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qx56 2006 calipers Bosch vs Akebono

16K views 25 replies 6 participants last post by  dragon_27 
#1 ·
I have 82k on my brakes. Everything stock. I felt a little bit of pulsating on my last Sierra trip, so I suspect a warped rotor. Anyway, I'd like to replace the pads and either turn the rotors or get them replaced. I'm just going to do front and back and get it over with. [The tire shop keeps saying I have plenty of pad left and I'm too lazy these days to pull a wheel and check.]

I'm going to go ceramic on the pads. I did that on my old M class and it was a major improvement. Searching the forum, I found Hawk ceramic is the suggested brand. However the Hawk website inquires if I have Bosch or Akebono calipers. It also inquires to the size of the rotor.

I haven't looked yet, but is it easy to see which caliper I have without pulling a wheel. I've changed two flats on this beast since I owned it, so I'm not allergic to pulling a wheel, but I sure hate to do unnecessary heavy lifting if I don't have to, especially with that OEM jack.

Other than the AT hose slipping off once, this has been one durable vehicle. You can't believe how much time my old Benz spent at the dealer. The Benz ate brakes so fast that I would do the work myself. At 80k+ miles, I'm more than happy to pay a shop to do the brakes. I just like to buy the parts my self.
 
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#2 ·
04-07 it's the small rotor 08-11 the big rotor


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#4 ·
Sorry about that I mean years 2004 to 2007 and 2008 and up


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#5 ·
The mid-year 2006 Armada's had the larger Akebono disks installed. I found this out the hard way by ordering, by year, and getting the 12.5" discs! Best to pull the wheel and measure the diameter. Rears are all the same 12.5" as far as I know.
 
#6 ·
mine are the bigger rotor sized ones. a fellow member told me that sometime in 2006, was when they made the switch. so you have to chekc on your door jam to find the manufacturer's date. mine was produced in march of 06...
 
#8 ·
You have a QX56 they changed the rotors in 05. On the Armada in late 06


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#9 ·
I phoned tirerack regarding how to tell what and what, and while I managed to talk to a live person in the US (heh heh), I didn't exactly get much information other than there are only two possibilities, not 4 as indicated by the Hawk website.

Given I'm going years between pads, I'm just going to pay to have the pads replaced. [These days I seem to just be doing oil changes myself. The QX56 thus far has been very reliable.] The shop is going to put the car on the rack and tell me what is what. I've bough enough tires from them that this is a freebie since they know they are going to get the work anyway. Now if I had my own lift, it would be a difference story. ;-)

I find ordering parts that don't fit to be really aggravating. Nobody wants to RMA (buyer or seller). It's just a game I don't want to play.

Is is fair to say Akebono ACT and the Hawk ceramic are on par?
 
#10 ·
And the verdict is Bosch, front and back. I'm just going to have the front rotors turned to see if I can get the vibration removed. I'll have the ceramic pads installed even though there is plenty of life in the OEM pads. Might as well have piece of mind for the cost of a tank of fuel these days.
 
#11 ·
If you turn the rotators they will warp faster just change them


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#12 ·
I'm with Scorpion on that. For two tanks of gas, get new rotors. You'll regret just turning them.
 
#13 ·
New rotors for sure. I never turn them anymore it is a waste if time. In 6-12 months and they warp again you will spring for new rotors and have to replace the pads again.

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#14 · (Edited)
I've looked into this and simply see no logical reason why a turned rotor is any more likely to warp than a new rotor. I know the theory behind this notion. A thinner rotor is easier to warp. The problem is turning the rotor doesn't make it significantly thinner. Next theory is the thinner rotor will get hotter. Again, the difference is minimal. A rotor radiates heat from the surface, and the surface area hasn't changed significantly. Yeah, you have less thermal mass, but that just changes how fast the rotor changes temperature, and again, the difference is minimal.

What really happens here is the person who turns the rotors and has a problem is the person that posts that story on the net. You don't hear from the person that turned the rotors and didn't have a problem. You hear from the person that got the flu after getting the flu shot, but you don't hear from the person that didn't get the flu.

However, I'm open to any good scientific reason why a new rotor is better. Note that some new rotors come warped from the factory. Just how do you insure the new rotor isn't off some Chinese CNC? Remember that Chinese crap Raybestos was peddling?

At least if they are turned locally, I have somebody to yell at, which is more effective than facing Shenzhen City and raising my middle finger.
 
#15 ·
Factory rotors are just prone to warping. Just saying that for the cost of new aftermarket rotors compared to the cost of turning, its a worthwhile consideration. It was going to cost me 60-70% the cost of new rotors to turn them and this was the second time in a year.
 
#17 ·
84k! Then you made the right call. I must have really bad braking habits!
 
#18 ·
The pads didn't fit. At least I wasn't charged for this. I got the tire shop to draw and outline of the pads that are presently installed and I emailed that to the the Tirerack.

The shop swears based on my VIN that the Hawk pads I bought are what should be on the SUV, and there is no question the calipers are Bosch (front and back).

Are we having fun yet.
 
#19 ·
As if you thought this thread was history. It looks like the Akebono pads are the right shape, but the calipers are Bosch. Well let me put it this way. I got under the car, wheel still attaches so you can't see al that much, and found a part labeled Bosch S434L6FL0754. Now when I asked the guy at the shop to check to see if I had Bosch or Akebono when they were doing a rotation, he said Bosch front and back, but didn't bother to give me this number. Doh!

Of course the number doesn't match anything in Google or when doing a search on the Bosch website.
 
#20 ·
I think at this point I have the way to get the right aftermarket pads. Call the dealer, get the part number based on VIN, then cross reference.

Pads according to VIN are d1060-9fe0a. This means I need the 1286 format pads. So I guess the moral here is don't depend on those internet menus to be correct.

The 1286 format pads were used on the 2007 model. Mine was a late 2006, so maybe they used some parts that were mainstream for 2007.
 
#21 ·
My Mada was manufactured May '06 and came with the bigger '07 brakes & calipers. I also ordered the wrong pads at first by ordering by year but R1 Concepts was great and sent out new parts right away.

Sounds like you have the 13.5 rotors so you need the '07-up pads. Pad of your choosing but as long as they are for year '07 on.
 
#22 ·
Well I wish the other vendors would "get with the program!"

So any opinions on Akebono ACT, Wagner Thermoquiet, or Bosch ceramic. I see a lot of complaints about Hawk pads squealing, plus their numbering scheme doesn't include 1286.

I noticed a few people say the Akebono stopping distance isn't all that great. However, you really need to break pads in before you get the full effect.

If I had to pick a parameter of concern, it would be fade. I drive the Sierras at least once a year. You can't engine brake enough for those roads.
 
#23 ·
I'm happy with the posi quiet ceramics from www.R1concepts.com. Quite a few members use them and I took that as the best recommendation I could get.

I take my family boarding and skiing and coming down from the hills around here, I've never had any fade issues.

I don't currently tow so can't say how they perform in that regard. Others can reply on that one.
 
#24 ·
My problem with Centric is the parts are made in China. However, you don't read about problems associated with Centric parts. They can make decent stuff in China, but it is a culture that doesn't understand quality assurance. At least not yet.

Basing anything on internet reviews is tough unless you get a reasonable sample size. There is always one person out of sync with the rest of the crowd. Enough people complained about Hawk squealing that I guess they are noisy. I've seen comments about the Akebono squealing when you back up. Mine do that now. I don't see too much negative about the Wagner pads.

I've noticed these pads have the shims attached. That seems really weird to me, but I haven't done a brake job myself in about 5 years.
 
#25 ·
I went with the Akebono 1286. I contacted the manufacturer and they have supposedly corrected their database. Using the Infiniti part number and a cross-reference table confirmed that 1286 was correct, even if their computer at the time didn't think so.

The pads I got from Amazon were obviously returned new parts. I guess a few people have had trouble getting the right pads. ;-) Since I returned two sets of pads (prior to learning the cross-reference trick), I didn't complain that my pads were a return.

No vibration thus far, but I haven't exactly stressed the brakes yet.
 
#26 · (Edited)
i have the 350 mm rotors. can someone tell me the part number for the oem front brake pads? i ordered the 41060-zc027 and am scared this is the wrong part number...

edit: yes that is the wrong part number. for the 350 mm rotors, the new part # for oem front brake pads are: d1060-9fe0a
 
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