Anyone here use ceramic or titanium brake pads or
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I use Bendix TitaniuMetallics Nice pad for the old Camaro. stops pretty firmly.
Brake pads are available in organic, semi-metallic, carbon metallic, and ceramic compounds. Brake shoes are available in organic and semi-metallic compounds.
Ceramic is a marketing term that is applied very loosely to a variety of brake formulas. The actual ceramic content of the pad may vary significantly.
The key is to read the brake manufacturer’s description of the pad material and understand what applications it was designed for. Solely classifying pads by pad material in general really isn’t enough as there will be pads within every single pad material category that are formulated for different uses. For instance, you can formulate a very aggressive ceramic pad that will deliver excellent stopping power but gives no consideration to noise, dust or service life. On the other hand, you can formulate a ceramic pad that is noiseless, low dust, long life, all while delivering slightly better stopping power than most original equipment pads. However as a general rule, one is most likely to be satisfied by a premium pad produced by any manufacturer versus one from their value line-up.
Anyway, if you’re looking for a good noiseless pad that delivers long life, low dust, low wear, and good stopping power, it’s hard to beat Akebono ProACT.
Ceramic is a marketing term that is applied very loosely to a variety of brake formulas. The actual ceramic content of the pad may vary significantly.
The key is to read the brake manufacturer’s description of the pad material and understand what applications it was designed for. Solely classifying pads by pad material in general really isn’t enough as there will be pads within every single pad material category that are formulated for different uses. For instance, you can formulate a very aggressive ceramic pad that will deliver excellent stopping power but gives no consideration to noise, dust or service life. On the other hand, you can formulate a ceramic pad that is noiseless, low dust, long life, all while delivering slightly better stopping power than most original equipment pads. However as a general rule, one is most likely to be satisfied by a premium pad produced by any manufacturer versus one from their value line-up.
Anyway, if you’re looking for a good noiseless pad that delivers long life, low dust, low wear, and good stopping power, it’s hard to beat Akebono ProACT.
If you look at the raybestos line they have 2 different lines of ceramics. Their semi-metalic and "low" line ceramics are aproximately the same price. The premium ceramic line is almost double the price.
I use Raybestos alot for my customers. I have had no noise issues with their ceramic pads. They seem to seat in extremely fast with new/machined rotors.
Whatever you do NEVER buy Raymolds (budget raybestos line) unless your selling your car. They are organic and wear extremely fast.
Akebono is and excellent pad and is used for some OE applications. They do seem to be more pricey and not a commonly stocked brand. The wholesale company, Worldpac (canada/us) has some Akebono pads but no all makes.
Bendix and raybestos has put alot of R&D in thier products. I dont think you can go horribly wrong with either company. If you go with boutique brands they will work extremely well too but for a daily driver its your wallet.
I use Raybestos alot for my customers. I have had no noise issues with their ceramic pads. They seem to seat in extremely fast with new/machined rotors.
Whatever you do NEVER buy Raymolds (budget raybestos line) unless your selling your car. They are organic and wear extremely fast.
Akebono is and excellent pad and is used for some OE applications. They do seem to be more pricey and not a commonly stocked brand. The wholesale company, Worldpac (canada/us) has some Akebono pads but no all makes.
Bendix and raybestos has put alot of R&D in thier products. I dont think you can go horribly wrong with either company. If you go with boutique brands they will work extremely well too but for a daily driver its your wallet.
I agree with Alanu that Raybestos makes very good brakes, but, beware that they changed the name of their economy line from "Raymold" to "Service Grade". PG Plus and Advanced Technology are the good ones.
Also, as mentioned above some cheaper ceramic pads are really just the standard lining with a small amount of ceramic added just so they can be marketed as ceramic.
One very good brake pad that doesn't seem to get much attention is Monroe. I recently installed a set on a family member's SUV and they are performing very good. Also, they advertise their ceramic pads to be a "true" ceramic formulation like the ones used by the car makers.
Wagner ThermoQuiet,and Bendix TitaniuMetallic are also very good brake pads.
Also, as mentioned above some cheaper ceramic pads are really just the standard lining with a small amount of ceramic added just so they can be marketed as ceramic.
One very good brake pad that doesn't seem to get much attention is Monroe. I recently installed a set on a family member's SUV and they are performing very good. Also, they advertise their ceramic pads to be a "true" ceramic formulation like the ones used by the car makers.
Wagner ThermoQuiet,and Bendix TitaniuMetallic are also very good brake pads.
I've used two different brands (Raybestos and Autozone Duralast) ceramic front & rear pads, each perform about the same as OEM except there truely isnt any noticable brake dust. And I'm begining to believe they really are easier on the rotors too.
I end up cleaning the wheels on each car with the left over soap and water from normal car washing, no more wheel cleaners.
As far as marketing goes for passenger cars, ceramics claim to fame for every brand I shopped was no/low brake dust. Then it was all the typical long life, quiet, smooth, reduced dust, better than OEM mumble.
I cant tell any difference between these two brands either, and I'm very finicky about brake feel and performance.
I end up cleaning the wheels on each car with the left over soap and water from normal car washing, no more wheel cleaners.
As far as marketing goes for passenger cars, ceramics claim to fame for every brand I shopped was no/low brake dust. Then it was all the typical long life, quiet, smooth, reduced dust, better than OEM mumble.
I cant tell any difference between these two brands either, and I'm very finicky about brake feel and performance.
[ Anyway, if you’re looking for a good noiseless pad that delivers long life, low dust, low wear, and good stopping power, it’s hard to beat Akebono ProACT.
Second that recommendation. Five different applications, thumbs up on each.
Hawk for stronger stopping power.
Second that recommendation. Five different applications, thumbs up on each.
Hawk for stronger stopping power.
I use the Napa brand Ceramix pads and they are pretty good...I think they are rebadged Raybestos "Quiet Stop" pads.
Do they really make titanium backed brake pads? I'd like that. The rust here tends to gently jack up the pads a bit, so they don't retract properly, wasting fuel.
LOL! maybe a thin coating of Ti but do you know how much the process of making Titanium coating would cost (esp. in auto aftermarket parts where competition makes razor-thin profit margins)?? Better yet: do you know how much it would cost to make a real brake pad backing out of titanium material??!
Ti sponge is several dollars/lb. Processing uses energy, so that sets the cost. It might add $10 to cost of manufacture for a brake pad.
yes, processing consumes energy and what additional benefits of having Ti on the brake pad backing plate may I ask?
Can we just do away with Cadmium plating (yes, I am fully aware of the EPA and other environmental and health-related issues RE: cadmium)
I think these are just nothing but sales pitch... what comes next? Diamond backed brake pad backing plate?! or 24ct gold backed brake pad backing plate?!
My 2c's worth.
Can we just do away with Cadmium plating (yes, I am fully aware of the EPA and other environmental and health-related issues RE: cadmium)
I think these are just nothing but sales pitch... what comes next? Diamond backed brake pad backing plate?! or 24ct gold backed brake pad backing plate?!
My 2c's worth.
less mass, and maybe no corrosion. Rust kills brake parts around here much faster than wear.
The only titanium brake pads I know of are Bendix TitaniuMetallic. They don't have a titanium backing plate but have a thin coating of titanium on the lining that's supposed to help with break-in.
I saw some "titanium" pots, but the only titanium was in the white paint.
Raybestos QS on front with new ate rotors and have almost 30,000 miles with very little pad or rotor wear. low dust,no squeal or noise-ever. Feel is slightly different-sort of softer than OE pagid pads. Stopping is fine.
I did turn my rotors last week due to warping caussed by improper wheel bolt torque or cold water on hot rotors-not sure. Just reinstalled pads and no issues.
Have same on rear installed in March. No issues.
I did turn my rotors last week due to warping caussed by improper wheel bolt torque or cold water on hot rotors-not sure. Just reinstalled pads and no issues.
Have same on rear installed in March. No issues.
Bendix has a blue kinda strip (3/4 inch wide) on both sides of the pad material. Its more of a gimic if you ask me. The brake material they use is good though.
If your pads do not retract you should be lubing the caliper bracket where the pads sit. Use a heat resistant lubricant. Another retracting issue is old brake hoses that act as a check valve not allowing brake fluid to go back to the resevoir. Yet another issue is the caliper bore/piston is slightly cocking and not retracting.
I think the moral of the story is that any mid-grade or premium pad, PROPERLY INSTALLED, is likely to satisfy most drivers.
I am using AAP Wearever Gold pads for my daily driver and they are holding up quite well and VERY firm and quiet. I paired them up with AAP brand rotors as well. All new front brakes for under 65 bucks and 3 hours of my time. Money and time well spent.
But then again, I dont brake like I want to toss myself through a windshield. I prefer smooth stops and acceleration.
But then again, I dont brake like I want to toss myself through a windshield. I prefer smooth stops and acceleration.
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