NO THANKS.

[guerilla]

I use mostly Autozone parts, and I've had a mostly positive experience with their house brand. Though I never purchase the highest end parts, I also don't cheap out with their bottom of the barrel components either. I deliver pizzas for one of my livings, so I put those parts and my workmanship to the test almost every night and am confident with how my ride runs.

[irish56]

I've used regular Duralast in the past...they wear quickly and require a fairly high pedal effort to stop. Upgraded to Duralast Gold last fall and they require less pedal effort. Can't tell you if they last any longer yet...ask me in 30K miles .

I'd rather go with NAPA, but there's an AZ a mile from my house and they always have my part in stock. NAPA and Advance always need to order it in.

[OldNuc]

I am 25 miles from the major metropolitan area, that is a ~60 mile 1 1/2 hour round trip for parts. It is both easier and cheaper to order them from RockAuto or Amazon and let UPS drop them off in 3 days. Then I can obtain the name brand parts.

[brags]

Originally Posted by paulclawson3

Holy ****, didn't think I'd get 20 posts. Dear god, or (madre de dios), I didn't mean to start fights or upset anyone, so I apoligize in advance. I've been at work/school all day and didnt have much time to checking the forums (plus looking on my android, sucks hard on "ANY" forum website)

I've been doing more research, on all 3 grades of duralast and all 3 grades of raybestoes, all 3 grades of Ate, and all 3 grades of brembo.

Ate is the winner, but Ate is damn-expensive, plus Raybestoes is having a huge mail in rebate special. Looks like I'm going to rockauto to get raybestoes pads.

Also for AutoZone's Duralast parts, there motor mount is a frowny (but has a lifetime warranty). There batteries give you 8 yrs, but you can easily void the warranty. Duralast is cheap, but O'Reilys BrakeBest and AdvancedAuto's Wear-Ever are far far worse.

i got a set of ATE Pads that i put on Last Year that were on sale at the time. and im very happy with them also notice very little dusting on the wheells. all in all ATE Pads get my thumbs UP..!

[Luthin]

Originally Posted by OldNuc

I am 25 miles from the major metropolitan area, that is a ~60 mile 1 1/2 hour round trip for parts. It is both easier and cheaper to order them from RockAuto or Amazon and let UPS drop them off in 3 days. Then I can obtain the name brand parts.

+1 ^^^ -- I'm 10 miles from town and most of the time I don't want to drive in to get parts...so much nicer having UPS deliver them! (And sadly often cheaper too....)

[OldNuc]

As a matter of fact it is almost always cheaper. The FLAPS is one of the highest markup places you will be doing business with other than the dealer parts counter. The intertube or mail order places give you a better price almost always. Local parts stores used to do this as well but not anymore.

[ngrome]

Originally Posted by mattwithcats

Only problem I have had with Duralast brake pads and rotors is which side (in or out) to put the chirp tab.

When I pulled the OE brakes, the right was out and left was in...

There is a Redneck joke or Country song in there somewhere...

I just changed my front pads to Duralast gold ceramics, not the Cmax premium Durlast ceramic pads for $50 but the basic ceramic pads for $35, slapped them with ceramic grease and happy with the quiet results. I really don't have a problem with AutoZone or Advance Auto, the ones I go to directly across from each other. If one doesn't have what I need, I just go to the other.

Regarding this subject, I experienced Advance Auto's Wearever brand, the semi-metallic and after a few miles it started squealing, to the point where I decided to get it changed by the shop because I thought I did something wrong doing it myself. So I decided this time to try Auto Zone's basic ceramic pad, which for $35 is not that much more than the premium semi-metallic of either brand, and so far I'm really happy with it, quiet even at slow braking when you tend to ride the brake when parking or slowly creeping up at a traffic light, where my car made the most braking noise. If I had gotten Wearever brand ceramic, maybe I would've have gotten the same results, but the Duralast ceramic actually cost less in this case ($35 vs. $50 for the Wearever ceramic).

My experience with Advance Auto or Auto Zone is that Auto Zone tends to have exact fit parts more for my car, whereas Advance Auto I had to return something, like a radiator fan motor, because it wasn't exact fit in my housing while all the parts I bought from Auto Zone so far I haven't had to return, but who's to say, it the reverse may happen one day. I tend to get oil and fluids, filters, and other maintenance items, etc. from Advance, whereas I get parts and other things for the car that are long term from Auto Zone, that's just me, but both companies have similar "limited" lifetime warranties and pretty good sales and conveniently located, so I tend to divide the wealth and go to each one evenly

[ngrome]

Originally Posted by mattwithcats

Only problem I have had with Duralast brake pads and rotors is which side (in or out) to put the chirp tab.

When I pulled the OE brakes, the right was out and left was in...

There is a Redneck joke or Country song in there somewhere...

Not to beat a dead horse but I forgot to mention in response to Matt's comments that with the Duralast brake pads, I found it strange the chirp tab was on all four pads, both inside and outside pad, well, I guess you really can't distinguish between pads now as long as you installed them in the correct orientation or direction, i.e., wear indicators up. I also kept the original hardware clips on the caliper, which also doubled as wear indicators, so not sure if I needed them but they gave the new pads a more snug fit in the caliper.

[ngrome]

Originally Posted by ngrome

I just changed my front pads to Duralast gold ceramics, not the Cmax premium Durlast ceramic pads for $50 but the basic ceramic pads for $35, slapped them with ceramic grease and happy with the quiet results. I really don't have a problem with AutoZone or Advance Auto, the ones I go to directly across from each other. If one doesn't have what I need, I just go to the other.

Regarding this subject, I experienced Advance Auto's Wearever brand, the semi-metallic and after a few miles it started squealing, to the point where I decided to get it changed by the shop because I thought I did something wrong doing it myself. So I decided this time to try Auto Zone's basic ceramic pad, which for $35 is not that much more than the premium semi-metallic of either brand, and so far I'm really happy with it, quiet even at slow braking when you tend to ride the brake when parking or slowly creeping up at a traffic light, where my car made the most braking noise. If I had gotten Wearever brand ceramic, maybe I would've have gotten the same results, but the Duralast ceramic actually cost less in this case ($35 vs. $50 for the Wearever ceramic).

My experience with Advance Auto or Auto Zone is that Auto Zone tends to have exact fit parts more for my car, whereas Advance Auto I had to return something, like a radiator fan motor, because it wasn't exact fit in my housing while all the parts I bought from Auto Zone so far I haven't had to return, but who's to say, it the reverse may happen one day. I tend to get oil and fluids, filters, and other maintenance items, etc. from Advance, whereas I get parts and other things for the car that are long term from Auto Zone, that's just me, but both companies have similar "limited" lifetime warranties and pretty good sales and conveniently located, so I tend to divide the wealth and go to each one evenly

Ha, as I just got through saying today that anything I buy from Autozone fits my car, when I continued and worked on the rear drum brakes later in the afternoon after finishing the front pads in the morning, everything was going fine until I start putting the brake shoe assembly together with the self-adjusting hardware. Turns out the slot on the brake shoe for the self-adjusting rod was a little too small for the current adjusting rod that supposed to be inserted in it. So I had two choices, leave everything the way they are with my car on the stand and wait until my wife gets home from the night shift so I can take her car to Autozone and buy a pair of self-adjusting hardware for around $11 for EACH side, that's $22, or put everything back together with the old shoes and drive over there myself. My brake shoes cost $17 for the pair (which is probably why they were so cheap in the first place because they get you with all the other hardware). Plus it's not guaranteed it was in stock, according to online it was a special order part.

So I looked at the other brake shoe which I didn't attach to the parking brake cable on the other side yet, and took a file and started filing down the entry point of the slot so the adjuster arm can get in it like it's supposed to, but unfortunately I already attached the other shoe to the parking brake cable so I had to do the filing while it was attached to the cable (as I didn't want to remove and chance ruining that c-ring I just crimped onto the brake shoe to attach the parking brake assembly). I was able to file it enough that the adjuster arm snugly fit into the slot, hopefully it's not dependent on the movement within that slot although I put some grease at that contact point, but I believe the movement/adjustment is mainly with the gear/arm assembly anyways with that adjuster clicking to the appropriate setting once the brakes are applied. So yes, I moved forward with what I had and have one more rear side to do tomorrow morning...so I guess I should give Advance Auto a shot next time again.

[wi111y]

Originally Posted by ngrome

My experience with Advance Auto or Auto Zone is that Auto Zone tends to have exact fit parts more for my car, whereas Advance Auto I had to return something, like a radiator fan motor, because it wasn't exact fit in my housing while all the parts I bought from Auto Zone so far I haven't had to return, but who's to say, it the reverse may happen one day. I tend to get oil and fluids, filters, and other maintenance items, etc. from Advance, whereas I get parts and other things for the car that are long term from Auto Zone, that's just me, but both companies have similar "limited" lifetime warranties and pretty good sales and conveniently located, so I tend to divide the wealth and go to each one evenly

This, this, this.

I used to go to advance regularly for car parts (87 cadillac, 96 buick, 04 venture) and they had the right parts available and in stock. It wasn't until we went to get a belt tensioner for my brother 97 explorer that I experienced any kind of issue... the part was just wrong. We didn't tell them the wrong engine type, we didn't get the wrong part number on accident, the part was just WRONG. Didn't fit in any way shape or form.

Then I had to get a couple parts for the 96 saturn. Power steering pump was a pain to get. Alternator they didn't even carry, etc etc. Autozone has given me better results with parts availability and correctness lately.

[blackeagle1]

I just wanted to add a comment on the Duralast brake pads. I recently had to change the front brakes on my 98 SL2 after about 2 years and 20k miles. The Duralast gold ceramic brake pads had very little wear but the cheap Autozone brake rotors were completely worn out. It was good the brake pads had a lifetime warranty but I have now started buying my brake rotors from Advance and seem to be getting much better wear.

[b16racereg6]

I tend to buy the middle of the line pads, they normaly do the trick and dont make noise untill they are at the end of their life. I tend to get 2+ yrs depending on how you drive. But for 20 to 30bux for a set of brake pads they work great.

[usafa92]

Wished I'd found this thread earlier. I recently ordered AC Delco pads & rotors. Price comparing between the Raybestos, AC Delco, and Autozone Duralast, I opted for the lower cost of the AC Delco. For some reason, Autozone had the cheapest pads, but the rotors were high priced. I didn't want to mix-n-match brand Pads/Rotors.

[SLCraig]

Originally Posted by OldNuc

NAPA is a reboxer and usually supples quality parts under their house brand names.

I have never had a problem with their brake parts and have used them on several cars. I put made in Canada rotors and regular semi metallic Tru Stop pads on my Maxima when I had it and the braking was phenomenal. Smooth as glass and plenty of power. Zero pedal pulsation the entire time I owned the car.