Owner reviews for brake pads

Akebono ceramic - been great for daily

Recently changed rear pads on 2020 XT. Akebono makes OEM pads. Can get Akebonos on RockAuto. Took less than 1 hour. Need hex socket. I think size is 7mm but don’t quote me on that. Guide pin torque is 18 ft-lbs. Brake hose bracket torque is 24 ft-lbs if you take it loose. Lug nut torque is 88 ft-lbs. I didn’t replace the rotors.

I run the Akebonos on my B8.5 S4 for my daily. I also had them on my A4. Great daily pads with minimal dust.

Just here to say I have them also, and they did quiet down. Remember these are a step up in the performance pad world so there are going to be trade-offs. They actually wish I had gone with a more aggressive pad but considering it's 99% street driving they are pretty great

Have you done some seriously hard braking to properly seat them? Go from like 60mph and hard brake down to 20 or a stop. Not so hard to activate the abs or lock em up, but hard hard. Do this a few times to help bed them in better. I have ebc reds and it seems like the dust does chill a little over time. They still have a heavy bite that not everyone appreciates when coming to the end of a stop. I kinda like it tho. Let’s me know they mean business. Would buy again.

Heard wide range regarding compound of the ZFs, which are the replacement for rear pads that wore out in 30K on our 2021 Passat. Prevailing info was the originals were organics and the replacements (ZF) are ceramics. Put them on, if they still dust a lot they are probably still organic. The ZFs replaced on the Passat don't dust much, if any, so are probably ceramic.

And for our older Japanese cars Nipparts is fine

I upgraded my brakes. I went with TRW ultra ceramic pads, Zimmermann front rotors, brembo rear rotors, and it was definitely a big upgrade. The brakes no longer feel spongy, much better overall feel, and less brake dust.

Get ATE or Textar pads, buying more known pads because they are "performance brakes (which you see at the register)" is basically throwing money away just because "they are expensive so they must be better" and is idiotic imo.

Factory tires are garbage, but good all seasons and it gets around in the snow fairly well. My rear brake pad that had little wear, fell apart while driving in the mountains around the same time ( not covered ), I have never seen or heard of this happening before here or on other vehicles.