I don’t know what brand of replacement brake pads were installed on either our Sienna or 4Runner. One independent shop did the 4Runner and another independent shop did the Sienna. If the air is damp as after a rain, when we back either vehicle up and apply the brakes, we get a squealing noise. This happens even when the vehicles have been in the garage out of the weather. The noise only happens when backing up and is in the rear wheels. The noise isn’t present in dry weather and only happens when we first start out in the morning. The noise wasn’t there with the original pads. I just ignore the noise because the replacement pads stop the car o.k.
@“the same mountainbike” - Overall braking on the PowerStops is about the same except for hard braking. Under hard braking the PowerStops definitely stop more powerfully than the factory rotors. I also notice that, while the factory brakes did not really fade until they got super hot, the PowerStops love the heat and actually bite harder as they get warm. Overall I would say that I would not have paid more for the PowerStop option but, since it was a significant cost savings over OEM, they have been a good value so far.
I will say that I have tried auto store “white box” rotors and have found that they are all complete junk with the exception of Advance Auto’s “Wearever” brand. They have generally been pretty good, although not as good as OEM, but for a fraction of the price. Autozone rotors have been a complete disaster on every car I have tried, as well as Autopart rotors.
I have also had very good results with normal pads from any of the box stores… Interestingly enough…when I buy expensive aftermarket pads I always run into trouble.
Make sure you use disc brake grease for the caliper pins or sliders…and I always back all my pads with Permatex Ultra black…this would be going on the back of the pads…just a thin layer smoothed over with my finger… All the brakes I do are quiet and last a normal time…which is about 3-4 years…I’m going on 5 yrs on my GTi.
If you want to feel like you have more braking “Power” install Braided Stainless Steel brake lines…they are much more rigid and prevent the flex lines from “Ballooning” and using up pedal travel. My GTi brakes feel so strong right now it feels like I can go help Semi’s slow down. It stops on a dime and gives 9 cents change right now. My friend was so impressed he had me do the same to his Audi A6 which was definitely suffering from excessive pedal travel and ballooning brake lines…The Audi now also “stops on a dime” with drastically reduced pedal travel. His pedal would near hit the floor prior…and there was no air in the lines either…it was so bad that I mistakenly suspected the Master Cyl as the cause first…I was wrong. It was the long rubber flex lines
Getting back to pads… Aftermarket 20-28 dollar pads have been proving to be quite reliable…I never have any complaints… Until someone forces me to use their 80+ dollar pads…then there are usually issues with noise and brake feel.
I think companies should use a color coded scale to at least give you an idea of how hard the compound on the pads actually is… so you can choose your pads that way. That would be kind of nice.
Blackbird
@“Honda Blackbird”
“I always back all my pads with Permatex Ultra black . . .”
Are you talking about the rtv . . . ?
Thanks for the feedback, knuckles. I always wonder of these matter on a daily driver.
I’ve never had any issues with brake components no matter what the source of the parts was; dealer OEM, AutoZone, NAPA, O’Reillys, or whatever.
My feeling is if there are issues after a brake job has been done then the way the job was done should be under review; not the parts.
I think Honda Blackbird is referring to the black silicone form a gasket. While that’s not something I use or even do there is some precedence for doing it though. At one time Subaru was having some brake noise issues through several grades of OEM pads and they recommended a similar product for the same useage.
The only difference was that Subaru’s product was orange and pricier than the Permatex product.
“black silicone form a gasket” . . . sounds like the rtv I was referring to
Even though it’s not specifically for brakes, it sounds like it would work the same way as that red paste you apply to the backing plates
That red paste does seem to work, but it tends to stick to the piston, where they touch the backing plates. It’s a little bit of work to clean off, when the next brake job is due. Don’t want to be too aggressive cleaning off the stuff, or you might damage the piston seal
Now that red stuff was also in a tube, but its intended use was for brakes. I recall it wasn’t dirt cheap, but it wouldn’t cause you to default on the mortgage, either 
CarQuest
Red=Economy
Blue=OEM
Gold=Racing/performance
Tester
I have used aftermarket rotors and pads without any issues so far. For my wife’s car, I get the mid quality from Autozone with lifetime warranty. She does a lot of stop and go driving. On our last minivan, I got 6 sets for the price of one. On the Camry, since it is a lighter car, we I have changed the pads & rotors only once so far.
I have nothing but lousy experience with autozone pads
The few times I’ve used them, they literally didn’t fit correctly. They were obviously reverse engineered from the factory pads, but they just didn’t fit
I went back and had them make sure the pads were correct, and that they weren’t misboxed.
After being assured they were correct, I simply returned them
What a joke 
Napa pads, at least they fit correctly. I’ve installed a few napa pads at work over the years. This is usually a situation where the vehicle has to get done right away, and we send our parts guy to napa, which is less than 5 minutes away. They are not our usual supplier, though.
once installed an o’reilly set of pads. Some kind of import direct fit, they fit very nicely. No noise, no complaints
I too have had very bad experiences with AutoZone parts. I won’t shop there anymore for anything more than a tube of bulb lube or a lamp.
I usually used mid-grade pads wherever I bought them. I gradually started using NAPA parts exclusively because I never got wrong parts and the fit and finish just seemed better.
When my 98 Olds Intrigue was in need of new pads my local NAPA store was out of the mid-grade pads so I got the $20 ones, I was amazed at how well they performed, they were much better than the new pads that were on the car when I bought it.
mountainbike
“a tube of bulb lube”
Every time I get something there . . . they always try to sell me that stupid bulb lube in the tube
If you think about the price per ounce, it’s absolutely stunning 
Last time I went to the local AutoZone I bought 1qt of oil. Counter monkey asked if I wanted a set of those felt pads for battery terminals. I asked him why he thought buying oil might indicate I was doing battery work? Just got the 1000 yd. stare in response. They are just brainwashed to try to sell anything on that little rack by the register.
Auto Zone is a great place to buy blinker fluid.
Yes I am referring to the Permatex Ultra series of RTV… The red stuff that they sell in stores is too thin for my taste. So I use the thicker stuff…and absolutely none of my brakes make noise…we are talking about at LEAST 50 sets of brake pads a year and that would be a very slow year for brake pad installs too…so the number is a lot more.
Im talking about a thin film…smoothed over with your finger on the back of the pad that goes in the caliper next to the piston. On the outer side…I take a small dab on my finger and smooth it onto the calipers outer fingers so as to take care of the outer pad. The pads basically “float” on the thin film…its thick enough that it doesnt let the stuff squeeze out the sides and away from the back of the pad entirely. I find the expensive red stuff is too thin and seems to vacate the area behind the pad after install…so that there is no thin film for the pad to float upon.
The results cant be argued…I haven’t had a single noise complaint in about 5 yrs now? That is the primary purpose of why I began using it. Also keep in mind…that this is not the only issue that can produce noise… The caliper slider pins are also a key factor.
I also test the pads “fit” within their mountings…sometimes a pad backing plate is a little sloppy with the stamped steel backing…sometimes I need to file off a tiny amount of metal so that the pads can move easily…without any slop or slack. Ive seen some backing plates on pads so bad that guys start using a hammer to install them…those pads have NO chance of wearing out properly…because they get hung up and stuck…and when rust sets in…the backing plate “Blooms” to become even tighter.
I even use a minuscule bit of high temp brake grease on where the pads “ears” insert into the caliper mounts…and when the pads are the style that “hang” like on Audi and VW…i apply the small amount of grease in the appropriate location so the pad ends, ears or sides have a small amount of grease to slide upon and also to prevent rust “blooming” over time. Its been working like magic thus far so I wont change a thing about how I do them. When I remove fully worn pads…the RTV is still in place and I can see evidence of the grease on the ends as well…so both do remain to do their intended jobs. Pads should fit snug and proper…no slack…but snug and should be able to move within their mounts. Its not Rocket Science but I see plenty of people screw this up. I’m no beginner in the brake department…seems brakes are all I do sometimes. I actually enjoy doing brakes…its fast EZ money if you ask me. We all know how “expensive” pads can be…most of the money is profit. IF you do them properly and give them a fair chance at living a full life…so far so good. I never ever have brake complaints related to the pads…Fingers crossed, no jinx
Blackbird
I prefer diagnosis or even big jobs . . . suspension overhaul or even evaporator replacement . . . over brake jobs
But I don’t dislike brake jobs
Ah, db, that’s true about the bulb lube if you price it by the pound… but a 1/2 oz tube lasts forever and ever. I also use it on the lightbulbs in my house. It prevents the stamped metal threads on the base from galling in the socket and sticking. A little dab’ll do ya. That’s all it takes. A 1/2 oz tube costs perhaps less than two bucks (I bought mine long ago and don’t remember exactly).
mountainbike
would 3M silicone grease also work?
Sure is true…that Di-Electric grease is a fortune if you keep buying by the single use tabs at the counter ! A lot of people are actually confused of the purpose of this grease. The grease is NON Conductive…so its purpose is not what you might think.
I made the mistake of using it directly on the contact surfaces of my light bulbs and battery connects and other places of electrical connection… WRONG ! It actually harms the connection if the grease doesn’t squeeze out of the way… You are better off using WD-40 to clean the contacts and then use the Di-electric grease to seal the connection afterwards. Counter Monkeys EVERYWHERE have absolutely NO CLUE of this stuffs true purpose.
Now on a spark plug boot…its a different story. That is where this stuff wants to be…it lubes the silicone boot to Porcelain connection so the boot doesn’t “weld” itself to the plug…and its non conductive nature helps seal in the spark. This is where this stuff wants to be… NOT on electrical connections directly. Good for sealing those already cleaned connections…but not in the connection prior to assembly…it only works because it is able to squeeze out of the way…if it doesn’t or cannot get out of the way…you just broke the connection electrically.
Blackbird