Brake Disc/Pad Quality - Differences?

[CompSyn]

Two part questions.

# 1) Does for example Raybestos, Bendix, AC Delco purchase their disc brake rotors from the same vendor(s)? Are there known differences in quality between the major brands?

#2) Bendix produces CQ Ceramic brake pads for my application. Anyone try this particular brand/type of brake pads. What did you think? Should I try ceramic pads or stick with good semi-metallic pads?

Application is for a 60s muscle car that will see mostly show car duty.

Thanks in advance

 

[santov]

I'd go ceramic for a show car so there's less wheel dust and almost no squeak.

All of these vendors are good, I'm a big fan of Centric. Centric is the parent company of PowerSlot. Their entry level rottors and ceramic pads are great!

What kind of 60s car? Camaro I hope.

 

[XCELERATIONRULES]

I would go with the ceramics,as they don't chew your rotors up as fast as semi metallic.
I replace my rotors and pads on a regular basis,so the actual cost of parts isn't a concern.
If you over heat even the expensive rotors,you take a chance of warping the rotors,and getting all kinds of poor performance,and vibration.

I buy the best pads I can,for brakeing performance,but use the cheap rotors.
They get replaced at every brake job anyway.

Using your brakes correctly,has more to do with longetivity,than the quality of the parts,IMHO.

 

[Corvette Owner]

I agree for ceramics for a show car. Ceramics don't stop as well and I had them warp my corvette rotors.

I use HAWK HPS, a semi-metallic pad, they are GREAT !

 

[SteveSRT8]

You just have to know what you want from your brakes.

Pads come in a million flavors. Ceramics are usually lower dusting, but the word is no longer an accurate description of the pad formula. It has become a marketing tool.

Rotors are rotors. But I don't buy anything cheap for my vehicles. Spend a moment checking them carefully and if they are in-spec then use them. Just beware of [censored]. It will be everywhere. I weigh mine carefully and spend about a minute or two checking a few critical measurements. They are the BRAKES, kind of important.

Absolutely true: how you use them determines their longevity!

 

[JHZR2]

I use those bendix pads and feel they are good. The ct-3 are supposedly better and what I'd run.

 

[Trav]

+1 on the Bendix CT+3.Been using them in many cars and pick ups with no problems whatsoever,they stop very well with little dusting,extremely quiet also.

 

[mechtech2]

Show car?
In your case get the otherwise foolhardy vented/slotted/pretty rotors.
And for less dust, get ceramics.
The semi mets will make more dust, but you are going to clean things anyway with a show car.

 

[CompSyn]

Originally Posted By: santov
I'd go ceramic for a show car so there's less wheel dust and almost no squeak.

All of these vendors are good, I'm a big fan of Centric. Centric is the parent company of PowerSlot. Their entry level rottors and ceramic pads are great!

What kind of 60s car? Camaro I hope.


I am strongly thinking of going with Bendix ceramic pads. It seems like there the only brand so far making ceramic pads for my application.

BTW, this is for a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner with a later style cop car 11.75" Uni-cast rotor swap. It's a tried and true disc brake swap that is cost effective and much more braking power the the factory drums. Oh! The stock drums will be stored if factory correctness is of concern later on down the road.

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Show car? In your case get the otherwise foolhardy vented/slotted/pretty rotors.


You know... I can buy slotted/drilled/dimpled rotors for my application which would look trick indeed. I do have slotted rotors on my daily driver. They've worked fine so far but are noisy. I'll have to think about that some more...