Are 4" pads necessary or just nice to have?

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movingforward

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Newbie here. I haven't done anything to the car yet. I ordered and received a set of 5.5" CCS pads with a 5" backing plate. Do I need to buy 4" pads to tackle the smaller parts like the A-pillars or can I get away with adequately taping up the trim and use the 5.5" pads for the entire car?
 
yes, they do have their place. not only a-pillars, but headlights, windows/trim, vents, etc,.
 
I agree - 4" pads come in really handy, not only for A-pillars, tail lights etc, but also on some cars, the heavily concaved panels don't always you to get a 5.5" pad to run flat, and so the smaller pads can conform better to the panel, giving you better results.

I also use them a lot on the front and rear bumpers of most vehicles.
 
I agree completely, 4" pads are not a "must have" item, they do make detailing a lot more pleasurable at times. I never knew how much I was missing out on until I started using them.
 
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Yes! They are another great tool to help get the job done more effectively.
 
I buy Cyclo pads in the jobber size packs locally because they are used so often. I also like Griot's Garage 3" pads with my mini 3M backing plate. I rarely ever need to tape anything because of the diversity of pad sizes I have. Pads are way cheaper "for me" than tape and time.
 
It makes detailing around smaller panels easier, especially if you have a 4" pad with a nice bevel edge on it.
image_zpsf56ce6fc.jpg


It also makes using paste wax a breaze.
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Just make sure you get the right BP for the respective pad your going to use.
 
Thanks for the responses! Which backing plate and pad collection do you recommend?
 
movingforward said:
Thanks for the responses! Which backing plate and pad collection do you recommend?
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B&S, LC, Meguiars. Its all preferance. Im not going to rip on a particular brand, but the above pics are Meguiar's 4" pads. Yellow is a polish pad, black is for wax/sealant. They also have a maroon/burgundy pad for cutting. That BP is from LC. Everyone has their pad preferance, but I can tell you this: all the new pads that Meguiars is coming out with have yet to fail on me like others brands have. No delamination or pad failure.

They are basically mini versions of these below, which are the 6.5" pads.
image_zps6009e882.jpg


Pick something you like and stick to it. You really cant go wrong with any brand, but you will find some brands will last you alot longer and built with higher quality than others & thats a fact.
 
I love 4 inch pads for all the reasons others stated. Head lights, tail lights, pillars, complex areas, mirrors, I even use mine to do my wheels when I take them off twice a year and do a full detail on them.
 
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