Brake pads Brembo or Akebono
4 years ago I had my daughter, before taking my 2008 Mazda 6 back to college with her, install new Brembo "OE"/standard type pad sets front and rear and new Brembo rotors in the front. The front pads and rotors were so thick that the caliper piston cups had to be ENTIRELY retracted into the pistons to fit over them. After completion of the job and the performance of the pad/rotor break-in procedure, the already capable car was turned into a braking performance monster. It was like if you depressed the brake pedal a millimeter the car would start to decelerate markedly! And rapid stops were unbelievable quick and drama free. So I absolutely recommend Brembo products (have installed Brembo pads on 2 SUVs as well) and have always been impressed with the results!!
i have a 2014 Camry with 120k miles and my brake pads still have 50% life, you still have a bunch of mikes left to drive if you don’t brake aggressively. i would get akebono brake pads and oem rotors unless you plan on taking the car to the track
Neither, I installed the Zimmerman/Akebono kit this summer and am pleased with the performance.
Akebono pads are a bit pricey compared to some of the cheaper stuff you can get at your local autoparts store, but they are worth it if you just want your brakes to work well and be quiet. It's what Honda uses from the factory.
I would encourage you to pick up some basic tools, two jack stands , and a jack since you can save a lot of money down the road doing your own brake pads and rotors. Don’t cheap out on Brake pads and rotors since the very low quality rotors can warp very fast. I recommend getting akebono Brake pads and a decent set of rotors that’s mid range like centric. Brake pads are very easy to do and don’t forget to get blue threadlocker and to get a torque wrench and a breaker bar. As others have mentioned maybe in some auto parts stores in the Australia you might be about to rent certain tools. And there are tons of YT videos. Be sure to look for torque specs for your car. Also don’t forget to apply silicone brake grease to your caliper guide pins which is safe for rubber boots.
The fronts are basic Brembo, so as long as the mech. is competent that shouldn’t be an issue.
I put in cheap ceramic genuine Brembo pads in my Kia, stops on a dime.
A popular way to get bigger brakes on your Honda civic is taking the brembos from an Acura TL.
My go to pad and rotor combo has always been Akebono ASP pads which are GG rated paired with Centric blank rotors. It handles high heat very well.
On any modern BMW model those pads make the pedal noticeably softer, to the point where it almost feels like air in the lines. I've swapped many sets out due to clients being unhappy with the feel. Works fine on older ones though.
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