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Kool Vue Brake Pad Review by jacobray69?
I'd like to know if anyone out there has any input on KOOL VUE brake pads. I bought the SM SERIES BRAKE PAD SET (part#KV200109F) for $7.59 plus shipping & handling (order total $16.91) and I just installed them on my 1999 subaru impreza RS and test drove them and they seem to work very good. better than raybestos brake pads I'd say. why so cheap then you ask? I asked that too and found that they are made in Thailand for a company in Carson City, Ca who are wholesale dealers. these brakes go for 49.00 bucks elsewhere. during my test drive (after breaking them in for about 20 miles) I did slow stops from 100 yards, quick stops at about 15-20 yards at 35 mph, and one unexpected hard brake incident at 45 mph when a car turned right in front of me..
results: overall these brakes kick raybestos' off the court! for all of you wondering if you'll die paying for cheap brakes, I'd say it's better to keep that general rule alive but not in the case of kool vue. slow breaking at about 100 yards was effortless. I felt I could stop on a dime if I had to apply more pressue. the quick stops (most important) were fearless. my other reybestos OEM's never had the friction stopping power these had and for a fraction of the price. in the unexpected braking incident the brakes responded nicely and there wasn't really reason to be alarmed, however, there was about a .75th of a second where the pads slipped grip but caught grip in the same second. this was only due to the pads being brand new and hardly had a full trial break in period, plus I repainted my brake calipers black and there was residue on the rotors which is now clean of residue after braking. so basicly this all happened right after I put them in and drove 20 miles to my girlfriends house. I even braked in dips and braked up and down a driveway to a gas station and they worked better than my old $39.99 reybestos semi metallic pads. these kool vues have slotted grooves and are NAO brake pads made with aramid fibers.
there wasn't any noise initially or when I finally parked.
overall on my test run I give these brakes a 8/10. maybe even a 9/10. and they beat any OEM or main market replacements that not only cost more but wear more and wear out quicker. I will give another review after about a month to be complete.
great give us a up date in a year every month til they wear out
cheap brake pads dont mean they good or not its how long they stop you that matters