What Are The Best Brake Pads? Cheap vs Expensive Tested!

Why You Shouldn't Buy The Cheapest Brake Pads For Your Car
5 Different Brake Pads, ranging from $20 to OE, undergo four tests.
Sponsored By NRS Brakes - www.nrsbrakes.com/ee
What are the best brake pads? Are expensive brake pads better than cheaper brake pads? Are cheap brake pads dangerous? In this video, we'll compare brake pads ranging from $20 to $90, all for the front brake pads on the exact same vehicle. Performance testing will compare how the brake pads do when they experience high temperatures. Corrosion testing will determine how well the pads resist rust in harsh winter conditions. Shear testing will see how well the friction material is attached the the backing plate. Finally, noise testing will determine which brake pads are the quietest.
When you walk into a parts store, you'll often see different tiers of brake pad prices. This video's goal is to determine if you get what you're paying for with those different brake pads. Five different pads will be tested. $20, $40, $60, NRS, and original equipment pads for the same car will all undergo the same tests described above, using industry standardized tests. Watch the video to see how differently priced brake pads perform!
Use the code "EE20" for 20% off brakes purchased at NRSBrakes.com!
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[@EngineeringExplained]

**Important Note** Lots of questions about the materials for each pad! It's honestly a very difficult thing to determine, which is why I left it out. Regulations allow for such a wide variety of materials that unless you do some sort of chemical analysis, I'm not sure there's much meaning behind it. For what it's worth, the cheapest pads were "semi-metallic" (again, vague, but that's all they tell you), while the other four pads are "ceramic." There's a wide variety of what can be included in pads, regardless of the material stated. Also, material alone doesn't show a strong correlation with all tests (both ceramic/metallic can do poorly in sound, corrosion, shear, etc), so it's difficult to determine what's the cause for doing well/poorly based purely on material.

[@ourback]

Any chance you could tell us the application here? I'd imagine an older vehicle would use older technology in OE pads, as would a cheaper vehicle.

[@michaelehresman5881]

Curious on the differences in results between ceramic, semi-metallic, organic, ferro-carbon, and full carbon pads. It would be interesting!

[@johnmoore1495]

What vehicle were these pads for? I’d like to know the OEM manufacturer.

[@toddturnbaugh4451]

This just left me with more questions than answers. There are so many variables that this doesn't seem to help. For example my daily has some mid grade pads that have a lifetime warranty so I paid for them once and never have to again while on my more performance oriented car I definitely am more worried about fade so I'll spend more. Also a few noisy stops is irrelevant imo.

[@Anankin12]

Next time will you include the self (or not, I don't know) proclaimed "best brakes in the world" Brembo?

[@MrJObajobas]

So brake pads are like wine. Pick the second from the cheapest and you never lose.

[@NinaBabyTV]

😂😭

[@AMGGish]

😂

[@vermilliontoaster3063]

Wow good to know...😂

[@bryanmartinez6600]

And lube shops give you box wine they buy in bulk it's definitely not good but I'll get you where your going.

[@doemaeries]

Same for cables

[@BBROPHOTO]

Everyone knows red calipers and pads perform the best!

[@EngineeringExplained]

Hard to combat hard data! Red = fast!

[@rarbiart]

i like it when people paint their drum brakes in red....

[@adamrandell7946]

@Khaffit Use Brembo stickers for the best efficiency...

[@simplybuilt_1708]

No brakes last longer since they never break !

[@dchawk81]

Yep I painted my drums and it gave me 40hp.

[@djarcforceable]

Pretty surprised that the OE pads did so well. I mean, I didn't expect them to be junk... that would be a lawsuit just waiting to happen... but I certainly didn't expect them to be just about as good as it gets either.

[@Heathmcdonald]

@@SuperPhunThyme9 I disagree my ceramic pads are great, had them for around 50k miles and to beat that basically no break dust and I got them for around 60 front and back

[@joeKisonue]

@@marksoublet6480 and if you can get OEM JDM Components for your Japanese car you do great. I've had a 20 yr old Acura with the original starter and many of the bulbs were what came with it.

[@joeKisonue]

@@SuperPhunThyme9 There are so many brands. If someone did a test like this with just ceramic pads that would be nice

[@MRMAN-wb1tv]

@@joeKisonue I agree, on OEM JDM parts. Especially Toyota/Lexus ( no disrespect to Honda/Acura ) because there are so many interchangeable parts that one can upgrade parts within the company.

[@dubmob151]

It sounds like OE is a brand that can be compared with consistency. Seems like that's saying that sellers on ebay are always reliable with no exception.

[@MrAndrew3048]

6:47 $7 million test facility, $15 harbor freight calipers

[@sargentdoggo297]

You can do the same for only about a 1,000 old straight axle from a junkyard and a 350 would work too

[@sargentdoggo297]

Wait harbor freight sell calipers?

[@mikeznel6048]

@@sargentdoggo297 For measuring.

[@sargentdoggo297]

@Mike Znel the extendy boi with numbers on it?

[@Kycirion]

If it can measure repeatedly to .001, then it's more than accurate enough for brake pads.

[@Anankin12]

Basically the results say "buy original".

[@james_the_darklord]

You did not state what kind of materials the pads are made out of. The OE pads looks like the akebono brand installed in all Toyota vehicles.

[@mr.h5436]

@Sam S TY for that excellent comment

[@its_robbietime1333]

Or mid tier

[@twiggy27111976]

Totally agree

[@Napster60]

@Sam S Maybe YOUR dealership wont tell you. If you care about your car then make an effort to get to know the people that work on it. Get to know your dealership. They can tell you where the brakes are from and make sure they are OEM parts you just have to ask and or know who to ask.. The guy behind the service center table probably doesn't know and probably wont have the best information. Go to your parts department. Ask for part numbers. Its not that hard and you can easily get OEM parts.

[@somestuffithoughtyoumightl6985]

Brakes, tires and headlights are not places to save money.

[@krannification]

I beg to differ for headlights. Cheap leds bulb are a major improvement over OE halogen

[@mjc0961]

@@krannification Cheap LED bulbs also don't shine light the same way as OE halogens, and the light isn't reflected the same way by the headlamp housing either. Cheap LED bulbs in a car that was meant for halogens are giving you worse visibility and blinding everyone you drive past in the opposite lane.

[@averycase5493]

@@krannification I suggest you watch a few videos comparing different led retrofit bulbs from the channel headlight revolution. They have many videos in which they put several different bulbs into the same housing, shining through the same lens. Cheap/poorly designed bulbs often times perform horribly compared to ones with a better design, or even the stock halogen bulbs for that matter.

[@adamwozniak30]

And engine oil

[@rfcdgaf]

@@krannification You're the douchebag that blinds yourself and others on the road. Read up on why LEDs don't belong in a reflector designed for halogen and do us a favor

[@AccountN0name]

As a brakes engineer, I'm impressed with the thoroughness and clarity of this video - technically sound, and explained well. Keep up the good content 👌 Edit: I'd like to see multiple pad samples tested, so error bounds can be applied to each result.

[@johnnyblaze2257]

As a Cell phone Screen watcher engineer, I agree!

[@1bludbought]

As a consumer of brakes, what brakes do You recommend?

[@juanfelipemontoya5821]

@@johnnyblaze2257 As a comments reader Engineer I really enjoyed yout comment

[@SuppositionalBox]

​@@1bludbought We sell "Brake Best Select" (yellow and grey box) at my Oreillys store quite often. The local dealerships use them constantly (which should be taken as a precaution in some ways) but I've never seen anyone complain about them.

[@KenyaSG]

You have a strange job, not everyone walks around saying " i am a brake engineer " at the table lmao

[@garycooney6370]

On my old 2001 4Runner, my brake pads lasted an amazing 210,000 miles. This was in Virginia , where by state law all vehicles are required to be inspected annually. About 5-years in, the mileage had really started to accumulate so I began asking the inspection mechanic if the brake pads were still OK and for the next four years his reply was always “yup”. So finally came that fateful day when he finally said “they pass, but just barely, you really ought to have them replaced”. This is where I made my big mistake. I had the brakes replaced at a local shop near where I worked, but didn’t specify OEM or equivalent parts. Almost immediately, my chrome wheels began to turn black with brake dust. After only 20,000 miles they needed replacing. So the OEM pads lasted 10 times as long as the cheapo brand. Who knew? This will not happen again on my watch.

[@jorgemeireles5549]

For shure you don´t use the brakes...

[@SUPERMAR10312]

Did you do any engine braking?

[@BUFFALO-PHIL626]

Ummm factory brakes are just rebranded in a factory box..so no

[@dkrawk8309]

Things that you are saying are sci-fi fantasy

[@emailjimsylvester]

​@@BUFFALO-PHIL626 yes, but to the manufacturer's specs, so typically quality that is checked.

[@lord-REDACTED-]

Man, I think nrs sold me. Gonna go get some mid level pads!

[@101Ari101]

😭😭😭

[@potatowizerd5152]

Lol

[@D4RKBRU73]

You do understand that this test was biased on many levels, right?

[@wisico640]

@@D4RKBRU73 they brobably use these tests to design their brakes; but I'd still go OEM or Mid Range so...

[@jyearr6744]

😂😂😂

[@Warloghe]

I thought this was Project Farms at first :D

[@mrc14_2]

You are not the only one :)

[@squaller9254]

same lol

[@twiggy27111976]

I’VE GOT CHOCOLATE BRAKE PADS, WOODEN BRAKE PADS AND REAL BRAKE PADS. WHICH ONE’S THE BEST? LET’S FIND OUT /shout mode off

[@iceman49bg]

@@twiggy27111976 hahahaha this made me laugh way too hard, especially shout mode

[@Quick_in_and_out]

The poor guy is about to get thousands of comments to do an independent version of this test

[@seanriopel3132]

I appreciate the massive amount of work that went into running these tests. It seems like such an easy thing to look at the completed graphs but understanding how much work was involved in obtaining all of that data is a lot harder.

[@si98justme1]

It would have also been a good idea to test rotor thickness with each pad to see whether the pads that lasted longer wore the more expensive rotor faster. The way I understand it, is that there's also a tradeoff there between rotor and pad life.

[@titoine1998]

no

[@joeKisonue]

There certainly used to be when ceramic pads were a new item. Ceramic pads would eat up a rotor pretty quickly. Not a problem if you do pads and rotors on a brake job for yourself.

[@charlesgallagher1376]

@@shawnkelly695 I’ve gotten my coasting up to a red light as it changes green to an art form. Probably bugs the people behind me, but what is behind is not my concern. Unless it’s a cop.

[@dubmob151]

@@charlesgallagher1376 would cops hate your coasting driving style?

[@turtleb7170]

Youll never burn through your rotor before the pad. Unless youre using the same rotor for multiple pad uses

[@phillip5505]

Huh, it's almost like engineers get paid to design oem parts for a specific car and purpose. Who would have thunk it

[@imnotusingmyrealname4566]

@I'm Still Alive Don't question the Germanic engineering gods!

[@gschaaf713]

whats your point? modding vehicles with aftermarket parts is fun. dont hate, just do your research.

[@qubicracks6386]

yea because there are different heat tolerances and stuff like that. they test everything for hundreds of thousands of miles. you think some company trying to make cheaper parts is going to pay for all that?

[@gschaaf713]

@Adriel R that is not always true. oem is definitely not always best. oem is often a compromise between what is best and what costs the least. if you work in development you would know this. parts are often engineered to bare minimum requirements, nothing more.

[@mj68874]

@Adriel R for the road yes but if you track your car you need to upgrade pads and fluid. Disks will be ok most of the time

[@syncerus416]

1. OE 2. Mid 3. NRS 4. Upper 5. Lower

[@gabe8168]

Putting a scale doesn't really do it justice, mid and upper doesn't mean every company will be the same

[@jamiesachtleben2946]

@@gabe8168 well, if it says anything. It says NRS shouldn't be testing their brakes. Just put them in nice packaging, say they are better than everyone else and make money like the rest of the garbage brands.

[@NerdyCatCoffeeee]

I like it how he just continues to say that NRS pads are so great, when in reality they suck, unless it's a noise test.

[@user-ev4pb9xj7e]

Ummmmmmmmmm, without “ brand” names in as far as this “ good, bad, ugly” test, it really doesn’t tell us much.

[@billarroo1]

Great explanation, when I was a mechanic I specialized in brakes, i went to all the major brake manufacturers brake schools, and there IS A BIG difference in quality between cheapy pads and high quality pads, Organic pads are the cheapest junk, and ceramic was rated tops, when I was doing brakes taxi cabs and police cars, highway patrol, were using ceramic, least brake fade, low noise, long lasting, not to aggressive on the rotors, Thanks William Orange county, ca.

[@truthhurts1754]

Semi metallic will always give less fade over ceramics as they handle heat much better

[@shawnkelly695]

I got carbon ceramic pads, they any good? Or i think carbon ceramic, like a copper or brass color flecks in them.

[@philiprowe2147]

OEM, which OEM were the pads from? I'm having a hard time thinking BMW, Mercedes and Kia have the same OEM quality.

[@SpiderBoyJohn]

Philip Rowe I would love to know

[@blyndrotor]

Probably do these days or pretty close. Wind the clock back and, yeah, not so much.

[@seanlavery6477]

Mercedes OEM is made by Brembo. At least mine is.

[@Nanan00]

The OEM's on my old VW GTI said Brembo on them. The OEM for GM is ACDelco.

[@Virxo182]

Most likely Nisshinbo they make almost every break pad the average joe will ever encounter.

[@gmofftarki]

Well, you've successfully convinced me to continue buying OEM brakes.

[@maralonent6257]

Yeah, seem to be go with what was made specifically for the car. Makes sense.

[@predater5017]

@@maralonent6257 ye, imagine that. use what the people who designed the car thought was best. who would of thought it?

[@redguard128]

I changed the brake pads and rotors of my car and I can't even compare the 2. In my case the brakes that the car came with from the factory (bought it brand new) were utter garbage. I can't even imagine why I postponed the change and had to deal with the original brakes for 3 years!

[@rayford21]

@@redguard128 You have a point there. The so-called lower priced "throw-away cars" are usually gone over with a fine tooth comb by the bean counters before mass production, and you can bet your sweet bippy this includes cheaper brake shoes installed at the factory. That being said, it would probably be an advantage to buy the brake shoes and other brake parts from a reputable manufacturer rather than the OEM's.

[@jamesvwalker268]

@Tom Wetz Generally speaking for Ceramic Pads, the only brake pads that will usually last 120k is OEM and that's if you're lucky. Aftermarket is usually around 60k-80k tops. Akebono is a great choice that almost compares to the longevity of an OEM pad with better stopping power and pedal feel.

[@12799MaDeuce]

"NRS uses mechanical burs to lock the pad to the backing plate" Barely passes shear test after corrosion test

[@JeffRatliffhome]

I was disappointed we didn't get to see what their pads looked like after this test. Would be good to see how well it worked. Personally I have never had pads fail due to corrosion or shear.

[@AaAaSRB]

Jeff Ratliff It’s shown on 15:03

[@JeffRatliffhome]

@@AaAaSRB You are right. Guess I missed it.

[@carl5426]

Iirc the pad material itself was the failure point not the adhesion plane, so the metal burs actually did their job well

[@innocentoctave]

@@carl5426 Yes, if the purpose of the burrs is to make sure that at least some material is retained on the plate after material failure. But to be honest, it looks like just another instance where beefing up one part in a system transfers the load elsewhere. Is it better for a brake shoe to shed all its material, or only some, leaving a rough surface and the exposed heads of the burrs?

[@afdave7]

Man, if anyone deserves 3M subs, it's you. Sincerely appreciate your approach to every topic. Scientific method is king. Cheers!!!!

[@thehomer5913]

So impressed with the detail and effort required for this video. Thanks so much!

[@AmaroqStarwind]

2:49 "But let's BRAKE it all down" Puns, oh Goddess, the puns!

[@santbhindranwalejidefanche8767]

@Eze&Yare Dominguez ?

[@brandonbenjamin9452]

Harsh Last Whoosh

[@santbhindranwalejidefanche8767]

@@brandonbenjamin9452 lol u wish, I put a question mark because his pun was dead. I guess I should have commented proper instead of being lazy and putting a ?

[@brandonbenjamin9452]

Harsh Last ohh haha oops

[@santbhindranwalejidefanche8767]

@@Gandalf721 haha

[@stephanparis6085]

I’ve been doing my own brakes for 25 years and have used various brands but have never heard of NRS brakes. Very informative testing video!

[@user1138]

Switching to semi-metallic brake pads (Winmax W3) on my FRS made a huge difference in stopping power. I mostly got them for autocross and track days, but it's very noticeable even on the street. The downside is a little more noise and brake dust, but it's totally worth it to me.

[@em4703]

You should try ATE ceramic pads, the difference in performance isn't as big as you'd think with semi-metallics, if at all, while also having no dust issues and less wear on the brake rotors.

[@memopadilla5931]

@@em4703 Where do you find them?.. I went to their website and chose usa.. it re-directs to ate-continental page.. the catalog only has rotors.

[@intention21]

I’m choosing ceramic. Reason is I don’t straight up race my car. I’ll do some pulls here and there but normal driving is what I do. And I tend to brake soft and from a distance. I’m always aware of getting long lasting use of something.

[@mry82]

Could just be the initial bite, but similar stopping distance?

[@palangimiko]

Me: man, I really gotta get back to Calc 2... Engineering Explained: yeah, but first, check this out.

[@AutoCollegeAalborgGF]

Nice work in explaining a performance test AND in giving us a glimpse of how much effort OEM's put into making sure that their products, are so much more than a random collection of available parts. I would love to see more videos of this type. Thanks Jason!

[@marksoublet6480]

Great and informative video. I have a taxi company and typically choose OEM parts overall since they are engineered for that car (yes, I know parts bin, and XYZ). But for the most parts OEM parts last, hence the price. But it's worth it if you can afford it. Saves time, money, and headaches. Again, really appreciate the vid. 👍🏾

[@lewiswestfall2687]

It would be interesting to see the performance of track day pads and racing pads. Another interesting test would be to use drilled and/or slotted rotors to see if they affect fade.

[@AuroraBlue01]

Your really selling me on OE pads. Mid level too. Curious about which brands are involved

[@alfredotovar8984]

I heard that Bosch makes the Duralast Gold brakes from AutoZone, makes sense that their mid-grade stuff at least is good lol

[@jonnyholdiman2054]

I have Duralast gold on my eclipse and there amazing and only on the front rn since the back pads are still good

[@AuroraBlue01]

Thanks. Thats a good idea

[@conortimm733]

Jonny Holdiman yah always go for the golds especially since the lifetime warranty

[@jonnyholdiman2054]

@@conortimm733 and then I just put on slotted Duralast GT rotors on the front also so it's really nice

[@jospi2]

Project farm: challenge accecpted.

[@progmanmike]

LifeOD: Hold my beer

[@jchung658]

Christfix finished his beer.

[@mannys9130]

I love Project Farm. His scientific method is absolutely bulletproof. He puts a lot of thought and hard work into his testing to be objective and trustworthy.

[@steveman1982]

"Can you use gummy bears as brake pads? Let's find out!" (wanted to type in all upper case since he always shouts at his audience :D )

[@djsonicc]

@@steveman1982 "How these bars of butter compare to cheap brake pads? Lets find out"

[@snooka2484]

What an incredibly detailed and informative comparison. Thank you!

[@BloodyMobile]

I like the testing facility they have. You know it's good when it's built around the expectation of fire and continuing anyways.

[@username.858]

This test shows that your brakes are definitely the wrong place to save money.

[@07wrxtr1]

same thing with tires, but people are insane.

[@cuteshadow]

It saves me double the money, 1st on the pads, 2nd, i don't need a retirement plan, house, or a new car. (As long as i´m going fast enough)

[@username.858]

Think about the people you are taking with you.

[@poiiihy]

the cheapest one didn't do too bad imo, but would save you a lot.

[@username.858]

@@poiiihy Well, it didn't do too good lol. I'm replacing brakes every 3 years or so. The 40 or 50 bucks more are well worth it for me, even if it's just for peace of mind.

[@nicoargca]

Trying to save money by buying cheap brake pads is the same as trying to save money by buying cheap condoms. You just don't mess with that kind of stuff man.

[@Starscream8896]

So what type do I get

[@nicoargca]

@@Starscream8896 Depends on your car. For example, for my car, an infiniti, I will replace the pads with Akebono pads. They are actually OEM on certain infiniti models. But honestly, in my humble experience I would say that OEM or OE spec is your best bet. Most others have some sort of 'side effect' that is not present with OE.

[@FaizCaliph]

What would be the equivalent to pulling out?

[@markg1495]

$59 car quest pads for my Audi s6 have been better than any of the other $100-150 options I’ve tried

[@SassyOnline]

Fake news. One will end in a horrible accident. The other will end in maybe a bit of braking noise?

[@ZKozak-hp5vb]

would love to see some ebc/ hawk pads in the vid, but thanks for the comparison!

[@jammin1881]

We need to see more of the brakes, breaking! I wanted to see some of the test using the expensive equipment also.

[@sooocheesy]

Jason, I'm calling you next time I need brakes. That's your punishment for not giving brand names!

[@quadracer392]

I would like to see this done with different rotors too!

[@EngineeringExplained]

Great idea!

[@NFLYoungBoy223]

Eze&Yare Dominguez I always thought slotted was more aggressive

[@GJB21]

NFL YoungBoy the slots are just to aid cooling/as an escape route for gassed between the disc and brake pad

[@NFLYoungBoy223]

Giovanni John-Blackett so they don’t eat up the Brakes? And are Autozone brake pads really ceramic? They do leave brake dust on the wheels

[@WCGwkf]

Holes aid in cooling, not stopping power. They also wear pads acting like a cutting surface. If you plan on racing and getting brakes hot, rotors with holes are better wo your brakes just keep working. More surface area on a smooth rotor has better stopping force but wont cool as fast. The reason why you get bigger brakes is more surface area. Reducing surface area has to lower braking force by some tiiiiny amount

[@hugieflhr03]

Nice job for all involved. Cold stopping becomes a question as many performance pads don’t grab until warm or even hot.

[@Tau_ri]

For the start, I was developing brake systems for years including programming and conducting dyno tests, benchmark, component design etc. ... The video is great, very good presented. The friction tests were a pure "AK master" kind of tests. The regeneration question/problem is very well presented as well. I´d like to ask, what was the bedding process or the "drive in" process like? Is there any data available? Further on, there is something what is disturbing me. There should be a 5th category tested. One of the most important nowdays. It´s residual torque. It´s a complex problem and I think I do not need to name you the input factors for it. I would be really curious to see the residual torques of the presented pads. And the compressibility test results too...

[@callalilycollective]

I only buy Callahan Auto brake pads.

[@MadDog6945]

But is there a guarantee right on the box?

[@darthvader1759]

No, that's why I won't buy them.

[@williamk851]

@@MadDog6945 look, if you want me to take a crap in a box and mark it guaranteed I will... I got time.

[@tjlovesrachel]

Building a model airplane says the little boy

[@theclamhammer4447]

You could stick your head up a bulls ass but I’ll just take EEs word for it.

[@tc000]

No lie I was hoping to see less graphs and more breaks breaking

[@68404]

brakes, not breaks.

[@tc000]

Brb... I'am gowing back two da 3th grayed!

[@tc000]

...😂 also, I'm gonna stop watching and commenting on videos at 2am

[@ojsh_]

@@tc000 3th. Love it.

[@dduncan55330]

Brakes braking or brakes breaking?

[@morrij01]

Very interesting video. Having to change your pads often is not necessarily a bad thing. It forces you to clean and make sure your calipers are well lubricated. It also pushes you to check the condition of your discs and so on. This can be especially useful in harsh environments and for cars that are not driven much. The alternative is to take everything apart semi-regularly to do all this, but you may much less inclined to do so if there isn't a pressing need to.

[@bruzote]

Ah, maybe not. I feel like that's like saying it's not necessarily bad to be burning oil because it forces you to do consider oil and filter changes more frequently.

[@shadow212121kb]

Feels like I just watched a school lecture. When's the test? IM READY!

[@Clobercow1]

So... Usually, it's not worth it to upgrade over OE pads unless you go real high end.

[@dillonh321]

Yep

[@fusionxtras]

The low mid and high tiers are probably also cheaper than oe though so it's more like dont downgrade

[@origamipostit]

Real high end is used more for racing applications. Most of us should just use standard OEM brakes as the higher end will be more noiser because they operate at a higher temperature.

[@qubicracks6386]

at autozone we have duralast, duralast gold, and max. if regular is $20, max will be like $50. regular is semi metallic, gold is usually ceramic which should be smoother, quieter, leave less brake dust on the wheels, and match the OE. it also includes hardware.i forgot why max is better but it comes with lubricant too to put behind the pads and on that caliper bolt.

[@Conservator.]

You can get 5 Brembo sets for the price of 1 BMW set.

[@fuse8052]

This an amazingly informative and useful video. Explains why I never like premium pads and why we always use mid grade pads at my shop. I will refer them to this video if needed. Thank you for this. Also , never heard of NRS brakes until this video

[@patrickanthony3632]

Since it may be difficult to find OEM pads, I suggest you go with NRS pads. Reject anything subpar!

[@ricky302v8]

@@patrickanthony3632 Did you watch the video? the NRS pads are crap.

[@MattBKn]

I would be curious to see a similar test performed on more track oriented pads as well to see how they compare to OEM.

[@Danster547]

Yes! Are they really an upgrade?

[@sonogunis]

I have been working on cars for years. I knew from experience not to buy cheap brake parts and this video tells me why. Great video.

[@Dia1Up]

The OEM wasnt bad at all, but hard to draw a conclusion without a price

[@hellojrod]

Price is written on the brake pad. ?

[@Euroliite]

@@hellojrod OE and NRS pads don't have prices written...

[@bjchase55]

The pad shape looks like a D465. As per the NRS website their D465 pad set is $90. The OE set will run about $40-$100 depending on application. It's a very popular design with about a dozen different OE numbers today. The set I got back in 2009 ran about $50.

[@ChocolateFrog]

Why would you cheap out on brakes and tyres?

[@crand20033]

@@ChocolateFrog Because you are low on money and have other bills to pay.

[@theninja001]

I would have liked to see a performance pad, like Hawk or EBC to see if they are worth the hype

[@rootsmanuva82]

Hawk or EBC are very application dependent (sport, track, metallic, ceramic etc...). It makes my brain hurt trying to figure out the best EBC pad... I usually just give up and go with OE. I wish it were simpler lol.

[@pospc2]

@@rootsmanuva82 if it helps any. I used EBC yellow stuff on my cars that see daily street driving and some track use. Haven't had any complaints other then a little dusty.

[@kjellodnebreitebakk]

I’ve had EBC pads & rotors on two different cars. Both were rusted to dirt in about 2.5 years & 30.000km. They were the coated rotors as well... one of the rotors actually split in two whilst driving. Dangerous stuff. So I’d stay clear of EBC rotors at least. Pads are fine, but they did not bring any wow factor in either normal or track environments.

[@pospc2]

@@kjellodnebreitebakk i haven't used the rotors. I use the centric high carbon rotors(great for money) if i want just blanks. If i want drilled/slotted i use power stop and haven't had an issue yet.

[@ghostwrench2292]

I’ve had nothing but Hawk HPS pads on my Mini Cooper for the last 15 years or so (with Brembo brake rotors). I see no reason why I would want anything else on my cars.

[@firstname7780]

Best video ever! Well, engineering and braking wise. Hey, have you tried 3 D continuous fibre carbon ceramic discs?

[@gachrid]

Great video on the test procedures but as many have said, without knowing what brands are considered budget, mid, high it doesn't really help. The mid pad from one retail store isn't the same as another store just like the OEM pad from one manufacturer isn't the same as another. So based on the data you should stay OEM and hope they match the quality in this video I guess.

[@ryanjack9633]

Hey Jason, just showing some love keep it up! 🥳🤙🤙

[@wjnahuy]

Absolutely this was very important to get the facts. It taught me good on what is real. Thank you!!!

[@anierikidemona]

This tells me that original parts are going to be best, but the second I make a modification to my braking system I will want nrs. As the one breaks will no longer have the benefit of being specifically designed for my braking system. This is super helpful as I have just recently restored my vehicle to like new and am now looking at improving it. Thanks man.

[@lycanchimera]

Fascinating! EE & NRSThank you for making this.

[@agentjwa]

i love these types of empirical testing scenarios. wish i could get another job doing test engineering.

[@TehKaiser]

All the work into the video but this guy did not account for the material type within the same tier.

[@nishant54]

@@TehKaiser doesn't matter

[@thwangc]

Awesome content! One test that is missing is break dust test! Would love to see how 'dusty' those different quality pads gets.

[@DeanBeckerdjbckr]

Dust is mostly a function of wear. So the ones that wear faster create more dust.

[@DanBeamZ]

Exceptionally informative video Jason! Thank you! I will now purchase only OE pads.

[@alanleclair1]

A fantastic test! Thanks for posting this. I think I will stick with OEM!

[@micarguy8239]

...but the mid-tier outperformed the NRS in almost every category. I think I’ll stick with Raybestos.

[@tahcogunworks]

Known for squealing!

[@crazyelf1]

@@FixingWithFriends Raybestos and Centric Parts / Stoptech are actually owned by the same company

[@gearhead366]

I determined about 20 yrs ago that OEM was the best option for long lasting, consistent braking. Glad to see my logic was correct. One thing I have noticed over the years, and I didn't see addressed here, is pads with lifetime warranties. Every set of lifetime warranty pads I've bought were junk. They had lifetime warranties because the friction material was so hard that they never wore out. Thanks for the video. As a test engineer, I love videos like this, with actual measurements.

[@thetoddperspective]

Recently did the first 4 tire replacement on my 2018 kia at 65000 miles. While it was up I took a look at the brakes. No noise yet, but I expected to see thin pads. Had I not known the mileage on the pads, I would have guessed them brand new. When the time comes, I'll be buying original kia pads for $80 an axle.

[@shawnkelly695]

Well i would also assume you easy on brakes. Likely never tailgate. Likely coast to slow up speed in advance for stop, turn or slower speed ahead. Or maybe you live in more remote area. People like yourself that get a long time out of brakes also save on gas. Plus i bet you have very few rear end accidents cause to have brakes that long be that good you cant hit them hard.

[@thetoddperspective]

@@shawnkelly695 it says I made that comment a year ago. My odometer now reads 127887. I don't drive 60k in a year. But I do drive 30k. So closer to two years. The original pads started yelling "I'm done" right around 100k. I did not replace them with factory pads. Long story. The replacement pads make a very faint grinding noise when coming to a stop that the originals didn't.

[@shawnkelly695]

@@thetoddperspective could be the calipers not moving properly. A stiff caliper can cause 1 pad to wear more then the other. But ya to get that many miles you gotta be easy on brakes. Easy way to tell a good driver is how long brakes last. Many i know eat up brakes in 30 000 miles or less. On and off. Hard stops and tail gating. Never coast just right on the brakes and hard. Cheap or oem they wear them out fast. A friend bought brand new car and 6 months later brakes wore out. She always asked how i get 3 yrs out of cheap pads but she uses premium and only lasts 6 months. Driving habits dear. But oh well burn em up not my car or money.

[@bruzote]

@@shawnkelly695 - With that degree of brake wear, your friend sounds like one of those people who inexplicably uses her brakes for exact speed control, driving down an empty, flat highway yet hitting her brakes every two minutes. Nothing tests my sanity than those drivers!

[@xXBurntBaconXx]

My shop uses a wide variety of brake pads. The 2 we've had the most success with (in fleet and passenger cars) are the Raybestos EHT, and Textar for anything German made. The EHT have good bite, low dust, and almost no noise. Very rarely do I have a come back with the EHT. The Textars we use on Sprinter delivery vans and other German makes (we mostly see the Sprinter Vans). IMO they have a better cold bite than the OEM pads, again we've never had a come back, very consistent pedal even when hot. They do produce a fair amount of dust, very little noise, and they do wear somewhat quickly.

[@DonMillerCET]

Thank you for the very informative and interesting video on an important topic. I have rebuilt brakes on too many vehicles to keep track of, and always felt that brake pads are brake pads, with not a lot of differences between them within their class (ceramic (several generations thereof), asbestos, organic, etc ..). But recently, after 20,000 miles of using new ceramic pads and rotors on my Silverado, there was a brake squeeeeek. I found one pad worn to the rivits, but the rest of the pads all looked like new. I suspected a guide pin hangup had caused the grossly uneven wear, but there was nothing wrong with the pins, caliper, or rotor so it remains a mystery (at least to me) why only one pad out of the eight had wore down to nothing. These were >el-cheapo< pads. SO, I bought a set of AC-Delco pads, and wow .. what a difference in performance! So much of an improvement in overall performance, that (amongst prior incidents with various vehicles) I came to the conclusion that manufacturer parts ARE the ticket and, being in the competetive automotive parts market, those factory parts really are not that much more expensive but the quality is vastly better in many instances. I'm just now learning that lesson when it comes to hubs/bearings, too: the el-cheapos do not last long, no matter how beautiful they look right out of the box. So for me it's TIMKEN or AC-Delco from now on, and Autolite and MOPAR parts for my Fords and Chryssler products. They make a huge difference, and the reliability is excellent. Live and learn! One day I, too, will be smart (hoping).

[@mechanicshane7627]

@Don Miller I hope you know that Autolite is not Ford if you want to buy Ford or parts you need to buy Motorcraft. Ceramic pads work well. I know because I pull heavy loads and that's what I use on my 3/4 ton and 1 ton trucks.

[@Str4vv]

Before the video: "I am really curious what brake-pads stop a car the fastest." After the video: "I still wonder. But at least I know that maybe 27 out of 1430 braking maneuvers may be audible with cheap ones."

[@Ultrazaubererger]

@Mos' Nefarious When the cheap pads overheat, they might not stop your car at all (in time). But an easy solution would be to not let your brake pads overheat.

[@ghostwrench2292]

The tires on the car are probably a larger factor on the ability of a car to stop quickly.

[@saudade2745]

If you can't use the info to figure things out, take the bus.

[@JuanLopez-E52A]

As a mechanic, customers do complain about noisy brake pads. I thought this test was relevant.

[@rob_over_9000]

Literally the first test showed G Ratings of stopping power. What’re you still wondering about?

[@linjohnny9629]

Very professional video. Finally I can just show a video to explain what is SAE J2522.

[@kubotaz4]

Just installed the NRS on my car today, thanks for the video and testing.

[@CroatianCarGuy]

Would be interesting to see how the brands compare. Like the most known brands on the market. Same vehicle, same tests, different brands. Because again, every brand has it's price point.

[@nicolashuffman4312]

It would be interesting to see a similar test comparing OEM, high performance street/autocross, and full race pads.

[@volf4o]

I have to say that I drove already 120 000 kms with my BMW's original OEM brake pads and they are still good. I'm amazed as well. Usually I change brake pads at max 30 000 kms in my other vehicles.

[@holgerbehrendt9685]

Recently saw a flop of the bracket plate of Italian Brand Brem... Of almost new pads on a Mercedes. They received this broken pads. Well, they not even responded. I was shocked that Style Customers are ignored. Super qualified review. Great. Love it.

[@Thundercat68]

A name drop on the brands used would be helpful

[@honchoryanc]

Killed the credibility

[@anthonysaponaro6318]

OEM brake pads

[@tyrannyterminator4179]

Never heard of NRS, I thought it was initialization meaning Not Really Safe...

[@flute136]

Nascar Race Spec

[@brandonwetterman5142]

Really nice video and very thorough information. Great job guys

[@cmoullasnet]

I'm always impressed with how well thought out industry standard tests are.

[@ahobimo732]

"Thinking things out well" - that's engineering in a nutshell.

[@donewhiskey]

Man, I love this channel.

[@timb7775]

Great video. I enjoy watching and learning. I always buy OEM, easy to find good prices searching around online.

[@lashlarue7924]

I'd love to see a video that also includes rotors in this brake testing regime. Does the cross-interaction between pads and rotors make any difference to real world braking scenarios? Slotted vs drilled vs budget?

[@madmage2676]

Generally no. Rotors are drilled or slotted for heat diffusion (or cosmetics), which for normal daily driving is not an issue. (Notice the first test they ran? How often do you brake from 100-5kp with only seconds in between?). But on the track heat diffusion is important.

[@seanriopel3132]

The first reply is pretty accurate but the brakes will most likely last longer the quicker the heat can be dissipated. Almost all materials become softer the hotter they get. Plus it will help prevent most chances of rotors warping after an extreme breaking situation like descending a mountain. If the rotor ends up getting too hot they could potentially become warped which will increase the rate of wear in addition to reducing the braking force. It is absolutely worth the investment in terms of safety and longevity but if your not planning on keeping it for a while don't bother.

[@lashlarue7924]

@@seanriopel3132 great answers thanks guys!

[@heyRex]

great video! I would have liked to know more about the different material types used in pads (ceramic vs metallic) instead of just generic price points.

[@EngineeringExplained]

It's honestly a very difficult thing to determine, which is why I left it out. Regulations allow for such a wide variety of materials that unless you do some sort of chemical analysis, I'm not sure there's much meaning behind it. For what it's worth, the cheapest pads were semi-metallic (again, vague, but that's all they tell you), while the other four pads are ceramic. But the material alone doesn't show a strong correlation with all tests (both ceramic/metallic can do poorly in sound, corrosion, shear, etc), so it's difficult to determine what's the cause for doing well/poorly based purely on material.

[@kingrpriddick]

@@EngineeringExplained Full ceramics so frequently have a major noise advantage I believe the mid-level pads were actually a semi-metallic, as you say it's difficult to prove so we will never know, sheer test results somewhat support my suspicion as well.

[@rafaelallenblock]

Yeah, this makes this test completely worthless for answering the question it claims to ask.

[@bri961]

I learn new things everyday thanks to this channel

[@MrJohnv8386]

I came to see sparks fly in and brake pads on fire not hear you rambling the whole time lol very informative as I didnt realize how little i knew of brake pads till the end of vid

[@OviWanKeno9i]

I somehow missed this video for a year! Loved it. A mechatronic systems engineer and car enthusiast :)

[@gabrielhamond9409]

Those OE pad's look very similar to Akebono or Nissin brake pads which are also very high quality brakes. Would be nice to see which car brand the OE pad's were from as each manufacturer uses different brands for their OE brakes.

[@jfisch]

Yeah I know. I have a 2016 Mazda 6 and the front brakes have already been replaced and it only had 30k on it when I bought it. Those cars are known for crappy brakes.

[@CaptainTexas92]

Akebono makes oe pads for 60-70% of car companies.

[@TheTruth4313]

My guess is the OE pads in this video WERE Akebono's. After seeing this I feel even better about always recommending and/or purchasing them in most cases.

[@kellyrjohnson7693]

I'll be honest, when I saw the thumbnail in my sub feed, I thought this was a new Project Farm video - this is so something I could see him testing.

[@JoaoZagoSJC]

Excellent comparison! Do this with other regular replaceable components (such as tires, oil, spark plugs, pumps and filters).

[@BlackbirdDH]

Thanks. Very interesting test, great explanation and great transparency.

[@laurieclews6791]

I have been an automotive engineer for over 40 years. I learned the hard way about budget and premium brake pads. I will not fit anything but oe or premium quality pads. We don't have the range of pads in NZ that you have overseas but I have always fitted the best that I could

[@iforms9061]

steel pipes effect more than any pads od disks. you lose 2-3m distance on rubber pipes expansion. advice from not an engineer and not an automotive guru

[@ondago2]

Excelent work. Thank you. One compound question; How much were the NRS and OEM brake pads? I mean you call the parts store pads out by price but don't mention the prices of the last two pad sets. I underdstand not stating what manufacturer or model car the pads come from but why leave off the price of the NRS and OEM pads.

[@husch8200]

Thank God I can read the SAE-J2521 and 2522 report. just judge from the appreance, you can not tell, but the data on the report can told us everything. THanks for the effort.

[@XJapa1n09]

I remember watching this video 3 years ago ❤ really enjoyed both brake pad videos! Thanks!

[@fabianrudzewski9027]

I recently had a really bad experience with brembo brakes. Bought a whole kit, thinking it would be an upgrade... Pedal feel was horrible, so we're brake force and wear. Now running ebc greenstuff, they are a dream so far.

[@whatfreedom7]

Funny you say that. I ended up buying brembo for my Tacoma direct from brembo with smooth rotors,pads,new hardware lubricated everything then in the back turned my drums which I regret and new brembo shoes and new hardware and lubrictaed it all. I don’t think I haven made it a maybe a year tops and they look half worn,are extremely dirty,already warped and don’t stop all that great towing my camper. Now I’m going to have to back up and do it all over again. I definitely won’t buy them again. I saw the EBC kits and another rotor that was grooves with high carbon so I may go one of those routes and replace my drums and stuff in the back also.

[@rudyossanchez]

I have often found than brake pads are cheaper than the front end of a car.

[@Beer_Dad1975]

Probably due to economy of scale - they sell a lot more of the larger pads, so they actually end up cheaper to produce even though they have more material in them.

[@JoeUrbanYYC]

@@Beer_Dad1975 I think he means it's cheaper to buy good pads than replacing the front end of your car in an accident.

[@Beer_Dad1975]

@@JoeUrbanYYC lmao, yes I read it again you are right. Total reading comprehension fail from me!

[@Cube8]

Good tyres also play their role.

[@Beer_Dad1975]

@@Cube8 Yup, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S for me.

[@ajs622]

Dealership OE pads are definitely the best. I used to use the mid grade aftermarket and thought they were ok. I used to have to replace them every 2 or 3 years. Then I switched to dealership OE pads. They cost almost $80 but I got over 5 years out of my first set. + the stopping power and feel is way better too. BTW to ensure maximum time out of a set of pads and components do regular inspections on the brake system. I check everything over when I do my tire rotation's (every 6,000 miles) that includes removing the pads measuring wear of the pads, measuring rotor thickness and comparing that with minimum thickness for the rotors. cleaning and lubricating slides, looking over break lines and hoses. And every 3 years doing a full change of the break fluid. No matter what grade pads you choose to use a well maintained breaking system will ensue the best performance and life the parts you have can provide.

[@DonTruman]

Appreciate the video. These are things I sure wouldn't have known without your help.

[@egeg-nr4qs]

EE: I would love to see a similar video done at Centric. They offer around 7 different compounds for any given pad shape.... Here they are in order from cheapest to most expensive.... Premium Semi-Metallic, Premium Ceramic, Posi-Quiet Semi-Metallic, Posi-Quiet Ceramic, Posi-Quiet Extended Wear, Stoptech Sport, and OE Compound. I'm sure at minimum they could provide comparison charts for a single pad shape.

[@captriskybiscuits8785]

I'd love to see some hawk hp+ pads tested and some other "track oriented" pads!

[@deadlyhydra]

Thank you for the information I’ll stick to OEM components like I’ve always had

[@johnz.2907]

Bosch rotors and OEx Wagner pads, you can't go wrong. 80,000 miles before I even replace pads and rotors free under warranty. Fade is minimal under heavy braking and hot brakes. Properly cleaning and greasing caliper pins and pad slides will also help them last alot longer. When I replace they are barely worn too btw. Crazy good performance and longevity.