Front Rotor & Pads Recommendations

[1Bad04]

What rotors you currently running with the Ray pads? Did you try the Ray Kit?

Still running the EBC's. No issues with them except the rust which was the main reason for getting them. I ran Power Slot Cryos with the Hawk pads. Good setup except they rusted like crazy and the Hawks were extremely dusty. I swapped to the EBC rotors when I put on the PowerStop pads. I can't say that I noticed much of a difference between the slotted and solid rotors. Very little dust and good stopping power with the PowerStops. Decided to try the Rays on the last change and have been very happy with them. I have a set of the Wagner E-coated rotors sitting on the shelf to be installed someday...

 

[LMHmedchem]

As for the rotors, I do not recommend the EBC Geomet coated rotors for rust prevention.

You are talking about the PowerStop rotors here, correct?

LMHmedchem

 

[1Bad04]

You are talking about the PowerStop rotors here, correct?

LMHmedchem

Negative. EBC Geomet coated rotors. I got them from autoanything.com a few years ago. Don't know if they're even still available. If they are, I don't recommend for rust resistance.

 

[mingo1223]

Coated rotors and ceramics are a good choice. If you did a lot of towing I’d recommend using a pad other than ceramic. If you’ve got the money cryogenically treated rotors will last the longest without warping.

The Powerstop drilled/slotted rotors aren’t bad for the price point.

My rotors on my 2016 explorer ltd are always warping i have the over sized rotors and cant figure why also had same problem with 2013 explorer ltd does any one know why

 

[94Eddie]

My rotors on my 2016 explorer ltd are always warping i have the over sized rotors and cant figure why also had same problem with 2013 explorer ltd does any one know why

What brand of rotors are you using? There are some that are very poorly manufactured in China and elsewhere. When it comes to brake rotors most times cheap prices means you are buying cheaply made rotors that warp easily and do not last. Or you are putting them under duress (towing heavy trailers etc.) more than the designers anticipated. Do all the rotors warp or just specific ones?

 

[LMHmedchem]

Negative. EBC Geomet coated rotors. I got them from autoanything.com a few years ago. Don't know if they're even still available. If they are, I don't recommend for rust resistance.

Sorry for my confusion. The PowerStop coated rotors are "Geomet coated". I am familiar with the Geomet coating process (it's just a zinc aluminum variant) but I don't recall seeing that term on products other than PowerStop. I wonder if EBC and PowerStop are the only manufacturers to adopt this coating, or if others just call it something else.

This is just academic musing, so feel free to ignore it. It would nice to see through the advertising haze to learn if one of these coating processes is actually better than others at salt resistance. There should be salt spray number on this but the claims are all over the place.

LMHmedchem

 

[2000co]

Anyone knows who makes the carquest rotors and platinum cermic pads?

 

[Fix4Dirt]

something in me says raybestos for the rotors, not sure about the pads, but i would assume they are same supplier... perhaps someone else has some actual knowledge though!

 

[TechGuru]

I don't recommend ceramic's on these vehicles at all. They're too heavy with too small of rotors to stop safely in a emergency situation with them. Do not use ceramic's on these vehicles!

Front: Wagner SX833 SevereDuty Semi-Metallic or BENDIX MKD833FM Fleet Metlok
Rear: Wagner SX881 SevereDuty Semi-Metallic or BENDIX MKD881FM Fleet Metlok

Brake Rotors
Front: Wagner BD125758E Black E-Coat or RAYBESTOS 680014
Rear: Wagner BD125759E Black E-Coat or RAYBESTOS 680026

 

[TechGuru]

something in me says raybestos for the rotors, not sure about the pads, but i would assume they are same supplier... perhaps someone else has some actual knowledge though!

Maybe these:

Front: RAYBESTOS 680014

Rear: RAYBESTOS 680026

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Maybe these:

Front: RAYBESTOS 680014

Rear: RAYBESTOS 680026

took me a second to figure out which thread this was anyways, could be! not sure, most of the rotors look quite similiar, but they look familiar! in that case,i think the carquest rotors are probably raybestos...

 

[94Eddie]

I don't recommend ceramic's on these vehicles at all. They're too heavy with too small of rotors to stop safely in a emergency situation with them. Do not use ceramic's on these vehicles!

Front: Wagner SX833 SevereDuty Semi-Metallic or BENDIX MKD833FM Fleet Metlok
Rear: Wagner SX881 SevereDuty Semi-Metallic or BENDIX MKD881FM Fleet Metlok

Brake Rotors
Front: Wagner BD125758E Black E-Coat or RAYBESTOS 680014
Rear: Wagner BD125759E Black E-Coat or RAYBESTOS 680026

What makes the ceramic pads unsafe?

 

[Fix4Dirt]

i think metallic pads can take more heat than ceramic and have slightly better stopping power iirc, but i may be wrong...

 

[TechGuru]

What makes the ceramic pads unsafe?

They're fine for vehicles that were designed for them with rotors of adequate size.

Explorers do not have rotors of adequate size for ceramic given their weight.

They came from the factory with organic pads (Front & Rear here if you want them). Semi-metallic is the best upgrade for them.

 

[2000co]

I don't recommend ceramic's on these vehicles at all. They're too heavy with too small of rotors to stop safely in a emergency situation with them. Do not use ceramic's on these vehicles!

Front: Wagner SX833 SevereDuty Semi-Metallic or BENDIX MKD833FM Fleet Metlok
Rear: Wagner SX881 SevereDuty Semi-Metallic or BENDIX MKD881FM Fleet Metlok

Brake Rotors
Front: Wagner BD125758E Black E-Coat or RAYBESTOS 680014
Rear: Wagner BD125759E Black E-Coat or RAYBESTOS 680026

How's the Ray's hybrid pads with coated rotors? Are they also not recommended?

 

[2000co]

I don't recommend ceramic's on these vehicles at all. They're too heavy with too small of rotors to stop safely in a emergency situation with them. Do not use ceramic's on these vehicles!

Front: Wagner SX833 SevereDuty Semi-Metallic or BENDIX MKD833FM Fleet Metlok
Rear: Wagner SX881 SevereDuty Semi-Metallic or BENDIX MKD881FM Fleet Metlok

Brake Rotors
Front: Wagner BD125758E Black E-Coat or RAYBESTOS 680014
Rear: Wagner BD125759E Black E-Coat or RAYBESTOS 680026

I checked the akebono website for pads and they are listing the ceramic pads as the OE pads. They are also listed as the original OEM pad. Are they incorrect?

 

[Mbrooks420]

I checked the akebono website for pads and they are listing the ceramic pads as the OE pads. They are also listed as the original OEM pad. Are they incorrect?

I highly doubt they were ceramic.

 

[94Eddie]

I checked the akebono website for pads and they are listing the ceramic pads as the OE pads. They are also listed as the original OEM pad. Are they incorrect?

I checked what they labeled pads for other makes and models and they do not use that term in their descriptions. This leads me to believe they were the OEM supplier to the manufacturer for that make/model/year of vehicle. Also, this designation may not mean the OEM pads they provided the manufacturer was ceramic when the vehicle was manufactured. Only that they were the pad maker that supplied the pads to the manufacturer when the vehicle was built.

Edit:
I noticed that they also state the "OE pad material is ceramic" so this might indicate the "Original Equipment" pads from the factory were ceramic. Ceramic brake pads have been around since the mid 1980s so they could have been OE on many makes and models since then.

 

[TechGuru]

I checked the akebono website for pads and they are listing the ceramic pads as the OE pads. They are also listed as the original OEM pad. Are they incorrect?

Yep they're incorrect. The OE pads are Organic.

 

[94Eddie]

Yep they're incorrect. The OE pads are Organic.

Do you have a link for this? Is it in the manual?