Finding the right brake calipers can be challenging. There are tons of options available, and you want to be sure you make the right choice based on your needs and budget. If you’re in the market for new brake calipers, you’re probably wondering: what are some of the best brands to look at?
Here are what brake brands you should buy from depending on the type you’re looking for:
- OEM calipers: Brembo or Akebono
- Remanufactured calipers: Wilwood or PowerStop
- Aftermarket: ACDelco or MAYASAF
Below, we’ll highlight our six choices for the best OEM, remanufactured, and aftermarket brake caliper brands. Keep reading to learn more!
Top OEM Brake Caliper Brands
OEM stands for “Original Equipment Manufacturer,” meaning OEM brake calipers are made by the same companies that provide the original parts of your vehicle. They typically come at a higher price but offer better quality and performance. If you’re looking for OEM brake calipers, consider Brembo or Akebono.
Brembo
Brembo is one of the world’s top brake part manufacturing companies.
They produce high-tech OEM brake calipers for some of the leading brands, including:
- Bentley
- Maserati
- Aston Martin
- Lamborghini
Their range of options includes both monoblock and two-piece fixed calipers, made from aluminum to ensure the lightest possible weight and the highest performance. Brembo calipers are fully compatible with a vehicle’s original disc equipment, and each product is carefully tested to ensure satisfaction.
Akebono
Akebono is another excellent, globally-trusted manufacturer. Like Brembo, Akebono constructs its calipers with aluminum to reduce weight by up to 30%. The company then adds a special coating to prevent premature rusting or corrosion, ensuring the longevity of your calipers.
Akebono is a company that’s trusted by some of the most well-known vehicle manufacturers, including:
- GM
- Honda
- Mazda
- Toyota
- Nissan
- Subaru
If you’re looking for OEM quality at a lower price, Akebono is a great manufacturer to purchase from.
Top Remanufactured Brake Caliper Brands
Remanufactured parts are essentially OEM parts that have been stripped, cleaned, and had any worn components replaced. While remanufactured calipers aren’t exactly “new,” they still come at OEM quality but with a lower price tag. If you’re looking for remanufactured calipers, consider Wilwood or PowerStop.
Wilwood
Wilwood is an American company based in California that’s well known for offering high-quality remanufactured brake parts. Wilwood is a reliable choice for many different vehicles, although their calipers may not be compatible with certain wheel designs. Before you go with Wilwood, make sure you know whether their products will work for you.
Wilwood is another manufacturer that uses a lightweight aluminum design. They offer high reliability and longevity, and their calipers are incredibly easy to maintain.
PowerStop
If you’re looking for an affordable option for remanufactured calipers, you can’t go wrong with PowerStop. Their Powder-Coated Brake Calipers are manufactured in Chicago and undergo rigorous, thorough testing to ensure quality and safety.
PowerStop’s powder coating makes its calipers incredibly easy to clean and prevents issues with premature rusting. They’re highly durable and offer incredible stopping power, and best of all, they come 100% bolt-on ready.
Top Aftermarket Brake Caliper Brands
Aftermarket brake calipers are designed by a different company than the one that made the factory parts. They’re usually designed for compatibility with a wide range of makes and models, which means they may not provide the same fit or level of quality as OEM or remanufactured parts.
However, they’re typically the most affordable option. If you want to save money on your new calipers, consider ACDelco or MAYASAF parts.
ACDelco
ACDelco’s brake calipers are the ideal aftermarket replacement for a wide variety of vehicles. They’re produced using high-quality cast iron and aluminum, offering high durability and excellent performance.
These calipers come with all the mounting brackets and other hardware you need to ensure easy installation. While they do offer corrosion, heat, and leakage resistance, they lack a special coating to prevent rust. However, they’re still a great option if budget is an important factor.
MAYASAF
If you’re looking for an affordable, basic design that still gets the job done, consider going with MAYASAF brake calipers. MAYASAF is a Chinese manufacturing company that builds a wide range of auto parts using all the latest equipment and technology.
They make these parts based on the original design specifications for a range of vehicles, including:
- Ford
- Mazda
- Mercury
To ensure their aftermarket calipers meet or exceed OEM standards, MAYASAF subjects all their parts to rigorous testing. If you do experience a defect, they offer excellent customer service and a one-year warranty on all their products.
Final Thoughts
As you search for the best brand to replace your original brake calipers, consider the top six companies we’ve listed above. OEM, remanufactured, and aftermarket calipers all offer different advantages and disadvantages, but the best option will depend on your needs and budget.
