Tried those cheap no-name ceramic pads from Amazon, had them glaze over in under a month

I figured I'd save $40 on my 2012 F-150 and grabbed a set of generic ceramics for $25 back in February. By week three they were squealing like a stuck pig and I couldn't get any bite until the pedal was halfway to the floor. Anyone else had cheap pads just fail on them this fast?

2 comments

2 Comments

parker22414h ago

Man those cheap pads are a gamble for sure. The glaze is from the resin binder in them overheating and basically melting onto the rotor surface. I've seen it happen on lighter cars too, so on a heavy truck like your F-150 it's almost guaranteed. The problem is those no-name brands skip the critical burnishing step or use filler material that can't handle the heat. You need to get the rotors turned or replaced now because the glazed spots will just ruin your next set of pads too. Honestly you'd have been better off spending the extra $40 on a mid-tier set from a parts store that has some quality control. Live and learn I guess, but I'm never skimping on brake parts again.

sandra91613h ago

Yeah my buddy did the exact same thing on his Ram 1500. He bought the cheapest pads he could find online and within a month the brakes felt like he was pressing on a sponge. When he pulled the wheels the rotors had this weird blueish purple color all over them. The shop told him the same thing, the cheap pads basically cooked onto the rotors and he had to replace everything. Cost him way more in the end than just buying decent parts upfront. I swear some lessons you just gotta learn the hard way with brake parts.