Repair Topics > Brakes > Brake pads > Best Brake Pad Brands: Manufacturers versus Resellers
Who makes the best brake pad brands? Who are the real manufacturers, and who is just importing or reselling?
Cheaping out on brake parts is a bad idea. The difference in price between a cheap import brake pad and a high-quality pad from a well-known, reputable manufacturer is often less than $20. But how do you know who makes the best brake pad brands? This article will help.
Lots of new companies are selling brake parts these days, and many of those sellers are just importing cheap, no-name brake parts from China. They sell low-quality brake parts but label them as premium quality parts that “meet or exceed OE” specifications. The problem with that claim is that no OE ever discloses their specs to aftermarket suppliers. Even reputable name brake parts manufacturers can’t get those specifications, yet those manufacturers also claim their brake parts meet or exceed OE specifications. So who’s telling the truth? The name-brand companies because they maintain their own engineering departments, conduct their own testing, and have decades of experience in the brake parts business.
So, I always recommend buying brake parts from a reputable company rather than from a store brand like Autozone, Advance Auto, or O’Reilly.
Separating the real brake manufacturers from the importers
To make brake rotors, you need a foundry, and that’s not a cheap investment. Many companies in the list below state that they’re manufacturers when, in reality, they’re really importing from offshore suppliers. They may or may not supply the specifications for the offshore suppliers or buy off-the-shelf products from those same suppliers.
When it comes to brake pads, it’s a different story. Anyone with a blender and a stove can manufacture brake pads. The brake pad formulas are readily available online, but in most cases, they are over 80 years old. Formulating the friction material for a specific vehicle takes quite a bit of knowledge. The pad must have a precise combination of abrasive and adherent components, as well as lubricants to dampen vibrations.
Large brick pad manufacturers have extensive R&D and testing facilities that smaller companies can’t match.
In addition to the actual friction material, a lot of engineering goes into the design of the brake pad backing plate. The plate must be of the correct thickness and metal and manufactured according to strict dimensional standards. See my post on brake pad backing plates.
For all these reasons, I strongly recommend sticking with a well-known manufacturer.
Best brake pad brands in a single chart
Buy from a manufacturing with their own R&D departments, testing facilities and factories
| Brand | Company Name | Manufacturer/Distributor/Importer | Company History | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abex | Abex — Owned by Federal Mogul which is now owned by the Driv Division of Tenneco | Manufactuer of commercial/truck brake parts | In 1902, five manufacturers with patents for railroad brake shoes consolidated to form American Brake Shoe & Foundry Co., the predecessor of Abex. The company built an iron factory in Mahwah, New Jersey, that year and began casting brake shoes for railroad cars | drivheavydutyparts.com/products/abex-brakes.html | |
| Aimco | Aimco — Owned by ITT and sold to Echlin which later became Brake Parts LLC, which is now owned by First Brands | Manufacturer of performance and severe duty brake pads and rotors. | https://www.brakepartsinc.com/aimco | ||
| American Brakeblok | Brake Parts LLC, which is now owned by First Brands | Manufacturer of commercial vehicle brake parts | Abex Corporation began in 1902 when five manufacturers of railroad brake shoes merged to form American Brake Shoe & Foundry Co. (ABSF). | americanbrakeblok.com | |
| ATE | Manufacturer of disc and drum brake pads, shoes, rotors and drums. Clutch parts, brake fluids, and brake cleaners. | In 1906 Alfred Teves founds the company. ITT bought the Alfred Teves company and started working on anti-lock braking systems. In 1998, Continental AG purchased ATE from ITT. | ate-brakes.com | ||
| Beck Arnley | Beck Arnley Owned by Federal Mogul which is now owned by the Driv Division of Tenneco | Importer | Beck/Arnley was established in 1914 as Beck Distributing Corp. in New York City by Irving Beck. Beck was one of the first foreign parts importers, specializing in working with Tier 1 suppliers to Japanese carmakers. In many cases, Beck Arnley parts are the exact OE parts you would get from the dealer. | beckarnley.com | |
| Bendix | MAT Holdings | Manufacturer with 32 R&D Locations, 15 Friction Material Factories, 16 Rotor Manufacturing Factories, 18 Shim Manufacturing Factories. 10,000 employees | MAT Holdings has been manufacturing the Bendix brand of light and medium duty brake products since 2014. MAT Auto Group, part of MAT Holdings, is a leading global manufacturer of friction, cast iron (braking & transmission), and ride control products for OEM, OES, and aftermarket light, medium, & heavy duty vehicle markets. Owns Gabriel Shock Absorbers and Struts | bendix-brakes.com | |
| Bosch | Bosch | Originally a manufacturer of brake hardware and eventually expanding into anti-lock and stability control products | Bosch didn't start manufacturing rotors until the '80's. In 2012 Bosch sold its brake business to KPS Capital Partners through a newly-formed affiliate, Chassis Brakes International Group. In 2019 KPS sold Chassis Brakes International to Hitachi Astemo | boschautoparts.com | |
| Brembo/AP RAcing | Brembo | Manufacturer of brake pads, rotors, and calipers. | In 1964 Bembo began production of aftermarket brake parts for Italiam vehicles. In 1972 they supplied the braking systems for Moto Guzzi. In the 2000's Brembo purchased Alfa Real Minas for machining brake rotors and they also bought AP Racing | brembo.com | |
| PosiQuiet, Centric Premium, Ctek, GCX, StopTech | Centric Parts | Manufacturer | Owned by Brake Parts Inc, now First Brands | firstbrandsgroup.com | |
| Durago | Durago Parts | Importer — Unable to find any factory locations | The company began over 50 years ago as an importer, primarily supplying the air-cooled Volkswagen market. Zoominfo.com lists Durago sales at less than $5 million | duragoparts.com | |
| Duralast | Private Label Brand of Autozone | Private labeler | Retail and wholesale auto parts seller | autozone.com | |
| Dynamic Frictions | Dynamic Friction Company | Importer- Unable to find any factory locations | DFC maintains a massive inventory of brake parts for all domestic and foreign vehicle applications from 1930-present. Other products in its product line includes brake rotors, brake pads, drums, brake shoes, hardware kits, and brake sensors. Sales revenue listed at less than $4 million with 12 employees | dynamicfriction.com | |
| EBC | EBC Brakes | Manufactrer | Privately owned. Operates to manufacturing facilities; 1 in Las Vegas and 1 in Pineham Northampton UK | ebcbrakes.com | |
| Raybestos | Brake Parts LLC, which is now owned by First Brands | Manufacturer | Founded in 1902 ISO/TS 16949 and ISO 9001 certifications | raybestos.com | |
| Wagner | Mogul which is now owned by the Driv Division of Tenneco | Manufacturer | Founded in 1891, Wagner has been designing and manufacturing high quality parts for over 125 years. | wagnerbrake.com |
©, 2024 Rick Muscoplat
Posted on June 14, 2024 by Rick MuscoplatCategories
- Brake pads
