Brakes shot. What to buy?

[MonsterGarage]

So it's brake replacement time (all around. fronts are really bad)

Need new rotors and pads. 2007 Explorer EB 4x4, 4.6L V8

The Ex is my wife's truck and she's harder on brakes than I am. Need something that won't warp or be excessively noisy or dusty. I live in Canada so rotors that don't rust excessively are a big plus for me. Had Brembo OE replacement rotors on my old Sequoia before I sold it, loved the results.

Looking for something comparable. I forget which pads were used on the big tree.

Any suggestions for parts? Additional supplies for the job?

(I'm just a part time DIY guy and I haven't done too many brake jobs without my old wrenching buddy doing half the work)

Want the best mix of quality and value for my money.

Thinking of ordering from RockAuto.com as I need front bearing hubs also and could save a few $$$ I think, even with our crappy dollar and shipping charges.

 

[Rcflyer330]

On my last front brake job I put performance friction brake pads on and almost no dust and no noise at all. You can get them at oreilly's auto parts.

I would stay away from wagner thermoquiet brake pads I have had bad luck with them.

I have heard ebc pads are really good too.

For the rotors I really dont know. But there are a few threads on here about brakes if you want to do a search.

 

[MonsterGarage]

Thinking of doing the Powerstop K1443 on Rockauto.com for $326. Includes pretty much everything I need I think.

Just not sure about the pads. Too aggressive? I don't want squealing..... wife will kill me.

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=3798573&cc=1434502&jnid=658&jpid=5

 

[deves2]

I just did the power stop on my wifes 07 4 x 4 v8 and I am NOT happy with them. worse than what I took off .
Made in china

 

[edwx]

I just do the basic package from RockAuto, cheap. They work fine.

https://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=4660032&cc=1434502&jnid=527&jpid=1

 

[peelman]

So it's brake replacement time (all around. fronts are really bad)

Need new rotors and pads. 2007 Explorer EB 4x4, 4.6L V8

The Ex is my wife's truck and she's harder on brakes than I am. Need something that won't warp or be excessively noisy or dusty. I live in Canada so rotors that don't rust excessively are a big plus for me. Had Brembo OE replacement rotors on my old Sequoia before I sold it, loved the results.

Looking for something comparable. I forget which pads were used on the big tree.

Any suggestions for parts? Additional supplies for the job?

(I'm just a part time DIY guy and I haven't done too many brake jobs without my old wrenching buddy doing half the work)

Want the best mix of quality and value for my money.

Thinking of ordering from RockAuto.com as I need front bearing hubs also and could save a few $$$ I think, even with our crappy dollar and shipping charges.

Ok so you're asking for he best mix of quality and value for your money?. I don't want to get flamed by some arm chair mechanics, but in my opinion with ford and other makes I own, I'd go with Ford OEM rotors and EBC pads that best suit your application and needs. Now for the upgrade I'd see if Steel braided brake hoses are available for your vehicle.

Again my opinion, stay away from aftermarket drilled and or slotted rotors, I know some will be butt hurt from that statement.

 

[MonsterGarage]

Ok so you're asking for he best mix of quality and value for your money?. I don't want to get flamed by some arm chair mechanics, but in my opinion with ford and other makes I own, I'd go with Ford OEM rotors and EBC pads that best suit your application and needs. Now for the upgrade I'd see if Steel braided brake hoses are available for your vehicle.

Again my opinion, stay away from aftermarket drilled and or slotted rotors, I know some will be butt hurt from that statement.

I asked for people's opinions on the matter, so thanks for sharing yours. Nothing wrong with having a different point of view, but I always like to ask why......

I thought about going OEM. In my opinion, it is a little overpriced and there probably ARE better quality items for cheaper or same price. I think it's a bit of a crapshoot on the aftermarket stuff. Do you go with the devil you know (decent and guaranteed to work) or do you take a chance and maybe regret it, maybe not? I guess my biggest hangups with stock is the price and the fact that it rusts like crazy in the salty winter driving here.

My last set of brake rotors I bought was the Brembo OE replacements which are coated or something and didn't rust. I guess I got spoiled with those being better performers than the stock Toyota ones I had, and want something comparable. But Brembo are hard to find and I have read about poor fitment of some rotor sizing.

At this point, anything that works is an improvement from the gouged and worn out rotors the truck currently wears.

Another question: Is it better to go with something I haven't heard of that is manufactured in North America, or a brand name which is perhaps made in China? Because I am seeing options for both as I shop around.

Still haven't decided.....

 

[phoenixs]

Brakes

Monstergarage
I just put those brakes on my daughters Monte Carlo and they are very quiet and the stopping power is great. She is very hard on the brakes and there is no squealing and very little dusting.

 

[Varsity]

I'll throw in my experience with my 2000 for whatever its worth. I have Powerstop drilled and slotted rotors with Wagner ThermoQuiet pads on my Explorer with 33's. I wanted some better braking when I jumped up tires sizes, and being the curious young kid I am, I went obnoxious and extreme. The stopping is really nice and much better than what I took off and after several years, while some wear is apparent, the pads and rotors are still pretty good, even with bigger tires and harder braking. If the price of the Powerstops is good, I don't see why not, but I certainly wouldn't pay more money for them. I love and defend my purchase but if I had to do it over again, I do not think the slotted and drilled are worth paying significantly more for. I also strongly doubt you'll see any stopping benefit in day to day driving.

Long story short, despite the sometimes bad reviews on those rotors, I'm happy with them but when the time comes to replace them again, I probably won't pay any more for them than a premium set of OEM rotors or pads or equivalent.

 

[Flag Gibby]

I have had great results with EBC green stuff 6000 and EBC slotted rotors (not drilled), however the green stuff pad material is too soft for our vehicles and puts off a lot of dust. My thought for these vehicles is that they really don't have a good pedal feel with a soft pad material (stopping power is exellent with this setup it just feels not as firm as stock) and a harder pad material like the aramid fiber metallic pads (yellow stuff or ultimax) that they offer is a must because of the high front bias that the braking system has. When I go to replace these pads the rotors will still be good so I will most likely go with a Yellow stuff in the front and an ultimax 2 set in the rear since that should cut down on the amount of dust significantly. Honestly a set of EBC ultimax rotors and pads should suit you just fine since you don't indicate that you are looking to improve the braking capacity of the vehicle and summit racing has those parts.

 

[MotorCityFats13]

I run Duralast Max autozone pads front and rear and stock style rotors $74.99/$55.99 but they are lifetime replacement and stop great no fade and low dust.... I wont run anything else I have been using these pads for my last 4 vehicles and they do great..... my 07 can do multiple 75-0 stops without fade and never get any burning smells... every spring I do the brakes and trade them in..... the pins also like to seize up if you dont grease them up once a year...... just remember its an explorer not a Z06 you will only get so much from pads/rotors alone....... also the RSC setup do not eat up these pads

I used to run hawk and ebc in the past and could not deal with having no lifetime warranty

 

[CountriSquire]

2006 EB Power Stop P-23 set(s)

For what it's worth I just recently (<400 mi) installed Power Stop P-23 front and rear 'axle kits' from Amazon. LLC. Drilled and slotted rotor with pad set.

I did some research and they seemed best route for me - also had some 'points' that I applied that influenced my choice.

I mention Amazon, LLC because I got lucky they installed w/o any issues. The condition of the parcel on arrival was not to be believe as they combined both to make one package to save on shipping costs.

I was certainly sweating a new warped rotor from shipping. I caught hell trying to relay to vendor what happened because of the "LLC" business - somehow different from just "Amazon" feedback process.

Anyway, I'd suggest two different orders to avoid the same situation. I don't think it will affect total cost.

Everyone has their parameters when choosing, but these are working fine for me and no issues so far.

 

[Many3rdgens]

Not a giant fan of drilled rotors but I am on my fourth set of powerstops in an Explorer/Mounty application. The results keep bringing me back. They have each gone 100k+ without warpage and are zinc coated to not get rusty. They come with all new boots, clips and lube for the pins (important). They are also priced right for me. There are many setups that can get 100k miles, but that is just the one I have had repeated luck with. Heck, I just put a set on my Excursion this summer and so far they are doing great. Just don't get their calipers thinking they are something special. They are just colorful remans.

 

[MonsterGarage]

Well I ordered everything from rockauto.com and it showed up in satisfactory condition. Hub order was shipped separately from the brakes. Did install of both on the weekend.

Bled brakes on each corner, rather than squeeze it back into the system while compressing pistons on calipers, that fluid was dirty as heck. Rounded one bolt on the caliper and had to cut off with dremel. Thankfully was slide pin bolt so it pulled right out as soon as I got the bolt head off. Gouged the hole slightly, but not enough to matter. Rotors and pads look like decent quality. The hub replacement was the majority of the frustration: lots of hammering on the hub and old rotor to try to break the rust bond. Finally got smart and used a length of metal tube against the frame, using steering wheel as leverage. Worked great and I wish I thought of it sooner.

Broke in the brakes following procedures listed on the package. Brake performance is good. Quiet and confident. Pedal still feeling a tiny bit spongy like it did before. Wondering if there's a bit of air somewhere in the system. I feel confident it wasn't from me, as I used the two person method of bleeding and was very careful about it. I might have it looked at when I take truck back for transmission flash.

Sadly the new bearing hub assemblies didn't fix the problem of the humming / growling noise from the front of the truck. But at 150,000km it might not have been for nothing. It does seem slightly better. And passenger side hub was a bit crunchy when I turned by hand.

But it does leave me wondering what the noise is. It's been getting progressively worse. Thinking it's either a rear bearing, or front differential?

 

[Many3rdgens]

Rear bearing in these often sound like they are coming from up front. What hubs did you end up using? I have had absolutely terrible luck, like some bad right out of the box, with anything other than timken or motorcraft front hubs. I had a set from china that sounded worse than what I took off....

 

[Butch-Explorer]

I just did full brakes from advance auto parts the car quest platinum professional series. So far quiet and stop ok. Also had to emergency replace RF wheel hub with a WBJ unit , I hope it hones thru the winter.

 

[chefduane]

No complaints with the Wagner ThermoQuiets here. Did F+R pads with Raybestos Pro rotors. Great brakes with no problems. Put them on May of last year and have roughly 25k miles on them. Still great stopping power with no squeaks, fading, etc.

 

[k1w1t1m]

Sadly the new bearing hub assemblies didn't fix the problem of the humming / growling noise from the front of the truck. But at 150,000km it might not have been for nothing. It does seem slightly better. And passenger side hub was a bit crunchy when I turned by hand.

But it does leave me wondering what the noise is. It's been getting progressively worse. Thinking it's either a rear bearing, or front differential?

It might be your tires. The place where I bought my truck from put on new tires, cheapies. They were fine for about 5K miles and then I started hearing humming, growling noises. It started by being on just certain turns but now it is all the time. I checked all the bearings and they seem fine. I added air and the noise quieted a bit so I am convinced it's the cheap tires. A search on the web confirms my diagnosis. I'd suggest staying away from Valero tires. Unfortunately I'm going to have to wear them out before the finance controller will release funds for new better tires.

 

[MonsterGarage]

Thanks for the tire suggestion. You are right it is possible. However it is noisy regardless of me running the factory 18" wheels and winter tires (currently on), or the limited 20" wheels and tires I run in summer.

I would really like to figure it out. Dealer nearby is going to have to finish transmission flash, so I'm thinking that paying them to diagnose correctly might be worth my time. Assuming they are able to get it right. The idea of bearing hub being an issue originated from them......