Is there a difference between ceramic pads?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Sep 24, 2013
Messages
588
Location
Connecticut
Looking at ceramic pads, there is a range of prices across the major brands. Is paying a premium for a ceramic Akebono worth the money over a cheaper ceramic pad from Bendix or anybody else? Or is it a situation like API certified oils where say each SN oil is made within a tiny window anyway, to the point where it hardly even matters which one you choose? I’m ok with ponying up a few more bucks if it’s going to really be better, but I don’t want to throw money down the drain if it’s just paying for a name. What brands have you guys used and liked yourselves?
 
Any specific reason you want ceramic pads?

I know they tend to run cleaner but for general driving purposes, I've felt like semi metallic had better bite when stopping.

I would go off reviews about the particular line of brake pad you are thinking about rather than try and make a brand to brand comparison. Certain brands do command a premium like EBC, but at a low enough price point with brands like Raybestos, you're just picking a name.
 
Yes. Some have poor brake performance when cold, some tend to be noisy, some are very intolerant of high brake temperatures and will leave very heavy pad deposits on the rotors which causes premature vibration issues.

Many of these pads were never tested in the applications they are recommended for. Aftermarket companies generally have very little or no R&D capabilities. Pad lines often use only a handful of formulations for the entire lineup.

I am not saying that dealer pads will always be the best option out there, but they tend to provide the most consistent results.
 
Originally Posted By: Reddy45
Any specific reason you want ceramic pads?

I know they tend to run cleaner but for general driving purposes, I've felt like semi metallic had better bite when stopping.


Yeah I want the low dust properties of a ceramic. I know it’s a sacrifice, but how much worse have ceramics been in your experience in terms of bite? I don’t want to completely ruin my braking response either
 
I can't comment on premium pads but I bought some AC Delco Advantage Ceramics a few years ago for $27 and probably have 100k on them and they work great. I'll probably buy them again when these wear out.
 
I put Sangsin brand ceramic pads on my Ridgeline and am very happy with them. They were $36 (now $42) and are a South Korean brand. Bosch may be a moderately priced brand you can buy to save a few bucks. I'd stay away from cheap ceramic pads that are $20-$25--you usually get what you pay for. Also, forget about machining your rotors. Not worth it.
 
Better is relative. How do you drive (I.e., how do you brake)? I had OE pads last > 60k miles in an STI. I like to anticipate and engine-brake as much as possible. Most of the other people I see on the road seem as if the accelerator/brake pedal are more of an on/off switch than anything. Still again, others are smart albeit aggressive drivers.
 
Originally Posted By: NormanBuntz
I put Sangsin brand ceramic pads on my Ridgeline and am very happy with them. They were $36 (now $42) and are a South Korean brand. Bosch may be a moderately priced brand you can buy to save a few bucks. I'd stay away from cheap ceramic pads that are $20-$25--you usually get what you pay for. Also, forget about machining your rotors. Not worth it.


Oh I’m totally with you regarding rotors. They’re so cheap now that there’s no point in turning rotors anymore and I expect parts stores and shops will soon be scrapping their brake lathes if they haven’t already.
 
Originally Posted By: Warstud
I can't comment on premium pads but I bought some AC Delco Advantage Ceramics a few years ago for $27 and probably have 100k on them and they work great. I'll probably buy them again when these wear out.


That’s what I like to hear. I’ve read that ceramics are very easy on rotors and last a long time, and 100k miles is quite the feat!
 
I put ceramic TRW ceramic brake pads front and rear on a former neighbors Hyundai Sonata. They are an OEM supplier of brake pads for some vehicles.
They were priced good on Amazon.
 
Generally more expensive brakes pads will be better. In the grand scheme of things though the best brakes in the world wont matter if you have cheap or worn tires. Rotors don’t matter as much.
 
Originally Posted By: cheesepuffs
Originally Posted By: Reddy45
Any specific reason you want ceramic pads?

I know they tend to run cleaner but for general driving purposes, I've felt like semi metallic had better bite when stopping.


Yeah I want the low dust properties of a ceramic. I know it’s a sacrifice, but how much worse have ceramics been in your experience in terms of bite? I don’t want to completely ruin my braking response either


It's hard to put a number on it, but I felt like the brake pedal needed about 35% more effort to make a panic stop with ceramic pads. (compared to semi-metallic)

Basically you can feel that there is less friction with the ceramics.. but yes they were a TON cleaner.
 
Yes, there are differences in ceramic pads. I put akebonos on my Intrepid, which is large and fairly heavy, and braking improved significantly.
 
Originally Posted By: cheesepuffs
Originally Posted By: Warstud
I can't comment on premium pads but I bought some AC Delco Advantage Ceramics a few years ago for $27 and probably have 100k on them and they work great. I'll probably buy them again when these wear out.


That’s what I like to hear. I’ve read that ceramics are very easy on rotors and last a long time, and 100k miles is quite the feat!


The Rotors are original with 280k on them.
 
Thermoquiets used to be a forum favorite. I spent about 5 or 6 hours reading old posts on here over the winter and it was a tossup between Thermoquiets and Akebonos.. I think Thermoquiet won due to price and availability.
 
Originally Posted By: cheesepuffs
Yeah I want the low dust properties of a ceramic. I know it’s a sacrifice, but how much worse have ceramics been in your experience in terms of bite? I don’t want to completely ruin my braking response either


If your Honda uses semi-metallic pads as OE I would stick with that.

I personally love the pedal feel of semi-metallic pads. They have a lot more bite and feel less spongy. The extra dust is worth it for me.

For ceramic pads I am a fan of Thermoquiet.

Originally Posted By: The Critic
Yes. Some have poor brake performance when cold, some tend to be noisy, some are very intolerant of high brake temperatures and will leave very heavy pad deposits on the rotors which causes premature vibration issues.

Many of these pads were never tested in the applications they are recommended for. Aftermarket companies generally have very little or no R&D capabilities. Pad lines often use only a handful of formulations for the entire lineup.

I am not saying that dealer pads will always be the best option out there, but they tend to provide the most consistent results.


That's a good point about the R&D. I had very bad experience using the wrong aftermarket pads. Massive noise and rotor scoring.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: cheesepuffs
Originally Posted By: NormanBuntz
I put Sangsin brand ceramic pads on my Ridgeline and am very happy with them. They were $36 (now $42) and are a South Korean brand. Bosch may be a moderately priced brand you can buy to save a few bucks. I'd stay away from cheap ceramic pads that are $20-$25--you usually get what you pay for. Also, forget about machining your rotors. Not worth it.


Oh I’m totally with you regarding rotors. They’re so cheap now that there’s no point in turning rotors anymore and I expect parts stores and shops will soon be scrapping their brake lathes if they haven’t already.
Too bad, possibly a bad trend. I recall when I had a VW fox the rotors were disposable, but they used metallic pads and soft iron rotors to get a good bite. Back then the rotors at VW were under 20 bucks each. Up to that point I found disposable rotors to be insane. Never replaced a rotor on any car up to 150k miles until last year. Brakes worked great. Nissan and Honda car brakes are garbage IMO.
HAD OK luck with Subaru and Toyota.

I would go with a mild metallic or non metallic pad rather than "sandpaper" ceramic.

What kind of ceramic is used? Alumina? and what %. I bet its < 20% on generics.
 
Originally Posted By: cheesepuffs
Originally Posted By: Reddy45
Any specific reason you want ceramic pads?

I know they tend to run cleaner but for general driving purposes, I've felt like semi metallic had better bite when stopping.


Yeah I want the low dust properties of a ceramic. I know it’s a sacrifice, but how much worse have ceramics been in your experience in terms of bite? I don’t want to completely ruin my braking response either


That nearly all cars come OEM with ceramic pads is evidence enough that they are safe and just plain work.

Just about everything you read here will be anecdotal. There are simply too many variables and we don't have any good data sets to actually do a good comparison. Pad formulations are unknown to us and the label "ceramic" is a marketing term that can mean almost anything regarding pad formulation. I've had excellent results with store brand pads as well as the better known aftermarket pads. Buying "OEM" pads can be a challenge also. The Motorcraft pads you buy at the Ford dealer are likely not the same as what came O.E. on a Ford (my experience).

About the only thing I have learned over several decades is to avoid the bargain level pads in any brand/line (unless you are outfitting a beater that you intend to dump soon, maybe). Get the mid level or better.

Good luck with this nearly impossible task of identifying the "best".
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top