I really need to get the front brakes taken care of on my XJR100. I already have the rotors on hand. Now I just need a good set of pads. Unfortunately, the pads preferred by many on this forum (Akebono brand,) are not available for Brembo-equipped cars
So, I need an alternative brand. This is my daily driver, and I usually don't push it very hard. It will definitely not see any track use. It gets washed every week, so a little dust is ok. But I want/need them to be QUIET. My current pads squeak a little under certain conditions, and then they make an annoying "pop" or "grinding" sound as the car comes to a complete stop. Those noises really annoy me.

The front pads available on PartsGeek are as follows: TRW ceramic, Textar organic blend, EBC Redstuff ceramic, EBC Yellowstuff, Mintex ceramic and metallic blend, NPN organic blend, Bosch Euroline, Bosch QuietCast, and Wagner ThermoQuiet semi-metallic. Any help is appreciated!

Also, some of these pads mention that they have shims, and others say that they don't. Can anyone tell me what the deal is with the shims?

 

For your pad choice, that would be a personal decision. Myself, I prefer a ceramic, I used them on my (now gone) Expedition and they stopped the warping issue I was having using semi metallic. So obviously there was a heat issue on that heavy vehicle. As for the brand, do a Bing and/or Google search and watch some videos and read some reviews. You have a somewhat heavy car (almost as heavy as the Expy) and its a performance machine, so keep that in mind.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...=VDRVRV&ajf=70


Perhaps this may help explain your noises and what shims do. Since brake pads are for multiple applications, some pads need shimming and thus why its stated by the seller... https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...B&&FORM=VRDGAR

 

For your reference, I have EBC redstuff pads on my XJR100

 

I had Brembos on my 08 RRS/SC: used Wagner Thermoquiet. TRW ceramic on last X308 and 13 RRS/HSE (both non-Brembo).

All worked fine, low dust, noise and nice feel.

 

I used Akebono ceramic pads on my non-Brembo XJ8.

Extremely pleased with them. Very low dust, Very smooth positive feel.



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Thanks guys I went ahead and ordered some pads.

Since I've already started this brake-related thread, is there anything else I should know about doing a front brake job with the Brembo calipers? This is my first time dealing with fixed calipers. I understand that they are aligned from the factory, and that there are several bolts that I cannot mess with. But other than that, I am expecting it to be like any other brake job. Please correct me if I'm wrong :P

 

 

 

Make certain to "Bed" in the pads after the install. You'd be surprised how many DIY people skip this important step.

 

What it menas by to "bed"?

 

See the attached document describing one procedure for pads bed-in.

 

Not all pads are the same. Just follow the instructions that come with the pads you buy