I’m not very good at buying appliances. Even the computer I type on was recommended by my tech-obsessed roommate. I haven’t done much research because I don’t know what exactly that means. Suddenly I understand how the average person feels when buying a car or auto parts. For example brake pads, you will often see different prices for different versions of the same car.
With so many terms and vocabulary to describe and classify complex auto parts and systems, it can be hard to decipher what this gibberish means. Even the most stubborn and knowledgeable Autobots can be intimidated by something that should be simple, like brakes. Brake pads come in many varieties and it can be difficult to understand what each material is, what they do, and what suits the needs of the car. Let me help you by breaking down pads into material types and providing some context on what is what.
Organic pads can be found as original equipment manufacturer (OEM) equipment on many popular vehicles. As you may have guessed, organic mats are made from natural materials such as rubber, glass, Kevlar, or silicon dioxide. They are cheap and quiet, but to be honest, they are not good for many other things. They don’t stop very well and don’t last that long. In my experience, it’s almost impossible to find an organic replacement for most stock pads. Sometimes organic mats may be referred to as NAO mats or asbestos-free organic mats because they are no longer made from asbestos as they used to be.
Cost: $ to $$ Pros: Stops upgrades for organic mats, but still a lot Cons: Noisiest of the three types, creates dark dust
Semi-metallic brake pads are a popular choice for pad replacement. Made from metals such as copper, steel and other metals, pads are held together by graphite much better than organic type pads. However, semi-metal pads produce more noise than organic and ceramic type pads. Also, this type of pad works best when the pads are a bit hot, so stopping distance may not be ideal when the weather and brakes are cold. The pads themselves also tend to generate more dust than other types. However, they are cheap.
Cost: $$ to $$ Pros: Quiet, low dust, durable Cons: Not always suitable for dynamic driving, most expensive
Ceramic rugs are made from hardened clay material and are almost indistinguishable from any kitchen utensils. These pads are strong, quiet, heat dissipative, lightweight, and produce far less dust than organic or semi-metallic pads.
These pads are also expensive and some argue that they are also not the best choice for high performance drives because they don’t absorb heat very well. Heat can be transferred to the rest of the brake system and cause premature loading.
However, things did not go smoothly. Some manufacturers use proprietary blends of materials to counter certain issues. For example, the aftermarket brakes on my Fiat 500 Abarth use a complex carbon fiber ceramic compound that provides more stopping power than metal pads, but they still have the durability and poor dust quality that ceramic pads provide.
To quantify things in a less subjective way, each set of brake pads has a special number and letter from the DOT (Department of Transportation) denoting its mechanical braking capability. These numbers, or rather letters, will be represented by a two-letter code. The first letter indicates the performance of the brake pads at low temperatures, and the second letter indicates the thermal performance of the brake pads.
The lowest performance rating is “C”, so GG rated brake pads have better heating and cooling properties than DE rated pads.
Unfortunately, these numbers are not always easy to find on the box or in online stores. They are pressed against the brake pads themselves.
This list can give odds to even the most clueless brake buyer. Each has certain advantages and disadvantages, so consider your driving style as well as your budget and choose accordingly. Energetic riders on a budget may be better off with aggressive semi-metallic pads. Cars designed primarily for everyday driving are probably best equipped with durable, quiet and low maintenance ceramic pads.
I understand it’s hard to read. So let the kind folks at our sister site Donut Media explain how it all works.
Before we get started, we would like to try to answer all your questions. We empirically selected common points of confusion, as well as common problems in the top search results. We answer these questions below.
A. The strength and durability of brake pads depends on many factors, including driving style, vehicle type, brake pad type, age, etc. Generally, a good pad will last at least 25,000 miles, but your mileage may vary. In hybrid and electric vehicles, regenerative braking with the help of the electric motor greatly assists in braking, with some owners reporting brake pads last over 100,000 miles.
A. Generally speaking, ceramic brake pads produce less dust than other types of brake pads. In addition, ceramic mat dust is lighter in color and less likely to stick to wheels and other surfaces.
A. Each manufacturer has different material mix specifications and last designs with different prices. For example, more expensive semi-metallic pads may contain higher concentrations of expensive metals in the name of stopping power or durability. The aftermarket ceramic pads I use for my Fiat 500 Abarth contain carbon fiber, which makes them significantly more expensive than regular equivalent OEM pads.
If we’ve piqued your curiosity or haven’t fully answered your question about brake pads, check out these related posts:
How to replace brake pads: a simple explanation that you need to read before you start.
The best brake pads for performance and safety: hands-on testing Drive compared several different brake pads.
How long will brake pads last? : A more detailed overview of the life expectancy of different types of brake pads.
How and when to replace brake discs: If you are replacing brake pads, you should also pay attention to the rotors! Sometimes you can just leave them alone or redo them before buying a new set.
Post time: Aug-21-2022
