Brake Pads EOM or Upgrade?
 

Hey there,

I have a 2017 Nissan 370Z Nismo.

I need to change my brake pads. I do have the Akebono brakes but I dont know if to upgrade my brake pads to a ceramic brake pad or go aftermarket for brake pads. Right now I think I would just get the OEM brake pads. Does anyone have any recommendations?

I do daily drive my Z. That is why i am not sure of the ceramic brake pads since I have heard that they can be very loud. I have never had ceramic brakes before.

For bumming around the street, OEM is more than fine

There's probably some low-dust options if you wanna go aftermarket. Powerstop i heard is good

If the Nismo has the same pads as the Sport I'd go aftermarket. IMO the OE's feel wooden compared to my Stoptech Streets. I know there's a Nismo upgrade just unsure if the Nismo model actually comes with them from the showroom.

The OE are very likely the Akebono Pro ACT which is ceramic. I’m not sure where you heard ceramic is loud because it’s usually the opposite, semi metallic will typically be loud, dusty and wear your rotors. The Nismo uses same pads as sport I believe with an aftermarket Nismo option which is Ferodo brake pads which will be more dusty.

:iagree: all depends on what you are using your Z for?

To piggy back on JHill’s comment. I have the ProAct pads on the family G sedan (previously on Nismo orange pads) and on wife’s 2016 Z. There’s no noise. The only instance of noisiness was I didn’t apply enough brake grease in the backing plate.

I also Nismo pads (orange) on my 2009 Z. Dust level is significantly higher than OEM or the ProAct. Not worth it for regular commute.

Yellowstone pads. Good bite, good stopping power. Good beginner's pad for tracking. Higher dust level than oem. Have used them on my Power Wagon, Grand Cherokee, and on the Z.

To piggy back on this thread as well. When doing the brake pads - is it best to go ahead and do the rotors as well (I thought I read somewhere its best to do both to avoid the vibration feeling when putting new pads on existing rotors) - granted I have 61k on both the rotors and pads?

I would give the Powerstop Z23 or Z26(more aggressive) pads a try. In my experience on different cars they stop better then stock and produce little to no visible dust; the high carbon content of the ceramic pads make them almost noiseless aswell. The cold bite is quiet and usable for dd while the pads perform really well under hard/spirited driving. The Z26 are their top of the line pads that they offer unless you op for track pads which I wouldn't recommend for dd

At your mileage If the disk are in good shape; I've never seen it as necessary to change them out, I've also never had a problem after swapping new pads onto old rotors

If you have noticeable grooves, heavy scoring(oxidation) and or warpage it might be best practice to replace the disk.

Rotors can be resurfaced and then you just bed the new pads/rotors

But rotors are cheap enough they can just be replaced

I have a 2016 Nismo and used StopTech Sport Pads for street and track (until I progressed enough to need a dedicated track pad). I was very happy with the StopTechs because they of low dust, quiet, easy on the rotors and still performed great.

I recommend going with EBC Bluestuff. It's supposed to primarily be a track pad, but it doesn't squeak, it doesn't need warming up, and it bites incredibly well from the get go. Only downside to it is that they're super dusty, wheels get really dirty from them. But I can confirm - it has no difference from stock when in street use, but if you're on the track - they're VERY durable and will not overheat.

I also have STOPTECH Street you can go to sport but I believe more noise and dust.

The Street are fine for daily and spirited drives. I really like them and they are way superior to Nissan OEM.

Brake Pads EOM or Upgrade?
 

Given my experiences, this is what I recommend:

Daily driver - Centric Posiquiets (available in semi-metallic or ceramic). Good longevity, no squeal, minimal dust, dirt cheap. I run these on my daily driver G35

Aggressive street driving and/or autocross - EBC Yellowstuff. Minimal squeak, moderate dust, cheap for a performance pad.

Entry level track days - Carbotech XP10/XP8 combo. They’re also quite good on the street if you can tolerate the dust and brake sensitivity when hot.


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