Thanks, Rob. I was wondering about that. That rough finished hat would tear up dust boots in no time. It makes sense to check the clearance on the machined ones, too.
I think the next time I do brake pads, I'll switch away from semi-metallic. For the price and how well they stop, they're hard to beat. They're rough on rotors though. Almost every spring I find they've tried to rust fast to the rotors. Those new kevlar-aramid fiber pads are supposed to work well but are are easier on rotors. Expensive, but available, because Mustangs use them. So the choice may no longer be what's affordable, but what's available, and it will be expensive. Maybe I should just give it up. I tried that once, it didn't work. :p