Do you need an inexpensive and easy to install brake pad set? Perhaps a pair of brake rotors? If that’s the case, this article may interest you.
Duralo is a brand that you may not know as it is only sold online, but it offers an extraordinary price/performance ratio along with a level of quality suitable for daily driving vehicles.
Last but not least, Duralo’s drilled & slotted rotors are incredibly flashy, so why not take advantage of your next brake service to give your car or SUV a sporty look?
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Comparison of the Best Duralo Brakes
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Who is Duralo?
Duralo is a brand with more than two decades of experience manufacturing steering racks for the automotive market. Most recently, approximately eight years ago, it expanded its product portfolio by offering brake parts and strut assemblies.
Since then, its competitive pricing has earned the brand huge popularity in the DIY enthusiast community, which comes as no surprise as its drilled & slotted rotor and brake pads kits are truly eye-catching.
Review of the Best Duralo Brakes
Ready to explore the Duralo product line? The product catalog of this brand may not be the most extensive, however, its prices are unbeatable and its coverage of the European, and Asian markets is truly impressive.
Duralo Brake Pads:Duralo Brake Pads Premium Ceramic Series
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PROS
- Incredibly low price for ceramic brake pads
- Impressive 1-year unlimited mileage warranty
- Specially crafted to be a perfect fit on your vehicle
- OE style chamfers to reduce noise levels to a minimum
- ISO/TS 16949 certified, which guarantees that these pads meet or exceed OE specifications
CONS
- Limited availability for American vehicles
- Not recommended for applications requiring heavy braking
Where Does This Model Land in Duralo’s Lineup?
Duralo only offers one model of ceramic brake pads. However, each set is designed to meet the specific demands of that application. What this means is that the formulation from one vehicle to another may vary, for example, the formulation of a compact car and a truck will not be the same.
What Type of Driver Are These Best For?
One of the reasons for having only one model of brake pad per vehicle is because of the type of formulation used by this brand. Duralo brake pads are intended as an original equipment replacement, and as such, they offer a similar level of durability and performance. Simply put, Duralo ceramic brake pads are aimed at daily driving vehicles.
Should I Choose a Different Option in this List?
If you use your car for commuting from home to work, then you will have no problems with these brake pads. However, if you use your vehicle to hauling/towing heavy loads or your application requires constant braking, then it may be a good idea to use a more suitable type of pad. In that case, a viable alternative could be using PowerStop or Centric brake pads.
Bottom Line
Duralo brake pads offer an excellent balance between price and quality, making them a viable alternative for everyday use. However, you should be aware that these pads were not created for applications that require heavy braking, in which case a different brand will be required.
Duralo Brake Rotors:Duralo Brake Drilled and Slotted Brake Rotors
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PROS
- Comply with ISO/TS 16949 quality standards
- The set includes both, driver and passenger rotors
- Drilled & Slotted design for better heat dissipation
- Zinc coated for maximum protection against corrosion
- Increase the braking performance of full-sized SUVs and trucks
CONS
- Since they are drilled they tend to crack over time
Where Does This Model Land in Duralo’s Lineup?
Similar to brake pads, Duralo only offers one model of brake rotor for each type of vehicle. Nevertheless, Duralo has taken great care in designing its rotors to meet or exceed the manufacturer’s specifications. In that regard, you can think of these rotors as a direct OE replacement.
What Type of Driver Are These Best For?
These particular brake rotors are intended for drivers who want to improve a bit the stopping power of their SUVs or trucks. While it is true that Duralo rotors are not prepared to withstand the heat produced by applications that require constant braking, it is also true that their perforated & slotted design offers better cooling than the OE rotors. In other words, Duralo rotors are suited for light to medium duty applications.
Should I Choose a Different Option in this List?
Since these rotors are intended for full-size pickup trucks and SUVs, you need to be very careful how you use them. Ideally, you should consider Duralo rotors almost on the same level as the OE rotors that came installed on your vehicle. Their special design allows these rotors to offer slightly better cooling than OE, so in theory, you could use them to occasionally tow a moderate load. On the other hand, if your application requires heavy braking or constantly towing/hauling heavy loads, then it is recommended to opt for another brand that offers heavy-duty rotors.
Bottom Line
Duralo drilled & slotted rotors are a good alternative to SUV and truck owners looking for an eye-catching set of brake discs with similar performance to OE parts. These drilled & slotted rotors are not heavy-duty neither high-performance parts, however, they provide adequate cooling for light to medium-duty tasks, including daily driving vehicles.
Duralo Brake Kit:Duralo Premium Ceramic Brake Pads and Rotor Kit
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PROS
- Direct replacement to OE parts
- 1-year, unlimited-mileage warranty
- Good heat dissipation thanks to Duralo’s drilled & slotted rotors
- Excellent value, this kit comes with a pair of brake rotors along with the proper set of brake pads
- ISO/TS 16949 certification which guarantees they meet the stringent American and European OE quality standards
CONS
- While the slots help to dissipate the heat they also increase brake dust production
- Cross-drilled design increase brake bite but unfortunately also tend to produce cracks over time
Where Does This Model Land in Duralo’s Lineup?
As mentioned above, Duralo’s strategy is to offer a part number for each vehicle model. Each Duralo rotor and brake pad kit is designed to meet manufacturer specifications for safe, consistent braking. This particular kit includes a set of ceramic pads along with a pair of slotted & cross-drilled brake rotors, making it ideal to perform a complete brake service
What Type of Driver Are These Best For?
The Duralo Drilled & Slotted Rotor and Brake Pad Kit is aimed at enthusiasts who want to do a full service/upgrade of their brakes. This kit comes with all the necessary hardware to ensure low vibration and noise levels regardless of speed. All in all, a solid choice for multipurpose SUVs and trucks used for commuting from home to work, and even light to medium duty tow/hauling applications.
Should I Choose a Different Option in This List?
Despite its incredibly sporty look, neither Duralo ceramic brake pads nor Duralo cross-drilled & slotted rotors can be considered appropriate for extreme applications. Both the design and the materials used by Duralo guarantee adequate performance for daily driving vehicles, however, they won’t be able to withstand the high temperatures generated by extreme off-road, towing/hauling heavy loads, or street performance applications. If that is your use case then we suggest choosing a top-tier brake kit like those offered by StopTech or EBC brakes.
Bottom Line
Overall, Duralo’s slotted & drilled rotor and ceramic brake pad kit offer a marked improvement to the appearance of your wheels, along with increased stopping power under normal driving conditions. However, if you intend to give your SUV or truck a different use, then we recommend a more specialized brake set kit, one that offers suitable performance and endurance for your type of application.
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What Else Does Duralo Make?
In addition to brake pads and rotors, Duralo has extensive experience manufacturing other product lines such as:
Steering Racks: For over 25 years, Duralo has manufactured the most enduring steering racks on the market. Thanks to its QS9000 / ISO9001 and ISO / TS16949 certified factories, Duralo can guarantee that its steering racks meet or exceed the demanding quality standards required by most top-tier brands.
Strut Assemblies: Another of Duralo’s traditional lines consists of high-quality strut assemblies. In this sense, the strut assemblies made by Duralo come assembled with their springs, ready to be installed, which is a big plus, especially for DIYs enthusiasts.
What Makes Duralo Brakes Stand Out From the Competition?
When it comes to Duralo brakes, without a doubt the factor that makes their products stand out from the competition is their incredible price. Nowadays it is very difficult to find a brand that offers a 1-year unlimited mileage warranty in Duralo’s price range. Given the current state of the economy, this aspect (its incredibly low price) is appealing to most car owners looking for a product for everyday use.
If you add the fact that the products offered by Duralo are visually striking, especially its drilled & slotted rotors, then you have a winning combination. All in all, the brake parts offered by Duralo are in line with other inexpensive brake brands such as R1Concepts eLINE Series or Detroit Axle products.
Duralo vs R1 Concepts – Comparison Overview
Comparisons are almost always subject to some degree of subjectivity. That’s the case between Duralo and R1Concepts, two brands that are aimed at the same group of people, lightweight mechanics enthusiasts looking for inexpensive brake parts for everyday use.
Quality: Both brands, R1Concepts and Duralo, offer similar quality. Quality on par with original equipment brake parts. In practice what that means is that both manufacturers offer products adequate for daily driving vehicles (applications not requiring heavy braking).
Available options: in terms of variety R1Concepts has an advantage over Duralo since its eLINE series has a broader product catalog that includes rotors with Black, Silver, and Gold finishes as well as different patterns to choose from; Smooth, Cross-Drilled, Diamond Slotted, or Cross-Drilled & Diamond Slotted
Price: Both manufacturers compete at a very similar price level. However, it could be said that for some vehicle models Duralo offers slightly lower prices than the R1Concepts eLINE series.
Conclusion
In these times where every penny counts, brands like Duralo can save the day. The price levels offered by this brand are unrivaled, making it an ideal alternative as a replacement for original equipment parts in daily driving vehicles with light braking requirements.
Moreover, the striking design offered by Duralo’s brake pad & rotor kit as well as its ease of installation makes them hard to ignore for DIY enthusiasts looking for a hassle-free solution to service their cars during the weekend.
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People Also Ask
Are you interested in knowing a little more about Duralo? In this section, we have compiled the most common questions about this brand.
Where Are Duralo Products Made?
The characteristics of the products sold by Duralo, as well as their market price, make us think that their line of brake products (brake pads and rotors) are made overseas, possibly in China, to later be sold in the United States.
Who Owns Duralo?
Although we have found no information to support our guesses, we suspect that Duralo Premium Auto Parts is partially or fully managed by Buy Auto Parts, an online retail auto parts shop whose headquarters are located in San Diego, California.
How Long Has Duralo Been Around?
Duralo has been manufacturing steering racks for more than 25 years. However, most recently, Duralo has been offering a broader range of products including brakes and suspension parts. It is worth mentioning that for the past eight years Duralo has focused on online commerce, using Amazon and the BuyAutoParts.com website as its main distribution channels.
What Kind of Warranty Does Duralo Offer?
Duralo brake products have a 1-year unlimited mileage warranty against defects in materials or workmanship. The warranty does not cover damages produced by improper installation, modifications to the brake system, racing, or aggressive off-road usage. Also, the warranty does not cover normal wear and tear of the brake pads and/or brake disc rotors.
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