Many of us are guilty of skipping servicing the rear brake pads of our cars from time to time. After all, the fronts do most of the leg work and the rears don’t seem to wear out quite as quickly. That, however, isn’t always the best practice and is why we’re focusing on rear brake pad selection today. Though they are application-specific, requiring you to take the time to figure out precisely what you need, these are the brakes and brands we favor. That said, we’re also throwing in a buying guide after our top picks to ensure you pick the absolute best pads for your cherry ride.
Best Overall
Bosch BC1391 QuietCast Premium Ceramic Disc Brake Pads
Best Value
ACDelco Silver 14D785CH Ceramic Disc Brake Pad Set
Honorable Mention
Power Stop K2172-36 Rear Z36 Truck u0026amp; Tow Brake Kit
Best Rear Brake Pads Reviews & Recommendations
Best Value
ACDelco Silver 14D785CH Ceramic Disc Brake Pad Set
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Best Premium
Power Stop K2172-36 Rear Z36 Truck u0026amp; Tow Brake Kit
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Best for Trucks, SUVs
Power Stop Z36-1602 Front Z36 Truck and Tow Brake Pads
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Honorable Mention
Wagner QuickStop ZX967A Semi-Metallic Disc Brake Pad Set
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How We Selected The Products
When you look up rear brake pads, you’re going to get a lot of different options from various brands. While we know some hidden gems are out there, we don’t recommend going with just anything. Your safety is on the line, and that means there’s absolutely no room for error. We made sure to feature brands we know to work through personal experience or those that have good reputations in this department. Performance gains are secondary to the reliability, but we also made sure to include at least a few that will increase braking power over stock.
Our product selections, rankings, and awards for this story are based on research. While we haven’t conducted real-world testing yet on all of these products yet, we’ve looked at consumer testimonials and data, tutorials, and general discussions on social media and in forums. We also consider price and specification in the context of the segment. And, of course, we rely on our institutional knowledge of the automotive landscape to weed out weak products.
Buying Guide/What to Look For
As we said in the beginning, rear brake pads are application-specific, so there’s a chance that the pads we featured won’t work for your vehicle. If you do like any of those options, you can simply find the same series of pads from that manufacturer for your car through a year-make-model search — you can expect the same performance regardless of the application.
What to Consider
The good news is that brake pads are simple. There really isn’t much to them, and most manufacturers outline the details for you so that you can get everything you need to know from a simple product description. What makes a good brake pad, though? Pay attention to these key details, and you’ll be able to separate the chaff from the wheat in no time.
Application Compatibility
The first thing you need to verify is compatibility. We did already cover this, but you really can’t gloss over this detail. After all, the greatest pad design in the world is worth nothing if it can’t fit your vehicle.
Always put your faith in a year-make-model search to verify that the pads you’re looking at will work from your application. If that means using one site to generate a part number you can put into another’s search bar, so be it. Don’t take chances on keywords giving you the exact parts you need, as there is a lot of room for error with that method.
Pad Material
The material used for the brake pads is a definitive detail. To put it simply, it tells us how the pad will perform and what settings it’s good for. You have three primary options when it comes to pad material: organic, ceramic, and semi-metallic.
Ceramic pads are ideal for daily driver vehicles because they produce the least amount of noise and brake dust while offering a long lifespan of respectable performance. Semi-metallic pads might be noisier and produce more dust with shorter service life, but they are far better suited for performance driving. Keep in mind that manufacturers can tweak the compounds of any pad to enhance characteristics as well, meaning you should treat our input on materials as a general guide.
Build Quality
If you’re new to vehicle maintenance, separating high-quality parts from the pack is easier said than done. No manufacturer will tell you anything it produces is less than perfect, and that means you need to dig deep for the truth. It is worth doing, though.
Yes, brake pads are simple, but that does not mean things can’t go wrong. Inconsistencies in the compounds used can lead to excessive wear and potentially damage other components. There can be flaws in the assembly leading to pads separating, which can be disastrous. The list goes on and on. The point is to do the homework and find out if the pad you’re considering is worth its salt or simply stick to trusted brands.
Expert Tips
You’re pretty much ready to pick out the best rear brake pads for your vehicle. But before you go, we do have a couple of quick tips for you. Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be quite as long-winded as the earlier topics.
Consider Your Parking Brake
Rear brakes lead a double life. Yes. You do have a pad and rotor, just like on the front of your car. Only the parking brake lives inside the rear rotor. The good news is that it’s likely a simple drum brake setup that doesn’t need much attention. Still, you should consider replacing the parking brake shoes while you service the rear pads and rotors if it’s been a while since they’ve been serviced.
Match Pads to the Front
It’s a good idea to use the same type of brake pads on the front and rear of the vehicle — ideally those from the same manufacturer. Doing so will give you consistent performance at all four corners and simplify your search for pads during routine maintenance.
Inspect Your Rotors
So long as you service your pads regularly, you shouldn’t have to worry about replacing your rotors every time you swap the pads. Even so, it’s a good idea to give the rotors a quick inspection for signs that they need replacement. If the surface is uneven in any way, you should replace the rotors along with the pads.
FAQs
You’ve got questions. The Drive has answers.
Q. How often do you need to replace rear brake pads?
In most cases, you should only have to replace your rear pads every 40,000-50,000 miles. That’s only if the pad is wearing normally, though. If you notice any issues with the pads, you should have them replaced regardless of the mileage.
Q. What happens when rear brake pads wear out?
A few things will happen when your pads wear out completely. Most importantly, braking performance will drop significantly. Since there is no pad material left, the metal base of the pad will drag along the rotor, obliterating it. The brakes may also lock up completely if left unchecked.
Q. How do you know if rear brake pads need to be replaced?
The best way to tell if your rear pads are due for replacement is to inspect them visually. If you can see that the pad is worn down considerably, you should replace them. Excessive brake dust and noise are also signs that tell you it’s time to replace them.
Q. Do I need special tools to replace rear brake pads?
You will need special tools to replace your rear pads. However, it’s not uncommon for rear calipers to feature spin-in pistons that require special tools to retract during the installation of new pads. You will need to research your application to verify what you will need.
About the Author
Hank O’Hop is a self-taught gearhead struggling with a lifelong love affair with classic automobiles. He may not have experience in a professional garage, but he’s broken more than his fair share of parts to know how not to do things under the hood. He’s driven to find what works and what doesn’t. Writing serves as an opportunity to help others avoid the headaches he’s bound to come across.
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The Drive seeks to be the internet’s premier destination for news, features, reviews and guides about modern automotive culture.
Founded as the /DRIVE YouTube channel before growing into a full-fledged online publication in 2015, The Drive brings you the best of what’s new in the world of speed, from gear reviews to the latest industry coverage—all from a veteran team of writers and editors with many decades of combined hands-on experience. Our reviews are driven by a combination of hands-on testing, expert input, “wisdom of the crowd” assessments from actual buyers, and our own expertise. We always aim to offer genuine, accurate guides to help you find the best picks.