Review on 🔧 Optimized Shimano J04C Metal Disc Brake Pads with Enhanced Spring and Fins by Matthew Hoang

I don't give many 5 star reviews but these pads were exceptional. RT66 rotors (Shimano SLX calipers are also very good and much better than lower end Shimano calipers). The bike is a heavily modified Specialized Crosstrail that I load moderately heavily (plus my own weight of 175 pounds) and ride in Wisconsin, USA year-round (read: four VERY different seasons with ALL the extreme weather conditions). I commute to work through hilly terrain and stop my loaded bike at 50 km/h at the foot of the hill every day. I use these pads in all wet and dry conditions from 100F to -10F and in very wet to extremely dry atmospheric conditions. My pads see tons of road salt, sand, snow, ice, sleet, rain, mud, general dirt, grease, slime and anything else you can pick up from the roads and trails while cruising around town in any weather. What I'm trying to say is that I've braked through hell, relying on great brakes to stay safe in traffic jams and on bumpy, poorly maintained roads. It took me a while to switch to expensive metal pads, but I'm a convert now! In terms of performance, these pads offer excellent grip on the rotors even in wet or icy conditions. Yes, they stop me even when the calipers are clogged with snow or get wet in the pouring rain. I only hear the squeak when they are very wet or have oil or grease on them and it goes away when the rain dries a bit or I clean the rotors well (for oil/grease dirt). . Of course the braking distance is longer when it's very wet, but there's still no comparison to organic pads in the wet - I still feel a lot more grip when these pads are wet compared to organic or even semi-metallic pads. I drove about 2500 km. rear / 4400 miles front on my latest set of ribbed J04C metal pads and expect the same from them. Although I should have swapped the old ones out a bit sooner as they had VERY little material left at this mileage, they actually held me back quite well - I ended up swapping them out when the pistons were moving too far causing the levers to become spongy are. even with fresh liquid. This is insane and very good durability considering I burned through organic and semi-metallic pads at least every 500 miles or so before switching to ribbed metal pads. (If you're wondering why I put so many miles ahead, it's partly because I tend to slide the brakes back for better control when braking, partly because I have a front suspension fork, which I prefer not to use .rollers on heavy front braking and partly because I usually only use the rear brakes for smoother traffic stops.They earned my trust and I've been impressed with their performance and longevity.When I finally had to replace my old set it wasn't hard to order another set.While I wouldn't bother with the price of a pair of these pads considering the miles I put on them compared to cheaper organic pads, they really aren't bad at all and very worthwhile in all conditions. Performance I would definitely recommend Shimano J04C pads if you brake hard in tough conditions!