Got my pads for my '06 Ram (along with my recirc door housing) from Mopar-wholesale.com and wonder what the differences between the regular Mopar pads and the Valueline? Only thing I could see is that the Valuelines showed up with no hardward in the box; just the pads. So I guess the next question is what else do i need to pick up for front brake job? Any clips? Anti-squeal goop, tho I might have a tube of that around somewhere...

 

U-clamp to squeeze the caliper pistons. I use old pad to compress with.
A wire brush to scuff caliper rust and clean them up.

Anti-squeel goop is most def needed regardles if there are shims or not.

Difference between the two may be compound(semi-metallic vs ceramic), shims(reduce squeel) or namebrand.

 

Make sure you properly lub the sliders, here in the northeast, that is a common problem area. I use the same lube for the back of the pad.

See you have a 442 and an earlier Olds 455. Brings back memories to my 1970 442 with the high compression 455 (somthing like 525 lbs tq) and 4-speed. I built a new engine after I throw a rod. Those were the days, $600 and some change for a W30 short block, $250 to get the heads worked and Mr. "Chilton" and I put the engine together in my parent's garage. Oh yea, purchased it in 1971 for $2350 with 11,000 miles. That's what they mean, those were the days and $.42 premium to boot. Went back to MOPAR, but nothing compared.

 

Woot Woot. I had a 70 Cutass S with a stock 350 that we later put a BBO 455 in an a 87 442 that came with the HO 307 that had the same 455 in it earlier and after that a CAD 500. Those were nice rides.

As for pads, I will never have semi metallic pads. Ceramics all the way for me.

 

yep. Need to sell the '86 442 so I can paint and finish up the '72 Supreme. The '72 was ordered up like a 442; factory installed 455/TH400, Rally Pac gauges, FE2 suspension, Super Stock II rims. . Neat car. Power windows & bench plus am-fm. I added the W25 Ram air hood, power trunk and heated rear glass (rare).

 

Follow up on on 'Value line brakes'. I waited 'till about 86,500 miles and finally put the pads on. Coulda went to 90k by the looks of the originals! The Value line pads now have 14k on them and seem to give off a lil more dust and they seem to 'grab' a bit more (better?). Perhaps these are just old-style metallics whereas the more $ Mopar pads have newer tech contents (like ceramic)? They also seem to be eating a bit more into the turned rotors than the originals did. Sounds like metallic pads to me..

 

Brake cleaning fluid. Are you replacing the rotors? I heard from a guy that worked on some local race cars at our local road race track (Hallett), that I should use a value pad if I upgraded to nice rotors like Baer's slotted and drilled ones. I haven't seriously looked into this yet since I had just changed out to cheap all around about a year ago. He said the better pads will eat up the rotors relatively quick. I do know for sure that my cheap pads do produce more dust.

 

? The rotors had plenty of meat and turned just fine. I did spray them down with Brakleen before install if that's what you mean?

Since Daimler/Benz owned Chrysler for a bit recently, I wondered if they instilled their philosophy of hard pads and soft rotors... as i understand it, they feel it is safer for the rotors to be changed with each pad change so people don't have the opportunity to turn and make them too thin..

 

Yeah that's pretty much what I meant for the cleaning fluid. I have a knack for goobering up my rotors when I work on the front end as well as the initial cleaning of the calipers before taking them off.
You are probably correct about the pad/rotor issue.
If I was shamelessly wealthy, I would put on a nice set of carbon fiber rotors.

 

carbon fiber rotors.. are junk until they reach 500 degrees .. not easy on the street.