Bottom line on brake pads

The popular brake pad myth is that ceramic pads are always the best upgrade because they generate less noise and dust. Ceramic pads are a great upgrade from NAO, but manufacturers often install semi-metallic pads for a reason—because they provide the best braking for that particular vehicle's weight and brake design.

If you haul heavy loads or brake with a heavy foot, use semi-metallic brake pads. Don't second-guess the manufacturer and upgrade to ceramic brake pads without doing some further research. If you're set on using ceramic brake pads, replace your brake pads with the highest quality you can find.

Brake shoes

Brake shoes are the curved, metal friction plates pressing against the inside of the brake drums to slow the wheels. While disc brake systems are more effective, drum brakes are cheap to manufacture (and therefore cheaper to replace). Many vehicles feature a drum brake system on the rear axles and let the disc brakes take on the real heat in the front. Learn how to replace brake shoes.

Brake rotors

The brake rotor is the heart of your braking system and should be closely examined while planning any brake pad replacement. The cardinal rule: use high quality brake rotors. Economy brake rotors simply don’t perform as well as premium brake rotors. They contain less metal, are likely to overheat faster, and warp more often. Plus, the lower-quality metal increases your stopping distances. You’ll replace them more often, which will completely wipe out the savings advantage you thought you were getting when you bought them. All in all, you're better off replacing your rotors with the best ones you can the first time out.

Brake calipers

You may or may not need to replace the brake calipers during your next brake job. Here are a few things to look out for:

• If the caliper is leaking, replace it.
• If the piston dust boot is torn, chances are you’ve already damaged the piston seal, so you'll need to replace that, too.
• If the caliper isn’t leaking and the boots are intact, the caliper is probably good to go for your next brake pad replacement.

Sometimes the square cut “O” ring inside the caliper can harden and prevent the piston from retracting. This can cause uneven brake pad wear (the outboard pad wears faster than the inboard because the caliper can’t release pressure). But, corroded pad slides and caliper pins can also cause uneven brake pad wear, and they’re much cheaper and easier to replace than a caliper, so try replacing those parts first. If you still have uneven pad wear, bite the bullet and buy a new caliper. Many semi-loaded calipers come complete with a rebuilt bracket (if equipped), caliper pins, pad slides, and new hose gaskets.

Brake hardware

Brake pads have to move in and out as they compress and release. If your vehicle is equipped with brake pad slides, replace them on each brake job. That’ll keep your pads moving smoothly and help prevent uneven pad wear long after your brake pad replacement. Buy a new brake hardware kit for each caliper.

Caliper pins

Every brake caliper slides on two pins. If the pins corrode, the caliper can’t “float” freely. This will result in braking noise, in addition to premature and uneven pad wear. If you seen any corrosion on the slide pins, toss the old ones and install new pins.

Caliper bracket

If your caliper pins are corroded inside the bracket, there's no way you're going to get them out and still have a usable bracket. Instead, just buy a rebuilt bracket. Brackets come with new caliper pins and rubber boots. Just slap one on and you're back in business.

Did we miss anything? Or do you have questions about the components? Let us know in the comments.