Duralast Gold Cmax/ceramic vs Wagner Thermoquiet

mbhang · 11-29-2010, 07:35 PM

Hi,

I have tried Raybestos QS (Great but lasted 25k), Raybestos Raymold (sucked, dusted a lot), Satisfied Pro Ceramic (Great, lasted 10 K).

Looks like Wagner is available on Amazon for 34.08 bucks - is that a good deal ?

I also want to try the Ceramic Autozone brand (tried Duralast gold metallic for my Nissan Quest, those were awful) - available for 54.99 in California. Are these brake pads any good ?

Any opinions about which one is better ? I mainly use car for commute - no racing, but occasional ride in the twisties (Yosemite, Sierras, Tahoe trips).

Thanks,

2 GO B4 · 11-29-2010, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbhang

Hi,

I have tried Raybestos QS (Great but lasted 25k), Raybestos Raymold (sucked, dusted a lot), Satisfied Pro Ceramic (Great, lasted 10 K).

I want to try the Ceramic Autozone brand (tried Duralast gold metallic for my Nissan Quest, those were awful).

Any opinions ?

Thanks,

Can't really speak for any of these first hand (at least not yet) but the guys at the auto parts store were swearing up and down about how great the Wagner Thermoquiets were...

maxed_out_99 · 11-29-2010, 07:52 PM

i actually have the thermoquiets i think there great! i installed them this past summer. they stop good, they dont squeal, and i still have about 7mm left on them. i highly recommend them. i also cut my rotors and lubed my slides this is a must with any brake job. 35 bones is a great deal. jump on it! i paid 60 and i have no regrets. the best part about ceramics is no lock up and no ugly nasty thick black dust all over you rims

*beegeezy* · 11-29-2010, 08:44 PM

Akebono ProAct ceramic. They are quiet, stop well (not for racing though), and last a long long time.

trini_max21 · 11-29-2010, 09:20 PM

I have used the Autozone Ceramic pads on my mothers A33 I30. They were great for the way she drove it around town, and they stopped much better than the stock pads when I would beat on it. Brake dust wasn't too bad at all either. I would recommend them to anyone, and I will be using them again on my car.

Doughboy89 · 11-29-2010, 10:12 PM

I have thermoquiets on mine and have a serious dust problem. But I am an aggressive driver with alot of hard stops.

elementalg20 · 11-29-2010, 11:30 PM

Personally, I've been pretty satisfied with the thermoquiets. I havent used much in terms of "good" pads, but they sure beat the hell out of the cheapies. I did buy a set of Napa's brand pads(I only wish I recalled which ones) they "listed" for around $90 and were fantastic pads, virtually no dust, quite and very very rarely showed any fade, great for a daily driver pad. Wish my buddy still worked at napa

The napa's were the only ones I've experienced that were any better but for $35 I'd go for it as well.

Leo_Koneval · 11-29-2010, 11:34 PM

I have the Wagner THermoquiet too, but its some really cheap version, I remember paying $20 for the front two pads. But they quality was horribly and they squeal a bit.

But I got what I payed for LOL

cgar · 11-30-2010, 07:43 AM

I just had my brakes done and they put some crappy semi-metallic $23 pad on. Brakes worked great but the drivers side front had a high pitched squeal about 1/2 the time. It was like fingers on a chalkboard. Went back and switched to the Raybestos QS (what I had on before) and they are very quiet. I know they won't last as long but at least I won't be embarassed everytime I press the brake pedal.

phatboislim · 11-30-2010, 08:04 AM

i have teh ceramics from advance..used them AT LEAST 30k miles if not more, still on them, but the pedal feels the need of a replacement..but its upgrade time for me..but i love ceramics as a daily...no brake dust ftw!!

Br0nz · 11-30-2010, 08:04 AM

axxis ultimate!!! i have used many different pads throughout the years these pads are the most versatile pads i have ever used. They will not fade from street driving unless you are a complete a-hole! lol

but they dont need much heat up like a lot of brakes with high fade temps. before i purchased those pads i called them and asked questions about em they had no clue what i was talking about and eventually transfered me to an engineer

long store short they are at their best from 250-1000 degrees and initial bite is huge!

okay just my .02 who wants the soap box next?

Br0nz · 11-30-2010, 08:05 AM

oh almost forgot they are ceramic pads but dust is their biggest downfall because they are a ceramic/Kevlar blend, so keep that in mind.

njmaxseltd · 11-30-2010, 10:41 AM

The Thermoquiet pads are nice, I've run them on the max and currently run them on my s'ploder. I upgraded the max to the Hawk's, aside from the dust, they are fantastic!

*beegeezy* · 11-30-2010, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by njmaxseltd

The Thermoquiet pads are nice, I've run them on the max and currently run them on my s'ploder. I upgraded the max to the Hawk's, aside from the dust, they are fantastic!

Hawk pads, Axxis ultimate, etc...are you guys reading what the op said about his driving habits? Any brake expert will tell you that there is no such thing as the perfect all around pad, they all have a targeted driving audience. If the OP doesn't race or brake hard constantly then pads that require heating up to perform optimally are a bad suggestion. Plus, those pads cost more and he won't reap the benefit with his driving habits.

http://www.amazon.com/Akebono-ACT526...1153821&sr=1-1

I did plenty of research before I bought these pads. If you want quiet pads that don't dust much, stop well for normal driving, and last a long time (>40k miles reported on tirerack all the time) you only have one choice. The other ceramic pads out there may work ok but don't last long.

Br0nz · 11-30-2010, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beegeezy

Hawk pads, Axxis ultimate, etc...are you guys reading what the op said about his driving habits? Any brake expert will tell you that there is no such thing as the perfect all around pad, they all have a targeted driving audience. If the OP doesn't race or brake hard constantly then pads that require heating up to perform optimally are a bad suggestion. Plus, those pads cost more and he won't reap the benefit with his driving habits.

http://www.amazon.com/Akebono-ACT526...1153821&sr=1-1

I did plenty of research before I bought these pads. If you want quiet pads that don't dust much, stop well for normal driving, and last a long time (>40k miles reported on tirerack all the time) you only have one choice. The other ceramic pads out there may work ok but don't last long.

why crap on my suggestion?

you have a different opinion than i do, doesnt mean you=right me=wrong.

i just install a set of axxis pads on my moms mini van lol, she loves them she told me she had to get used to braking as initial bite was hard(my words not hers) ...no warm up time. i paid 35 (your recommendation is $50) for the front pads my father has them on his Camry he now has 40k+ miles on em and they still have meat

this was my suggestion

the op ask for opinions on a couple selections he narrowed it down to, you ALSO went to a different recommendation, so again why are you right and we are wrong?

*beegeezy* · 11-30-2010, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Br0nz

why crap on my suggestion?

you have a different opinion than i do, doesnt mean you=right me=wrong.

i just install a set of axxis pads on my moms mini van lol, she loves them she told me she had to get used to braking as initial bite was hard(my words not hers) ...no warm up time. i paid 35 (your recommendation is $50) for the front pads my father has them on his Camry he now has 40k+ miles on em and they still have meat

this was my suggestion

the op ask for opinions on a couple selections he narrowed it down to, you ALSO went to a different recommendation, so again why are you right and we are wrong?

I didn't say you were wrong. I said your recommendation is better suited for performance applications. Axxis pads are usually dusty and noisy. Yes they brake well but they typically don't last long either. (not counting your dad's camry) I'm comparing pad use and wear on maximas not other cars. Mini vans, camry, etc are different vehicles that perform differently than the maxima...and have different braking systems. I'm not saying my opinion matters more than yours. I was simply stating that I picked those pads after lots of research and I have similar driving habits.

*beegeezy* · 11-30-2010, 05:11 PM

Also, the only drawback to the Akebono proAct pads is the lower stopping power compared to performance applications. They are excellent in every other facet.

njmaxseltd · 12-01-2010, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beegeezy

Hawk pads, Axxis ultimate, etc...are you guys reading what the op said about his driving habits?

Yes we did read the op's opening post. My Maxima is a DD vehicle. The pads he's looking at are nice pads, but the pads we have talked about brake better. And Hawk makes pads for racing, heavy duty and normal street everyday driving, which is the pad a ton of guys on here (including myself) seem to love. There are other "better" DD pads out there, and $20 bucks more for better stopping power is a no brainer when it comes to safety.

This forum is for suggestions, opinions ect. to help people service/maintain their vehicle. Please step away from the keyboard and let the OP read and make his own decision.

*beegeezy* · 12-01-2010, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by njmaxseltd

This forum is for suggestions, opinions ect. to help people service/maintain their vehicle. Please step away from the keyboard and let the OP read and make his own decision.

Obviously these are just my opinions and I intended nothing but to be helpful. I don't agree with your assessments of why to choose one pad over another. I apologize if I came off as insulting. I was just trying to offer my opinion as well.

mbhang · 12-01-2010, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beegeezy

Obviously these are just my opinions and I intended nothing but to be helpful. I don't agree with your assessments of why to choose one pad over another. I apologize if I came off as insulting. I was just trying to offer my opinion as well.

Thank you all for your responses. I had gone ahead and ordered the Wagner Thermoquiets from Amazon.

I will post my opinions after I install the same.

I will try Hawk HPS next time around - looks like a lot of people have good things to say about these.

Thanks,

kel456 · 12-02-2010, 05:37 PM

no one mention anything about OEM pads. aren't OEM pads dust less, last longer and less noise compare to our local store brand?

Buck96 · 12-02-2010, 06:04 PM

+1 Kel456

Hawk's or Oem's, you can do a lot worse than the oem bi-metal pads

Oem -low dust, good stopping power, long life 35K miles conservative, I got 40K on a set
Hawks- a bit dusty, superb stopping power, lower life span 30K

gdal · 12-02-2010, 06:07 PM

I haven't changed the pads on my Max yet, but I have used Thermoquiets in the past and they are excellent. I had 35k on them before I sold the car and they still have probably 15k more to go.

max ride 41 · 12-02-2010, 07:48 PM

axis and akebono's never fail

black2000maxiSE · 12-02-2010, 09:50 PM

ive had excellent luck with Bendix pads. Just put a set on my parents murano and there great. Minimal dust no noise and they stop great. You can get them at rockauto.com. Bendix manufactures most oem pads too.