I recently replaced my rear brakes with all OEM parts. My front pads are still in good condition but the rotors are warped. I had them cut but after two cuts they are still slightly warped. If I cut them any further they will be too thin if they aren't already.

I plan on buying OEM rotors, clips, etc but I am debating about the pads strictly because of the cost.

Should I just get new rotors and hardware for now and reuse the same pads? I am an OEM guy but I would consider an aftermarket pad if they actually work well. The cheapest I've found for OEM is $151.90 plus shipping.

I just bought this car so I don't know what type of pads are currently installed but I assume they are OEM.

 

Akebono pads and centric rotors. I have them, no issues. Akebonos have good life and low dusting.

 

I'm not a big fan of reusing pads. I've heard others do it, but I wouldn't. I'm a proponent of paired up new rotors and new pads, let them break in together. But I don't buy OEM any more. I think it's just way overpriced. My experience with aftermarket recently is they're just as good, if not better, than equivalent OEM. My experience is with Centric coated rotors and Akebono ceramic pads. Brakes perform very well with this combination for me.

 

The OEM rotors aren't too expensive so I am going to stay with OEM.

I was leaning towards the Akebono ceramic pads only because the OEM are so expensive. I don't normally reuse pads but the cost of the OEM pads made me consider it.

 

I just picked up ebc yellow front and centric ceramic rear. I do hear positive things about akenbono pads.

 

I would never reuse pads if you're replacing the rotors. All you're going to do is transfer the uneven wear of the pad (which is why the previous rotors were warped) to the new rotors. Pads can be had for $100 front and rear, no reason to reuse old pads.

Check out excellerate. He's a long time vendor on here and has great products and customer service. Here's a LINK

 

I have decided to not reuse the pads. I agree it was a bad idea and I've never done it before. When I saw $152 for a set of OEM pads it made me contemplate it.

I am leaning towards the Akebono ceramic pads. They seem to be highly rated everywhere I've looked so far. I've never used non OEM brake pads. I work for a Honda dealer and we have had nothing but problems with aftermarket brake pads. Usually they are noisy and customers complain about them. I am nervous trying the Akebono pads but all the reviews are positive so it is worth a shot for $60.

 

^This is why I have such a hard time trusting anything the dealer says. If it's not OEM they aren't interested and will tell you that if you use anything other than OEM it will cause issues. Not that I'm saying that's you, but the attitude is similar.

There are plenty of aftermarket options that are better than OEM, yes some are louder but the performance is better, vice-versa.

 

Most dealers are that way because we know aftermarket items are not always designed the way the OEM manufacturer designed them.

In terms of brake pads there are many variables but the most common complaint is noise with after market pads. OEM pads are designed to be quiet. I understand there are brake pads that will be noisier but provide better braking. 99% of our customers just want quiet brakes. If they make any noise they think something is wrong.

Anyway, all the reviews state the Akebono pads perform well and are quiet. I am gonna give them a shot. Worst case scenario is I return them or throw them away and buy the OEM pads.

 

I'm currently running the Akebono ceramics on oem rotors . Pretty pleased overall with the performance, and I'm not exactly Miss Daisy when it comes to brakes. My pads tend to take quite the beating.

 

I am going to order tonight. Tirerack.com has free shipping on brake components over $50.00 so I am now considering trying the Centric rotors.

Should I consider the Centric rotors or just pay a bit more and get OEM? If yes on the Centric should I spend more for the Cryo treated ones? I tend to be hard on my brakes and I hate when the rotors warp. The Cryo treatment is suppose to help make them stronger and last longer. I have no idea if that is true or not.

 

Don't bother with the cryogenic ones. Centric rotors are nice, I've used them in combination with Akebono pads on my camry, so far so good! Another member here, bdoggprelude, has used centric rotors and Akebono pads with good reviews.

 

Anyone else have any recommendations on paying extra for the Cryo treated rotors? I'm just trying to get more opinions.

 

I don't have any experience with them directly, I've just read about the process they use to make them. I have a friend that uses cryo treated rotors on his Porsche, but he races it in a regional car club, so maybe it's meant more for that type of use, where you ride them really hard in to tight turns, etc.

 

I appreciate the feedback.

My concern is I had two of the first generation RLs. Both of them went through front brakes like crazy. I was constantly warping the front rotors. They actually got so hot at one point that the new oem pads I recently installed cracked in half! That was my biggest complaint with that model RL. The brakes were undersized for the weight of the car.

I am very happy Acura upgraded the brakes on the second gen RL. With that said I am still concerned that the front brakes might be an issue. So if it makes sense to spend a bit more now to have them last longer I will.

 

I just installed Akebono pads and the cost is definitely worth it. I believe I paid around $70-80 for front and rear through my account, and even at MSRP these pads are a good value.

I paired them to over dimpled rotors by Adam's Rotors and so far, zero noise, nice feel to the pedal, and my brakes feel brand new again.

 

Never had rotor warpage issue on my 1G RL, but pad consumption carried over from my 1G to my 2g. Sorry, pads just wear fast!

 

great feedback...
interesting you have no sound from our dimple pattern; they usually do throw a little bit of a click.
must be the pad combination and the size of the rotor/pad contact are.
thanks for the info...interesting how seemingly every car has a little different experience. (and driver's ear)

 

I called Centric. They told me the cryo treatment works well if you have an issue with rotors cracking. The cryo treatment does not help to prevent vibration.

So I ordered the regular, non cryo treated, rotors and Akebono ceramic pads. I also ordered new pad pins, spring pads and m clips from an Acura store. That way everything is new and will look good if I end up painting the calipers.