Performance Friction Carbon Metallic brake pads

[brianl703]

Originally Posted By: TylerL
But this doesn't last long because I normally drive like a granny and don't brake hard so they almost never get hot enough to transfer more pad material on to the rotors after it is worn away by abrasive friction braking.


They're perfect for my mom's car because she always brakes hard.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
I have a set of AutoZone ceramics on my Saturn and despite doing several aggressive burnishing sessions, braking performance is subpar. On the other hand, Akebono ProACT ceramics are much, much better than the Autozone ones and deliver braking power comparable to (or better than) the OE semi-metallics on an Acura.


Akebono is one of the OEM of Honda/Acura, the other being Nissin.

 

[TylerL]

Deluxe= oem stopping power but low dust
Ultimate= great stopping power, high dust
So basically most any street pad other than Performance Friction have decent cold bite. But if I want much better than oem level cold performance it will involve brake dust.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: TylerL
Deluxe= oem stopping power but low dust
Ultimate= great stopping power, high dust
So basically most any street pad other than Performance Friction have decent cold bite. But if I want much better than oem level cold performance it will involve brake dust.

The Centric 104 series is going to give you better braking performance than the Axxis Deluxe.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Akebono is one of the OEM of Honda/Acura, the other being Nissin.

While they are an OEM supplier, they have different formulations for OE and for aftermarket. The aftermarket one delivers less dust and up to 50% longer life, but there is a slight reduction in braking performance. However, unless you use it in a high-performance application such as a G35, it's unlikely that you'd ever notice the difference.

 

[TylerL]

Thanks Critic, Centric 104 it is.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: TylerL
Thanks Critic, Centric 104 it is.

Be sure to resurface the rotors with a non-directional finish. Make sure you wash the rotors with soap and water as well.

 

[Loogie]

I forgot to say thanks to The Critic for the info on the Centrics--they sound like excellent pads.

 

[VK56VD]

How do the Centric's 105's compare to the 104's in brake performance?

 

[TylerL]

Spartuss:
Centricparts
The 105's are rated 8 out of 10 and 104's are 9 out of 10 for friction level. So you trade stopping for less dust and longer life.
Funny sound bite
Critic: Will do.

 

[VK56VD]

TylerL, Thanks for the link. I've noticed that chart before on their website but always assume it's for marketing purposes. In real world performance, is the difference noticeable?

 

[TylerL]

MINTEX is also a good brand of pads.

Mintex tests: right side of page
In the F-150 test they show how bad the friction level on the PERFORMANCE Friction pads really is.
I'm guessing Mintex didn't test any Centric pads because they're probably just as good if not better than mintex red box.

It seems even with the 104's brake dust isn't too bad. I bet the stopping difference between the 104s and 105s is noticeable. If I had to guess I'd say the 104's brake 4% to 10% better. Nothing more than a guess.

 

[VK56VD]

It seems that RockAuto is a good source for Centric pads. However, when I was looking at replacing my rear pads, I bought the Centric Ceramic 105's for my Maxima as they only had the 300 and 105 for that application. Is it possible that Centric does not make the 104 for certain applications or is that RockAuto may not have them in stock?

What's a good source to check on what Centric models are available for my vehicle? The Centric website does not seem to contain this info.

 

[TylerL]

autopartswarehouse.com
I'd say 105's are good enough for the back, but autopartswarehouse.com sells the 104's for the back. $38 plus shipping.

 

[brianl703]

I find it funny that the Mintex tests showed that Motorcraft pads for the F150 don't stop as well as the OE pads for the F150.

 

[VK56VD]

Thanks TylerL.

I installed the rear Centric 105.XXX Ceramic pads and the Centric 120.XXX Premium rotors as I was changing out my rear calipers to A1 Cardone's due to one caliper sticking in the back.

On the front I currently have Bendix CT-3 pads and Bendix Premium rotors that were both installed about 21k Miles ago. I may go with the Centric 104.XXX Semi-Metallic since they are a bit more aggressive than the Centric 105.XXX Ceramic pads when the time comes for a front brake job.

Is anyone familiar if the Centric 104.XXX Semi-Metallic pads have proven to stop better than the Bendix CT-3 pads I have on now?

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: Spartuss
What's a good source to check on what Centric models are available for my vehicle? The Centric website does not seem to contain this info.

Centric Brake parts Catalog

Originally Posted By: brianl703
I find it funny that the Mintex tests showed that Motorcraft pads for the F150 don't stop as well as the OE pads for the F150.

Motorcraft and Ford OE are not the same. AC Delco makes two lines of pads--one is OE, and one is the aftermarket DuraStop line.

 

[VK56VD]

Thanks for that link, extremely helpful.

 

[brianl703]

Originally Posted By: The Critic

Motorcraft and Ford OE are not the same. AC Delco makes two lines of pads--one is OE, and one is the aftermarket DuraStop line.


What does AC Delco have to do with anything? I'll defer to your experience with AC Delco since I've ordered about one thing from them in the last 10 years, but I have ordered a lot of Ford parts and...

If you go into a Ford dealership and ask for pads for any Ford vehicle, they will come in a Motorcraft box, with a Motorcraft part number that you could use to order it from any Motorcraft retailer. They will also have a Ford OE part number on them, whether you get them from a dealership or a Motorcraft retailer.

If you decide to order the part by the OE Ford part number you'll STILL get it in a package that says Motorcraft on it and it will STILL be the same thing you could get from a Motorcraft retailer with the corresponding Motorcraft part number.

This is true for every single part for which Ford markets a replacement under the Motorcraft name.

All that being said, Motorcraft does have a "new" line of improved brake pads (the Superduty line) but this is not what was used in the test nor was it what came on the vehicle. I don't believe they were even available in 2003 when this test was done.

Prior to the Superduty line of pads, Motorcraft had only one line of brake pads, and this is still true for most Ford vehicles.

 

[bdcardinal]

btw, you are only partly correct. there are Motorcraft and Motorcraft SuperDuty. however there is a seperate line that are the original OEM pads. the part numbers are different. the OE pads will come in a brown box with a ford number ie XXX-2001-XX, nowhere on the box will it mention motorcraft. whereas the motorcraft pads will have BR-XXXX or BRSD-XXXX along with a long number which will have XXXX-2V001-XX. the motorcraft pads will come in a red box.