I had the front brake pads replaced and the rotors cut about 2 years ago on my '96 V6 T100 and about a month after that service the brakes have squeeled when stopping. I took it back to the shop and they recommended I give up the lifetime pads they installed in favor of OEM pads. They said the pads they installed glazed the discs or something. I didn't have the superfluous cash at the time to make such a switch (as little as it probably is for OEM pads) and have lived with the squeel for these couple years. The last 8 months or so I get a grind if I apply the brakes too hard, so I been lightening up and trying to slow/stop more gradually to minimize any damage I might be causing but idiot drivers in my area like to stop short when there is 200' or something of stopping distance before a red light, so I don't have much choice on stopping slowly.

I don't have the resources to even have a mechanic look at it because I know it'll wind-up a $300+ job (I always get screwed by mechanics). My question is an economical one:

Where can I buy OEM brake pads (preferrably online) for the cheapest possible price (shipping low)? And how difficult is it to replace the front pads? I've only once replaced the front pads in my Isuzu pickup many, many years ago and found it pretty easy. Any special tricks I should know about with the T100? What does a warped rotor look like? (any pictures online?). The rotors were cut before, so I am concerned they might not be able to be cut again. Is it possible to bring the rotors to a service center and just pay for them to cut them again? If the rotors are not too bad, can I get away with just replacing the pads to at least buy me more time to get a complete overhaul of the brakes in say, a year?


My goal is to improve braking myself for the lowest possible price. If I were not in such financial difficulty I would just have a shop take care of it, but I really want to know for my own personal edification anyhow. I don't have a repair manual, so any tips would be appreciated.