brake parts recommendations

I've got about 3/16th left on the front pads. I'm going to replace the front and back pads and the front rotors. Any recommendations? I want as good as OEM. Don't need performance parts. Best price for near OEM stuff. Thanks. I wish I could find my receipt from the last time I did the brakes (July '04). That was nearly 3 years and 30K ago. I know the rears are the ceramics from Pep Boys and had a lifetime warranty. I can't remember if I put the same ones up front.

Well, the brakes I have on the Rodeo are ceramic - front/rears; Akebono (IIRC), and they are the heavy duty pads. I now have 50k or so, with PLENTY of life still left, so they were worth it.

I think I paid maybe $50-70 per set, can't remember off the top of my head, if you're really interested I can find the info though.

I purchased them through www.autopartswarehouse.com

This truck sees a lot of mountainous terrain with the I-70 cooridor, and at the time I put the brakes on, the truck was still the primary boat hauler - it's not anymore, but when brakes do come due again, I will buy the same set again.

I am still on my original rotors 10yrs & 173K miles, we just checked them this weekend too, and they're still fine, with no issues to see of at this time.

I only get slight pulsing with the front brakes. I'm entertaining the thought of leaving the rotors. I saw the Akebonos at that website. Light duty stuff for my truck, but the 2 sets of pads I used after the factory set lasted not even half as long as the originals.

I like the Satisified Pro Ceramic pads I used on my rodeo. Not much dusting, no noise, and grip really good. I cant say how well they are wearing yet. I've only put 10k on them in the last 1.5 yrs hehe. I got the front ones from checkers then bought the rears from jc whitney since I was buying something from them at the time.

Well, I got to tell you that just before I bought this last set, I had tried to get OEM brakes from the dealer, they no longer sale the same OEM quality brakes here at these Isuzu dealers - and the ones I looked at, looked kind of whimpy.

This truck has since turned into light duty stuff, but it'll still get heavy duty brakes, as they seem to last twice as long, at least in my experience. In fact, using heavy duty brakes was the only thing that stopped our 1st Rodeo - the '91 from going through brakes/rotors.

I've got about 3/16th left on the front pads. I'm going to replace the front and back pads and the front rotors. Any recommendations? I want as good as OEM. Don't need performance parts. Best price for near OEM stuff. Thanks. I wish I could find my receipt from the last time I did the brakes (July '04). That was nearly 3 years and 30K ago. I know the rears are the ceramics from Pep Boys and had a lifetime warranty. I can't remember if I put the same ones up front.


It's funny that you posted about brakes because I just bought some Bendix ceramic pads and Brembo rotors. I couldn't bring myself to buy Wearevers from Advance or Duralast from Autozone.

Let me know how the swap goes.

Surfer, FWIW, I just purchased a set of Bendix brake pads for our newly acquired, old '85 BMW 325e - 2 door 2.7L inline 6 car.

Bought them from Advanced Auto for $45, pretty THICK little pads, not sure what they would look like for the Rodeo's - but they come with a one time replacement warranty due to wear and/or craftsmanship. We'll be putting them on this weekend, and we'll decide then, if the car needs rotors too - don't think so, but we didn't think it should've needed new plugs/filters either.

Our long-time mechanic is becoming someone we can no longer trust - my parents bought this car from him with the understanding that it had recently been thoroughly inspected and tuned-up. HA - if you call oil black as road tar, and an air filter that's disentigrated a tune-up, then appearently I've been wasting money on my own rigs.

This car will see nothing but stop/go city driving with only 30% highway, so I chose bads that were not the cheapest, but didn't need to be the holy grail either. As the car will probably never truly leave the lights of town, with the exception of going home.

Just got the tracking # for the Akebonos. $67 I think. Little more expensive than those Bendix, but should perform well.

I'll be installing everything over the weekend and bed the brakes at 2am on long lonely stretch of highway.

If anyone wants to use Brembo (blank) rotors, the cheapest place I found was tirerack.com. I'ved used them for many years on the Acura with no complaints. I've used Aimco, which is owned by Affinia, which owns Raybestos, Wix, and etc. Now, Aimco used to be sold at Autozone but they stopped carrying it for some reason. Aimco rotors were inexpensive and pretty solid. Decent rotors for the Rodeo were not easy to find.

Thanks for the suggestion pharm. I've had 2 sets of plain vented Brembo rotors on my Jetta and have liked them. I looked at tirerack.com. They have rotors for 4EX-W and for Rodeos that are not 4EX-W. I'm guessing this refers to 4WD? Any insight? They could not tell me over the phone and I don't see 4EX-W on any of my paperwork. The rotors I think I need are only $32 each on special right now and I'd like to get a pair for that price (non-4EX-W). Here is the link...
http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/brakes.jsp?&make=Brembo&model=Replacement+Rotor&group=Replacement+Rotor&autoMake=Isuzu&autoModel=Rodeo+LS&autoYear=1997&autoModClar=&perfCode=P

RrABS vs 4 wheel ABS?

4EX-W = 4 wheel ABS

Those Brembos are half price at tirerack. $32 each, but $19 shipping = $83.

Hey, surfer, as you know, I've never bought rotors for THIS Rodeo, but everything I HAVE ever bought for this Rodeo, was with the 4x4 wording attached, and I've never had an issue.

Reason being, funny thing, if you look up the VIN number on my truck, it's classified as a 4x4 - I've fought with that for years, and finally gave up; even on my car insurance, it's labeled as a 4x4.....But, and I've been looking for 10yrs...I just can't find that floor shifter :uhoh:

You're right. Merlin at St. Charles Isuzu said that the rotors are the same for 4WD and 2WD. The difference is between 2 wheel ABS and 4 wheel ABS.

Oh, I see; ok.

Yeah, in that case, yes, I could see that.

Are you replacing all 4's? Let me know how you like those brakes.

Will do. Just doing the fronts for now.

My 98 has front discs and rear drums. I had 2 rotors to choose from: with ABS ($53) and w/o ABS ($32). I just couldn't figure out what the real physical differences b/w the rotors. I called tirerack but they didn't know anything so I wrote Brembo of NA an email requesting technical specs for both rotors. The other sites I shopped never offered an ABS or non-ABS rotor. Just makes no sense to me. Anyhoo, I bought the ABS rotor and will request a partial refund if there really is no difference in the rotors. I could have saved $40 bucks! BTW, even the cheapo rotors for the Rodeo run almost $40 with tax.

Pharm - is your rodeo a 4x4? Curious, as mine has 4-wheel discs all around

I went to another site and looked at pictures of both rotors. It looked as though the ABS rotors had holes to bolt a speed sensor ring to it. Is that possible?

Pharm - is your rodeo a 4x4? Curious, as mine has 4-wheel discs all around

No.

I went to another site and looked at pictures of both rotors. It looked as though the ABS rotors had holes to bolt a speed sensor ring to it. Is that possible?

When I pulled by tires to check the pads I didn't see anything for a speed sensor. Looked like a normal disk setup. BUT, if there was a an actual hole for a sensor then the other sites like autobarn and autopartswarehouse should have offered that option. I'm still waiting for Brembo to get back to me. I might just call a dealer and ask if there is a difference.

Got my pads from autopartswharehouse.com today. Good shipping from NJ.

Surfer - do you have 4-wheel disc? Just curious, as everyone else I know of with a 4x2 has front disc/rear drum; I have 4-wheel disc

I just didn't get the da$n shift lever!!

I have discs all the way around. So much easier to work on then rear drums.

Rotors made it. Lots of auto projects on tap for the weekend. Window regulator in the Jetta, coolant flange in the Jetta, front brakes for the Rodeo, maybe coolant flush, too.

Brembo part #B25456 if you want to compare Pharm...

I pulled the passenger wheel and caliper off and decided not to get into the project this weekend. I've got enough brake pad material to get me up to New England and back in a couple of months. I'm going to let it go until I get back. I cleaned and lubed the caliper pins and put it back together. The rotors look very good, too. I'll still replace them, though.

Update on my earlier reply about my Satisfied Pro ceramic pads being very quiet. They are very quiet on the street. When hard on the brakes creeping down very steep slickrock (moab) my brake are VERY noisy.

Second thought. The Rodeo is going up and down Mt. Washington on vacation. I will do the brakes this weekend.

I think 3/16 = 4.7 mm is still ok

Alldata says minimum thickness of pad on rodeo04 is 1mm which is less than 1/16

All right. Doesn't take much to swing this procrastinator back the other way!

And I had 2 water pumps to change out yesterday. As soon as I finished putting all the tools away after changing the Jetta's pump I saw a puddle of coolant under the Jeep. Ran right out to NAPA and worked into the night to get it done.

FYI: A sales rep at autopartswarehouse.com told me that Brembo is/was the maker of the OEM Isuzu brake rotors. I called b/c I noticed 2 diff Brembo rotors with a price difference for the same year. The OEM replacement is $10 more than the aftermarket. Now, I'm not sure if he is 100% accurate but thought I would pass along the info. Brembo provides OEM rotors to a lot of car makers.

The very first item is supposed to be the OEM rotor.
http://replacement.autopartswarehouse.com/parts/autopartswarehouse/quote.jsp?year=1998&product=N1000-55278&application=000429301&part=Brake%20Disc&dp=true


BTW, I sent my rotors from tirerack.com back. They sent 2 different rotors.

So.....

If I got the cheaper of the two offered at tirerack.com, did I get an inferior Brembo rotor?

So.....

If I got the cheaper of the two offered at tirerack.com, did I get an inferior Brembo rotor?

Brembo produces great rotors so I think you made a wise decision. I just didn't know who produced the OEM rotors for Isuzu. Everyone says that the OEM's last forever so I might get the OEM replacements. Oddly enough no other site offered the OEM replacements. It's a pain to buy parts for the truck.

Brakes?! Who needs brakes?? .....what ever happened to the days of Fred Flinstone :cwm27: