Brake pads Akebono or Centric

I've used akebono aftermarket pads twice in the past. They work fine.

I did a full weekend around 90 min per day of track time on a set of Akebono Euro pads. I had expected to wear them out, but wear was minimal even with every lap having a 120-40mph full ABS brake. A bit of odor, but no fade on my E46 BMW 330i.

Ran these for four years on the redsport better then the stock Akebono. Only changed the pads once

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.

The most budget+quality friendly package we offer is Akebono Brake Pads and Brembo Brake Disc.

Akebono ceramic pads, they’re amazing.

If you're looking for a solid set at a budget price, I've always had solid results from Centric and Power Stop brands on Rockauto. They're not high end by any means but they're cheaper than going OEM and they've always lasted at least 40,000+ miles. Also, if you go to Rockauto, do not be tempted by their economy category. The offerings in that section are very inexpensive but you absolutely get what you pay for. I went that route once out curiosity and the pads and rotors from the economy section were awful. Squealed and squeaked from day one and wore down insanely fast. Tried sound dampening sprays and re greasing. Never took the noise away.

About a year ago I bought some Akebono ceramic brake pads for my 2016 and they have given me nothing but grief, notably the fronts whose retainer clips just straight up didn't fit into my caliper so I needed to reuse the stock ones and I also had to grind down the pad ears to fit properly. The fronts were particularly bad (part no. ACT1539).