Akebono Brake Pads

Dan

Dan

Well-known member
Probably the first thing many of you are thinking is why is someone posting a brake pad review in the detailing product section of a detailing forum.



Allow me to explain. Since I started driving I have dreaded brake dust. I have had many cars over the years and all of them had brake dust issues. Some better and some worse. My Mercedes ML430 is probably one of the worst. Being OCD I would end up washing it weekly, not because it looked dirty but because the wheels were black, specifically the fronts. The ML is a bit on the porky side. 200 miles of city driving and I couldn't take it anymore.



I had decent luck with a few of the brake dust repellant sprays, however those only bought a week or so more time. That is until I found the Holy Grail of clean wheels.



I had recently seen ads for Akebono Euro ceramic pads. They promised reduced brake dust yet claimed to keep the euro brake feel. One of the things I have noticed is the more dusty the pads, the better bite they had. I am a stickler for linear brake feel. I had used other brands of pads that claimed to reduce dust, however they either had non linear feel, noise or temp issues. I was a bit skeptical about the Akebonos but the reviews were very favorable. The OEM pads on the Benz were toast, so I decided to go for it. At nearly twice the price of OEM pads it was a risk I needed to take.



To say I was impressed with the results is an understatement. Initial bite is better than the OEM pads and the feel is just a linear. Braking power seems just above that of the stock pads.



So how about that brake dust issue? I will let the pictures do the talking. The pictures below are with approximately 400 miles.



Rear wheels(OEM pads)

cc1d8340-048f-e1ca.jpg


cc1d8340-04b1-4def.jpg




Front wheels Akebono pads

cc1d8340-04e5-935e.jpg
cc1d8340-0500-2f26.jpg




The key point here is the front wheels would be black before the rears got as bad as they did. The fronts have nearly zero dust.



If you hate dirty wheels as much as I do, this might be your fix.
 
Always wondered if it was really worth the extra bucks for ceramic pads. A noticeable difference for sure!
 
Yakky, I fitted Akebono Euros to the front of my wife's Audi wagon less than a year ago. It was to contain/eliminate the terrible squealing from the OE compound. The ceramic pads tend to be very quiet, easy on the rotors. I don't think the have quite the bite of an OE pad, but there is virtually no dust. I guess it's a fair trade-off.



I know the auto mfrs are transitioning to this ceramic style pad. My 2-wk old Audi A4 produces virtually no brake dust. It's pretty cool and quite refreshing. I have no idea what I'm going to do with all the wheel cleaner I've got ... LOL :)





Here's a picture of my front wheel. I traveled 450 miles and the car had been in the rain twice:



cleanpad.jpg
 
I always switch to ceramic pads on my cars. Good ceramic pads have very good bite and tend to be easy on the rotors.
 
tom p. said:
Here's a picture of my front wheel. I traveled 450 miles and the car had been in the rain twice:



cleanpad.jpg
Click to expand...



You know, now that I think of it, my dad's Passat has zero dusting too, I guess VW/Audi are moving to these style pads. Its so nice not having to use wheel cleaner isn't it?
 
yakky said:
You know, now that I think of it, my dad's Passat has zero dusting too, I guess VW/Audi are moving to these style pads. Its so nice not having to use wheel cleaner isn't it?
Click to expand...





I know, but it's kinda weird, too. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to do with all my new-found free time ;)



My buddy has two '09 VWs. Neither of those vehicles produce any measurable dust, even after a couple of weeks of city driving...which means this change was implemented at VW a while back.



I let the dealer install new pads+rotors in the rear of my wife's Audi wagon a couple of months ago...virtually no dust now :clap:
 
I have a BMW 328I with the handiling package and the dust is crazy. I littlerally can drive the car one day and the wheels look lousy. In one week they are black as coal. I also have a 2001 325 with ceramic pads and Kleen wheels. In the 325 I have to clean the wheels once a month which is about how often I normal wash the car. Don't get excited I do a ONR instant detailing once or twice a week. I am switching next time to ceramic and will look into the pads you suggest because I like great performance.



Does anybody know if the ceramic pads last longer? I only get 10K out of the regular BMW pads.
 
gmblack3a said:
Same here for the last year or more.



Not the same bite as the OEMs.
Click to expand...



Yep, the initial bite versus BMW pads is reduced. More of a progressive feel to them much like many Porsche's. No reduction in stopping ability, just feel. A worthy 'trade' IMO.
 
TedFred said:
Does anybody know if the ceramic pads last longer? I only get 10K out of the regular BMW pads.
Click to expand...



Only 10K? Sounds like you may be a bit hard on them! I have never worn through a set of Akebono Euro Ceramics but a search showed lots of folks with 25k+ on them.
 
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