I'm weighing in with my OPINION which is likely DIFFERENT than most.
Bear in mind my opinion is worth, to you, exactly what you paid me for it.
(So please don't shoot me just because I have a KISS philosophy on things.)
(Also please don't shoot me for not believing in highly marketed products.)
I use the basic stuff.
If you believe in the fancy stuff then that's fine for you.
If you want to chastise me for using basic stuff, you'd need a good factual reason though - as all my decisions are based on nothing but basic facts.
- Tires DO stop cars in that the tire friction footprint is all you've got
- Disk brakes stop the wheels where an E rating is steel on steel (yeah, rotors are usually "gray iron")
- IMHO, pads are pads are pads (where there are differences but you can't tell ahead of time)
- Whether a pad is ceramic or semi-metallic or NAO is more marketing than chemistry (IMHO)
- Certainly some dust more than others & some squeal more than others & some wear faster than others
- But you can't tell that just from what is written on the pads
- Besides, it's my opinion you almost can't get a bad pad if you follow logic
- The only thing you can tell for sure is the cold/hot friction rating of the pads
- Lots of brake pads have E friction ratings but most are F or G & even H rated
- Every pad has the cold/hot friction rating stamped on the product (by USA law)
- So I buy pads by their friction ratings and not much else (shoot me for being factual)
- Likewise, I feel tires are tires are tires (you have to try to find a bad tire IMHO)
- So I buy tires by size, load range, and then by the UTQG specifications
- I have them shipped to my home so that I can mount & balance them myself
- Similarly rotors are rotors are rotors (as long as they're the right size & spec)
- Drilled & slotted is more marketing than anything else (IMHO)
- So my recommendations are simple and easy (YMMV)
- Plain rotors, pads of at least the same friction as OEM, and tires of about 500AA UTQG
- Yes, I'm well aware that most of you don't believe in the government UTQG process
- Yes I'm well aware most of you believe in highly marketed products being better
- Yes, I'm well aware most of you believe the more you pay the better the product, etc.
- But in the next breath you will likely tell me you believe in anonymous random online reviews
- Which makes no sense in terms of logic
- My logic is simply that I buy by the specs that matter which I can trust to be accurate (anything else is marketing)
Here's what I do when buying new pads/rotors/tires (YMMV).
- I buy the cheapest tires with the best specs (size, load, traction/treadwear/temperature)
- I buy the cheapest pads with the best specs (OEM or better cold/hot friction coefficients)
- I buy the cheapest rotors that fit (don't even get me started on what people call "warp")
- I bed new pads the multi-60-to-10mph way everyone else does (usually at 3am when the highway is clear)
- But more important than bedding is I always keep pad deposition in mind when I'm stopping at a light or intersection!
- Pad deposition starts with a single hard stop-&-hold which, over time, builds up, which can form shuddering at speed
Keep in mind the following (as always, YMMV)
- I replace the tires only when they're almost gone
- I mount and static balance my tires at home (dynamic checks are free or $5)
- I usually replace the valves (I like the chromed brass threaded valves the best)
- Where old tire disposal at Costco is only about a dollar a tire
- I replace rotors only when they are below thickness spec (two or three sets of pads)
- I check my rotors with a mic for thickness (I don't guess!)
- I check runout with a dial gauge and mount (runout is not warp!)
- I replace the pads only when they're almost gone (usually less than 1mm)
- I make my own brake fluid and penetrating oils (I keep them in a Sure Shot steel can)
My simple formula for penetrating oil is 50:50 cheap ATF & acetone.
My simple formula for brake cleaning fluid is 50:50 tetrachloroethylene (aka perchloroethylene) & acetone
(I love acetone! But keep it away from plastic & rubber! Use any ~90% alcohol instead of acetone for plastics & rubber.)
I don't believe in marketing.
Marketing is usually not even true but even when it is true, they don't tell you the cons.
Marketing only tells you the pros.
Almost every pro has an attached con.
Did I mention that I don't believe in marketing?
I only believe in facts.
And I only believe in facts that I know for sure about any product.
Usually those facts are required by law and they're also printed on the product itself.
Rubber is rubber is rubber (within the limits of normal driving of course).
I don't buy anything but an A rated tire where I feel the facts show all A rated tires are "about the same" in friction in normal use.
A bare tire has better friction than a treaded tire (unless it's wet and then a groove is a groove is a groove) IMHO.
Cast iron is cast iron is cast iron (in terms of rotor materials, which is often "gray iron").
All rotors we'll be dealing with will have essentially the same friction coefficient (about E).
All rotors that are of the OEM design (vanes, dual discs, etc.) will dissipate heat about the same.
A drilled and/or slotted rotor is slightly less metal (more surface area perhaps and allows outgassing) but overall, less metal heats up faster (and can crack at weak spots).
(Remember, all highly marketed pros also have cons that they don't tell you about.)
Pads are pads are pads.
Yeah, they have non-asbestos organic pads, semi-metallic pads, and ceramic pads (all very highly marketed products).
All they need is a single spec of clay and they can market the pad as "ceramic" (likewise with a single spec of copper for "semi-metallic" pads).
The pad isn't all that much better than steel on steel so they really don't matter all that much anyway (yes, I know most people won't believe that).
People don't believe steel on steel is an "E" rated friction coefficient for brake pads so take a look at this chart before you say otherwise.
You want to know what I think about gasoline or motor oils or brake fluids or coolants, etc?
In summary, a tire is a tire is a tire, a rotor is a rotor is a rotor, and a pad is a pad is a pad.
I buy the cheapest tire that meets or exceeds OEM specs, the cheapest rotor that meets or exceeds OEM specs, and the cheapest pad that meets or exceeds OEM specs.
YMMV