At my 55K tire rotation I see that my front brake pads have no wear indicator left. Rear pads are great. I anticipate replacing the front pads at 60K. Recommendations? I know aftermarket is cheaper, but I don't know if any are equal or better than OEM. Sometimes cheaper = less life, and even if there's a warranty, who wants to do the job again in a couple of years?
All depends on how long you want to keep your car. I have always purchased the top of the line that is on sale at the time I need to replace and I get the ones that don't do the "brake dust" thing.
I don't even know what's available other than "genuine Toyota". Considering you'll likely only do this the once, and the savings (if any) is only a few bucks, I would stick with Toyota. Might as well get the shim pack too. If you've got no problems with the rotors, and their thickness is still well above minimum spec., I would leave them be. How's the wear look, uniform? A little early for them to be so low: have you followed the US schedule, getting an in-depth brake inspection (with pin lube) at 30K miles or 3 years?
I've not measured the pad, but the groove on the front pads is gone (first indication of wear). No "chirping" (which happens when you hit minimum thickness). I normally don't wait for it to get that low before changing pads. Wear appers to be uniform.
