gmcvey5

I'm looking to install new brake pads on my GX and looking for recommendations on brake pads to purchase.

ASE

Oem ..........

BradTank

My experience is you might save like $15 buying aftermarket, just not worth it. You also are more likely to have fitment issues. The last aftermarket set I got, the factory shims wouldn't work on them. Just not worth the headache for such menial savings. I will say though the factory ones dust more than I would like. if you do go aftermarket, Akebono is a good brand.

mike202

https://parts.belllexusnorthscottsda...446535330.html

texas008

Akebono pads fit & work great.

Hrocks

That's because they make the OE pads.

crisp76

Just changed mine. Purchased at Lexus Dealer (Akebono). From my experience, any other pad will work but not last as long and could leave more brake dust on your wheels.

bowhun2r

4R front pads as well. For me the Yota dealer is super close compared to the Lexus dealer.

Acrad

When I had recently done brakes I had forgotten some of the brake hardware and picked it up at a nearby Toyota dealer. I just told them I had the same year 4R when ordering the parts since they were the same for the GX

Nickk6

I've used Akebono and Hawk pads. The Hawk pads had less dust, stopped equally as good if not better, and didn't dig into the rotors as much as the Akebonos did. Hawk is now my go to on the GX.

Hrocks

I find your experience unique. Having been in the basic steel industry my entire career, (a LONG time!) one of the products we produced was something called "wool wire". This was a low carbon, high sulfur steel that was used to make steel wool pads like SOS, Brillo, as well as very fine 0000 (four ought) grade steel wool for polishing fine woodwork. If you haven't guessed by now, it was also used to manufacture metallic brake pads. It was a relatively cheap way to dramatically improve the coefficient of friction. There were as many brake pad "recipes" as there were brake pad manufacturers. (you would not believe some of the additives used) Akebono was one of THE most challenging and exacting manufacturers to get qualified, as their quality specifications were extremely tight. (as are Toyota's and Honda's) Their quality parameters went well beyond the chemistry of the steel and the coarseness of the chopped wool particles. As the steel producer, we could only control the steel quality, the wool producers had to manage and control not only the aforementioned physical characteristics of the fibers, and in some cases, even annealed the fibers to meet the requirements. (GM was particularly fixated on that...they were also a supplier to Akebono in the US.)

Knowing a bit about what went into brake pads, and more critically, high performance brakes, was of benefit when I used to be an in car driving school instructor with the Porsche and BMW clubs. Many of the rookies would have just installed new high performance pads with drilled Chinese rotors, and after the first 1/2 hour session would be baffled why their rotors were scored beyond trash. There were a couple of reasons...most had installed both new, low quality, yet expensive rotors and pads at the same time---a big no no. One or the other had to have been previously installed, and most of them had no clue about bedding in the pads and rotors. I found that many of the worst cases employed Hawk pads. I personally always used Performance Friction, Carbon Metallic pads. (93 compound)

Based on my experience, the Akebono pads are a product that offers the combination of stopping power and rotor longevity for normal applications. And yes, for severe applications, I would (and have) upgraded to larger two piece rotors and more aggressive pads, recognizing that there will likely be a tradeoff. But, to each his own.