It's time to do a brake job (front and rear). I've been pretty happy with the way the car stops so I want to make sure that is kept with the new brakes.

Does it make sense to buy genuine Acura hardware, or is there something better? If I can get an update to stopping power, that would be great.

 

For regular cars, I'm a fan of Autozone's Duralast Gold ceramic brake pads. It's not like you're going to be tracking it, so low dusting, quietness, life, and price are probably more important factors than brake fade. They're my go-to and I've been very happy with their performance.

 

That's good to know. I don't track mine, but I do drive very spiritedly so I like to prioritize aggressive stopping power. Do you think the Duralast Gold are good for that.

 

I've had mixed results with Rockauto.com. I bought some pads there and they didn't fit correctly, so I had to go the the autoshop and buy pads there anyway. Rockauto is certainly cheaper than buying at a brick and mortar, but if they don't fit you'll be SOL unless you're willing to put the old pads back in and wait for replacements to ship from Rockauto.

 

If you're happy with the braking, stick with OEM brake pads and rotors. Get the brake fluid changed too.

 

Amazon. Look for Akebono Ultra Premium. These are slightly less money than OEM. But are superior in everyway.
These include ALL the hardware that does in fact wear. Also they have a proprietary grease that's included in the box.

Buy new rotors locally to take advantage of any warranties without having to mail in heavy rotors. Advance auto with 35% discount codes is quite good. Not cheaper than amazon, but the ability to return then locally in case of runout later (pulse) is too enticing for me.

Honda brakes are garbage including the rotors. I have never owned a car that needed new rotors at 44k. Ever.

 

There are currently two versions of the Ultra Premiums: ProACT, and Performance. I've actually ran both of them before, and I think you'll be more than satisfied with the ProACT. The Performance ones do bite harder, but they dust a lot more, are louder, and will eat your rotors faster. The ProACT was more than what I needed for AutoX; in hindsight I regretted getting the Performance and should have just stuck with the ProACT.

 

Absolutely Ultra Premium ProACT. This isn't a 5000lbs big block.