I plan to change my front pads soon (rears later) and plan to use OEM (D1060-ZP00C, $80) unless someone changes my mind. Reason: I have 155,000 miles on the factory pads and they have proven to perform extremely well. They are finally getting thin, but I’ve had no problem with them so far. It is my wife’s daily driver, but we do some mountains in the summer, and pull a 6000lb boat occasionally. I am not convinced aftermarket ie Akebono PRO ACT, Supertech, etc will perform (including longevity) better even at a lower cost. So, any reason I should use aftermarket, other than cost? Anyone run aftermarket to 100K?
Open to suggestion on rotors. Any difference between Centric, Wagner, Raybestos, etc., all being the “premium, e-coated� I wonder if they are all made at the same factory for these brands???
OEM vs aftermarket pads
Moderator: volvite
My 2 cents:
The OEM units are actually pretty decent.
if you want to upgrade you can stick the G37 Sport brakes on there (or u should be able to.. the 350z braking system is very similar to ours and many in the Z community do just that)
So u need only pads not rotors? (had some very bad experiences with cheap rotors).
Stillen makes upgraded pads for almost any Nissan and i have used/liked them in the past and they generally are a bit better than OEM at same or lesser price.
The OEM units are actually pretty decent.
if you want to upgrade you can stick the G37 Sport brakes on there (or u should be able to.. the 350z braking system is very similar to ours and many in the Z community do just that)
So u need only pads not rotors? (had some very bad experiences with cheap rotors).
Stillen makes upgraded pads for almost any Nissan and i have used/liked them in the past and they generally are a bit better than OEM at same or lesser price.
Thanks for the feedback. Not looking to upgrade, just want a repeat performance, ie another 150k on the brakes. I will change the fluid.
And yes, to clarify, I am changing the rotors. Open to suggestions on something comparable to the OEMs. I saw where smj recommended the Raybestos Advanced Technology rotors awhile back. Just seems there are so many brands in the same price ballpark on Amazon, hard to discern which is better quality, or if most are all the same (not talking about the slotted/drilled/etc rotors).
And yes, to clarify, I am changing the rotors. Open to suggestions on something comparable to the OEMs. I saw where smj recommended the Raybestos Advanced Technology rotors awhile back. Just seems there are so many brands in the same price ballpark on Amazon, hard to discern which is better quality, or if most are all the same (not talking about the slotted/drilled/etc rotors).
I actually had some low-speed, front brake squeal issues with the genuine Nissan pads that were installed on my 2006 when it had 86,000 miles on it, which was the first time the pads were replaced. Rotors were resurfaced by the dealer at the time. The squeal started with around 15,000 miles on them. I removed them, cleaned them up and lubed with copperslip twice and they still would start squeaking not long after. I eventually switched to the Raybestos rotors you mentioned and the Akebono PRO ACT ceramics and the noise went away. Only problems I had is that the rotors now pulsate under hard braking, but I have about 65,000 miles on them and the garage that did the state inspection last weak estimated about 5000-6000 miles left on the pads. In the rotors defense, I do drive a bit aggressively at times. Brake squeak hasn't been an issue with the Akebonos and performance is similar to the genuine Nissan pads, which are actually Hitachi pads and also the same on my 2008 Pathfinder, which got 90,000 miles out of the factory Hitachi pads AND the second set of pads and rotors, which were Wagner OEX pads w/ Wagner rotors that I was impressed with. At around 210,000 miles, a front caliper piston seized up and cooked the left front pads. Being in a pinch and needed parts ASAP, I got Wearever Platinum ceramics from Advance Auto Parts with a reman caliper and re-used the Wagner rotors. At 227,000 miles, no problems so far. On both the 06 and 08, I've replaced the rear pads once on each. 06 has Raybestos Professional Series Advanced Technology and the 08 has Wearever Platinums and both have performed well, so far. I have heard Sumitomo pads were used on some Pathfinders, as well, but I've only seen Hitachi on the ones that I worked on. Also, a lesson I learned is that you should always get a caliper pin boot kit (make sure it has the rubber sleeves that go on the end of the slide pins (one on each side). Often the slide pins need to be pulled out, cleaned up and greased. Often once one removes the pins, the rubber sleeve (or bushing) on the end of the pin will swell and make it near impossible to get the pin back in and slide freely. The kit is usually around $5 or less and you can get them at local parts stores, but the may or may not be in stock locally. My opinion of the R51 V6 brakes is that they are a little lacking in stopping power for a relatively heavy vehicle. I also should note that Akebono has been an OE part supplier to Nissan for decades; they fit right and come with new shims, slips and the V-springs that help push the pads off the rotor when the brakes are released. They are very good choice if one wants similar to original equipment parts without the squeal and at a little less expense.
Now for what's next on the 2006: A couple of years ago I started looking up some part numbers and found that the V8 Pathfinder R51 used the same master cylinder, steering knuckle, wheel bearing hub assy., caliper bracket mount bolts, front brake hoses as the V6 Pathfinder. The big difference was that the front rotors are 12.1 inches in diameter and are 1" larger than the V6 rotors. The rear brakes between the V8 and V6 are the same. So, I figured one could easily swap the V6 front brake rotors, pads and calipers w/ mount bracket. While I had been doing research on performance pads and rotors and slowly acquiring parts for the next brake job, several people have going ahead and done the swap on both R51 V6 Pathfinders as well as 2nd Gen Frontiers with the V6. One note: the truck must have at least 17" wheels or larger; it will not work on 15" nor 16" wheels.
I've also heard that switch the stock, rubber hoses to stainless steel, braided brake hoses also helps with the braking action. So, this is the parts list for my next front brake job on my 2006 Pathfinder. I've also put the prices I was able to get the parts for with some web searching and Ebay searching:
Goodridge SS brake hose kit (has hoses for front and rear) # 21114, $108
EBC Yellow Stuff front brake pads # DP41671R, $80.51
(NOTE: you can also upgrade to EBC Orange Stuff pads # DP91671, $120...
Orange Stuff pads are only made for the front of the R51 Pathfinder and not
currently for the rear. I contacted EBC and they stated that there will be no
problem using Orange Stuff in the front with the Yellow Stuff pads in the
rear. They stated they have several customers doing just that.)
EBC Yellow Stuff rear brake pads # DP41748R, $77.36
EBC # GD7493 front rotors, $257/pair
EBC # GD7403 rear rotors, $166/pair
*NOTE: You can also get pad and rotor kits with the Yellow Stuff Pads and GD Rotors, although they are usually more money than buying parts separately. These are the EBC part #'s and the prices I found:
EBC Yellow Stuff pad/GD Rotor front kit # S5KF1365, $324
EBC Yellow Stuff pad/GD Rotor rear kit # S5KR1232, $270
For brake fluid, I'll be using DOT 5.1, which is a glycol-based brake fluid that is perfectly compatible with DOT 3 and DOT 4, but has a higher boiling point. **DOT 5.1 should NOT be confused with DOT 5 brake fluid, which is silicone based and NOT compatible with DOT 3,4 or 5.1 brake fluid.**
As for calipers, I'm still on the fence. What I would like to use is:
Powerstop front calipers w/ bracket set (includes left and right sides) # S2870B, $188
Powerstop rear calipers w/ bracket set (includes left and rear sides) # S2994A, $130
While these are really nice looking, they are expensive. I've heard Akebono cores are used and they are powder-coated. For those that want to know, they are remanufactured, much like most replacement calipers.
Not as nice, but just as functional and much less expensive, are your aftermarket remanufactured caliper w/ mount assemblies. These are sold individually in most cases and Rockauto has a good selection. Remember you may need to return the cores to get your core charge refunded...and there are shipping costs involved in shipping them back. Rockauto helps there by offering low cost shipping return labels that can be purchased and deducted off your core refund. For those trying to do this "on the cheap," one could also source the front calipers and mounts from a salvage yard R51 Pathfinder V8, preferably one with low miles. Try: Car-part.com
You also don't need to go with performance brakes like EBC or Hawk to get the benefit of larger front brakes. Rockauto has a number of options for pads and rotors for the V8 Pathfinder that are much less expensive, albeit they will perform like stock V8 components rather than performance parts. However, if one decides to go with a performance pads, I would highly recommend one also goes with performance rotors, which usually have a higher carbon content. I have heard from some that have used EBC Green Stuff and Yellow Stuff pads on stock rotors and they said the pads and they said the rotors were "eaten up" by the EBC pads (their words, not mine).
Now for what's next on the 2006: A couple of years ago I started looking up some part numbers and found that the V8 Pathfinder R51 used the same master cylinder, steering knuckle, wheel bearing hub assy., caliper bracket mount bolts, front brake hoses as the V6 Pathfinder. The big difference was that the front rotors are 12.1 inches in diameter and are 1" larger than the V6 rotors. The rear brakes between the V8 and V6 are the same. So, I figured one could easily swap the V6 front brake rotors, pads and calipers w/ mount bracket. While I had been doing research on performance pads and rotors and slowly acquiring parts for the next brake job, several people have going ahead and done the swap on both R51 V6 Pathfinders as well as 2nd Gen Frontiers with the V6. One note: the truck must have at least 17" wheels or larger; it will not work on 15" nor 16" wheels.
I've also heard that switch the stock, rubber hoses to stainless steel, braided brake hoses also helps with the braking action. So, this is the parts list for my next front brake job on my 2006 Pathfinder. I've also put the prices I was able to get the parts for with some web searching and Ebay searching:
Goodridge SS brake hose kit (has hoses for front and rear) # 21114, $108
EBC Yellow Stuff front brake pads # DP41671R, $80.51
(NOTE: you can also upgrade to EBC Orange Stuff pads # DP91671, $120...
Orange Stuff pads are only made for the front of the R51 Pathfinder and not
currently for the rear. I contacted EBC and they stated that there will be no
problem using Orange Stuff in the front with the Yellow Stuff pads in the
rear. They stated they have several customers doing just that.)
EBC Yellow Stuff rear brake pads # DP41748R, $77.36
EBC # GD7493 front rotors, $257/pair
EBC # GD7403 rear rotors, $166/pair
*NOTE: You can also get pad and rotor kits with the Yellow Stuff Pads and GD Rotors, although they are usually more money than buying parts separately. These are the EBC part #'s and the prices I found:
EBC Yellow Stuff pad/GD Rotor front kit # S5KF1365, $324
EBC Yellow Stuff pad/GD Rotor rear kit # S5KR1232, $270
For brake fluid, I'll be using DOT 5.1, which is a glycol-based brake fluid that is perfectly compatible with DOT 3 and DOT 4, but has a higher boiling point. **DOT 5.1 should NOT be confused with DOT 5 brake fluid, which is silicone based and NOT compatible with DOT 3,4 or 5.1 brake fluid.**
As for calipers, I'm still on the fence. What I would like to use is:
Powerstop front calipers w/ bracket set (includes left and right sides) # S2870B, $188
Powerstop rear calipers w/ bracket set (includes left and rear sides) # S2994A, $130
While these are really nice looking, they are expensive. I've heard Akebono cores are used and they are powder-coated. For those that want to know, they are remanufactured, much like most replacement calipers.
Not as nice, but just as functional and much less expensive, are your aftermarket remanufactured caliper w/ mount assemblies. These are sold individually in most cases and Rockauto has a good selection. Remember you may need to return the cores to get your core charge refunded...and there are shipping costs involved in shipping them back. Rockauto helps there by offering low cost shipping return labels that can be purchased and deducted off your core refund. For those trying to do this "on the cheap," one could also source the front calipers and mounts from a salvage yard R51 Pathfinder V8, preferably one with low miles. Try: Car-part.com
You also don't need to go with performance brakes like EBC or Hawk to get the benefit of larger front brakes. Rockauto has a number of options for pads and rotors for the V8 Pathfinder that are much less expensive, albeit they will perform like stock V8 components rather than performance parts. However, if one decides to go with a performance pads, I would highly recommend one also goes with performance rotors, which usually have a higher carbon content. I have heard from some that have used EBC Green Stuff and Yellow Stuff pads on stock rotors and they said the pads and they said the rotors were "eaten up" by the EBC pads (their words, not mine).
Thanks for the detailed post. It could be a sticky to cover most questions on the topic!
I guess the basic question is, is one trying to upgrade and go performance, or not. In my case, I don’t necessarily want more performance at the given costs (V8 rotors/calipers, EBC, HAWK, slotted, etc.). If it was my daily driver, vs the wife’s, I imagine the OEM pads would not have lasted as long, per different driving styles of course. Since I have been happy with the OEMs, I’ll likely take a chance on them again, but will have another think/read on the Akebono PRO ACT.
For rotors, you have made a good case for the Wagners. So many brands, I wonder if they are all made at the same factory, but with different branding. I just want something as close to OEM as possible. Price of OEM is a little steep! I had thought about having mine turned, but decided I didn’t want to take a risk on having too much material removed, or some other machining issue.
Thanks for the heads up on the caliper pin boot kit. I might not have had that ready to go otherwise!
Yes, I am on top of the 5.1 vs the 5, as well as the higher boiling point. I am an AMSOIL user, so I use that for all fluids since we purchased it brand new. I replaced the brake fluid at 110k with the 5.1, as a part of my ‘do it yourself’ 100k maintenance. I’ll change it again when I do the front brakes.
A couple of notes off topic, since I am a frequent reader but seldom post.
When I did the 100k maintenance, at about 110k, I changed all spark plugs without removing the intake plenum. There is a YouTube video someone made, so I was able to replicate. I didn’t want to break that factory seal, and risk debris getting into the ports.
Plastic piece broke on the heater hose assembly. Had to replace, wasn’t too happy about the cost of that.
No timing chain noise on my 2010.
I sometimes run it up to 10 to 12k on the engine oil. May lose ½ qt at most in that timespan. No notable loss at 7k.
I recently had to remove and clean the Evaporative Emissions Canister and Vent Valve. Since we travel in summers on backroads (read ‘dirt or rock’) in Colorado, the canister was clogged, giving me a code. I removed, shook, banged, blew compressed air, etc. as best I could. Replaced and code gone. Thanks to this forum for all the advice.
I guess the basic question is, is one trying to upgrade and go performance, or not. In my case, I don’t necessarily want more performance at the given costs (V8 rotors/calipers, EBC, HAWK, slotted, etc.). If it was my daily driver, vs the wife’s, I imagine the OEM pads would not have lasted as long, per different driving styles of course. Since I have been happy with the OEMs, I’ll likely take a chance on them again, but will have another think/read on the Akebono PRO ACT.
For rotors, you have made a good case for the Wagners. So many brands, I wonder if they are all made at the same factory, but with different branding. I just want something as close to OEM as possible. Price of OEM is a little steep! I had thought about having mine turned, but decided I didn’t want to take a risk on having too much material removed, or some other machining issue.
Thanks for the heads up on the caliper pin boot kit. I might not have had that ready to go otherwise!
Yes, I am on top of the 5.1 vs the 5, as well as the higher boiling point. I am an AMSOIL user, so I use that for all fluids since we purchased it brand new. I replaced the brake fluid at 110k with the 5.1, as a part of my ‘do it yourself’ 100k maintenance. I’ll change it again when I do the front brakes.
A couple of notes off topic, since I am a frequent reader but seldom post.
When I did the 100k maintenance, at about 110k, I changed all spark plugs without removing the intake plenum. There is a YouTube video someone made, so I was able to replicate. I didn’t want to break that factory seal, and risk debris getting into the ports.
Plastic piece broke on the heater hose assembly. Had to replace, wasn’t too happy about the cost of that.
No timing chain noise on my 2010.
I sometimes run it up to 10 to 12k on the engine oil. May lose ½ qt at most in that timespan. No notable loss at 7k.
I recently had to remove and clean the Evaporative Emissions Canister and Vent Valve. Since we travel in summers on backroads (read ‘dirt or rock’) in Colorado, the canister was clogged, giving me a code. I removed, shook, banged, blew compressed air, etc. as best I could. Replaced and code gone. Thanks to this forum for all the advice.
As a former Nissan Master Tech, I was never really impressed with "genuine Nissan" brake rotors. They were okay "back in the day," but starting in the late-90s and 2000s, we started experiencing a lot of pulsation issues, mostly in the front, but occasionally at the rear, as well. Some call it "warping," but the actual issue is caused by "rotor thickness variation." It's almost always on floating disc type type rotors. The older style, bolted to the hub type rotors, like they used on the earlier generations of Pathfinders and Hardbody/Frontier trucks would often go three sets of pads changes before they really needed to be resurfaced or replaced. The arguments for resurfacing tend to be that you are removing layers of steel, making the rotor thinner and more susceptible to developing pulsation issues in the future. Others will chime in that the price of rotors aren't that expensive compared to the price of machining, but, of course, that depends on the type of rotor AND the quality of the replacement rotors. FYI, you can get EBC rotors that are not slotted nor drilled for our Pathfinders, if that's one's preference. EBC has on online catalog that provides good information on their products and what's available for specific vehicles. Going back to the thickness variation issues, we started seeing them first on the last generation of the 300ZX in the 90's, then it became a common issue on low mileage, A33 Maximas, but did occur on other models, as well. There have been a number of issues on some R51 Pathfinders, as well. Some suggest that it's the anti-corrosion application applied to the rotor surfaces to help prevent rusting while they sit in storage at the port of entry. Some suggest they are using a lower grade of cast iron than they used to. It's hard to say. Nissan has released several TSB's over the years. In some cases they updated the pads shims or the pad compound. In almost all cases, they recommend cleaning the hub flange surface, measuring for excessive rotor runout, resurfacing the rotors with an on-car brake lathe so that the rotor is parallel to the hub (even when installing new rotors, which seldom done in the real world), and using Nissan PBC grease, which is a copper-impregnated grease similar to "copperslip" and applied on and under the brake shims, the contact points of the metal backing plate of the pad and to the contact areas of the abutment clips. They use a thick, silicone grease on the caliper slide pins. Of course, wheel lug nuts should be torqued to proper specs when installing, which is 100 ft/pounds on the R51.
Going back to Rockauto options, I have heard a lot of good things about Centric brakes over the last couple of years. They are not an old company compared to brands like Raybestos or Bendix or Wagner, for example, but have a good reputation and are based out of California. They do have a premium pad and rotor kit for our V6 Pathfinders if you want a stock performance replacement, part # 90942030 for $110 (rotors and pads for both sides included). You can get more info on these links:
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.ph ... 12&jsn=412
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.ph ... __GIP__2__
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.ph ... __GIP__1__
Centric provides a 90-day/3000 mi. warranty and they also make the Power Stop performance brake pads/rotors. They also have a kit for both axles for $212, # 90642044.
Rockauto also has the pin boot kits, Carson # 16185 for the front and 16055 for the rear, each kit servicing one axle (both sides).
Other brands of "stock replacement type" pads I would recommend that are available from Rockauto include Advics (which supplies OE brakes to Toyota, among others), Wagner OEX (ceramic brakes with an unusual lining design, but they stop very well and are a real bargain at their price. I've used them on my 2008 Pathy.), Beck~Arnley (which is a re-boxed, OE part from Hitachi, Akebono or Sangsin), the Raybestos Element 3/Advanced Technology and the already mentioned, Akebono ProACT ceramics. All of these pads are ceramic (like OEM) and provide new shims, abutment clips and V-springs, except Advics which I believe only supplies new shims. Some, like the Wagner OEX and Akebono, will also proved brake grease in a small package.
For front rotors, I would recommend the Wagner # BD126303E, the AC Delco Professional rotors (which are actually Raybestos Professional Series rotors, which I believe are being phased out and replaced by the Raybestos Element 3 series brakes), the Centric # 12042085 (the same ones that come in the kit discussed above) and the AC Delco Advantage, which is a Raybestos-made, coated rotor for high corrosion areas that see a lot of rust issues.
I think any of those choices should provide good options to the over-priced, Nissan stuff. If you do want genuine Nissan, try one of these sites for good prices:
www.NissanPartsDeal.com
www.CourtesyParts.com
Going back to Rockauto options, I have heard a lot of good things about Centric brakes over the last couple of years. They are not an old company compared to brands like Raybestos or Bendix or Wagner, for example, but have a good reputation and are based out of California. They do have a premium pad and rotor kit for our V6 Pathfinders if you want a stock performance replacement, part # 90942030 for $110 (rotors and pads for both sides included). You can get more info on these links:
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.ph ... 12&jsn=412
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.ph ... __GIP__2__
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.ph ... __GIP__1__
Centric provides a 90-day/3000 mi. warranty and they also make the Power Stop performance brake pads/rotors. They also have a kit for both axles for $212, # 90642044.
Rockauto also has the pin boot kits, Carson # 16185 for the front and 16055 for the rear, each kit servicing one axle (both sides).
Other brands of "stock replacement type" pads I would recommend that are available from Rockauto include Advics (which supplies OE brakes to Toyota, among others), Wagner OEX (ceramic brakes with an unusual lining design, but they stop very well and are a real bargain at their price. I've used them on my 2008 Pathy.), Beck~Arnley (which is a re-boxed, OE part from Hitachi, Akebono or Sangsin), the Raybestos Element 3/Advanced Technology and the already mentioned, Akebono ProACT ceramics. All of these pads are ceramic (like OEM) and provide new shims, abutment clips and V-springs, except Advics which I believe only supplies new shims. Some, like the Wagner OEX and Akebono, will also proved brake grease in a small package.
For front rotors, I would recommend the Wagner # BD126303E, the AC Delco Professional rotors (which are actually Raybestos Professional Series rotors, which I believe are being phased out and replaced by the Raybestos Element 3 series brakes), the Centric # 12042085 (the same ones that come in the kit discussed above) and the AC Delco Advantage, which is a Raybestos-made, coated rotor for high corrosion areas that see a lot of rust issues.
I think any of those choices should provide good options to the over-priced, Nissan stuff. If you do want genuine Nissan, try one of these sites for good prices:
www.NissanPartsDeal.com
www.CourtesyParts.com
-
PicklePath
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Tue Jul 18, 2017 5:50 pm
My stock brakes rotors were very warped (or probably it was pad buildup) at 86k. Did all 4 corners with S14KF1180 EBC STAGE 14 LIGHT TRUCK/SUV KIT. It came with their OEM replacement RK rotors and GreenStuff 6000 series pads. I also replaced all the brake hardware and rubber boots on the slider pins.
Its only been 2k miles, but wow, what an improvement. Brake pulsing is very annoying. At the same time I had a shake in the steering wheel that a wheel balance didn't fix. Further, the truck would shudder when hitting a bump. I figured that I had some sort of suspension issue in addition to the brake judder issue, but it was all the same problem. Replaced the brakes, and it drives like new!
I'd never done brakes before, but after watching YouTube and seeing how much the shops wanted to charge, I figured it was worth a shot. Turns out it wasn't too bad.....
Its only been 2k miles, but wow, what an improvement. Brake pulsing is very annoying. At the same time I had a shake in the steering wheel that a wheel balance didn't fix. Further, the truck would shudder when hitting a bump. I figured that I had some sort of suspension issue in addition to the brake judder issue, but it was all the same problem. Replaced the brakes, and it drives like new!
I'd never done brakes before, but after watching YouTube and seeing how much the shops wanted to charge, I figured it was worth a shot. Turns out it wasn't too bad.....
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