I'm still gathering parts / waiting for them to arrive for my front brake upgrade to the 2-piston Q45 setup. I'm using Brembo blank rotors, BTW...

So, my question is: Is a set of ceramic brake pads ($60) worth it, or will I get comparable performance out of some metallic / semi-metallic pads, which cost less? Thanks, as always!

 

Get HAWK HPS pads...You'll be smiling all the way down to 0mph....

 

yup it's worth it...at least for me. PBR/Axxis ultimates.

 

Yes, I think its worth it.. I have Bendix Ceramic pads with Brembo blanks and I love it..

 

Semi-mets have greater stopping ability than a Ceramic pad.

a ceramic has the advantage of no noise, and no dust.

 

which one do i believe!!!

 

Pad type means nothing without knowing what brand and compound of pad, and what you're planning to use them for.

There are ceramics I would use for a DD for someone who's easy on brakes, but there's not a single brand I would touch with a 10 ft pole for performance driving.

 

Really Matt? Everything I have read points towards Ceramics being better for track use because the become stickier with heat, and that they are less helpful on a DD because they won't get heated up enough.

I guess it all depends on percentages of the ceramic compound. Most street ceramics are only a small percentage of ceramic compound mixed with a non-metallic compound only to reduce dust. True ceramic pads will tear up a rotor sooner than a "normal pad" due to the more aggressive compound. I have tried Axxis and did not like them. I went to Satisfied and have been very happy. They have 5-6 different pad compounds to fit how you want your car to perform, from a DD to full race. They are pricey (I paid $200 for my pads) but, like with everything, I feel you get what you pay for.

 

From my experiance as an atlanta driver. Stop, go. GO FAST, then dead stop. Bad traffic. I could go through 3 set of mettalics in a year. Most of the time they have glazed up and fractured before half the wear. Ceremics last me 2 years easy.

I go with ceremics, would like to try hawks next.

 

Ceramic pads do produce dust. The dust they produce is just much lighter in color and it takes much more of it to appear close to what a semi metalic pad looks like after some brake dust has collected on the wheel ect. They are much more quiet then metalics. A good quality metalic pad does not squeek if installed properly and on a vehicle that has no known squeek issues. ex "volvo". regular ceramic pads do not stop better then quality metalics, and they dont really last longer.

 

From my experiance as an atlanta driver. Stop, go. GO FAST, then dead stop. Bad traffic. I could go through 3 set of mettalics in a year. Most of the time they have glazed up and fractured before half the wear. Ceremics last me 2 years easy.

I go with ceremics, would like to try hawks next.


Metalics can get glazed though, this I will admit is true. Just depends on how you drive.

 

I have noticed that hawk pads love heat,the more you hit the brakes,the better they grab...

 

That's typical of ALL performance pads. They're not designed to work when they're cold, in lieu of working very well when hot.

From my experience with Ceramics, they dust much less than regular pads, they last for a long time, they're friendly to rotors, they're quiet, work great on the street, but they suck ***** when it comes to performance.

Skip the low noise or the low rotor wear, and you can find a ceramic pad that will do quite well on the track. but they don't work well on the street at all.

I have yet to find one that will do all of the above.

I'd rather go with a semi-metallic and clean my wheels more often and have the performance. it's all a matter of preferences.


But the main point is, you can't just say "ceramic" pads. you've got to name brands and compounds. there are so many junk pads out there.....

 

The hawks are great for low to no dusting also[of course you know this already],my main reason for going with hawks was purely performance minded,i grew so tired of the generic autozone pads fading out at the first sign of moderate use on the twisties here ...I also want to try my hand at a roadcoursing...

I agree you do need to use a little more foot action on the brake pedal when they are cold,but hawks are hard to beat when it counts the most..

 

Pretty sure I will go with Hawks...Aside from having a heavyish right foot, I also drive daily on hills hat rival those of San Francisco...I am not a fan of pads that fade...

 

Well put Matt. That is why I went with the Satisfied pads over Hawk. It wasn't just a "one size fits all" pad. They had different pads so you can pick the pad that fits your driving style or vehicle use.

 

Yup.. I'd never seen the Satisfied stuff before. I stay with more hardcore track brands like Wilwood, Hawk, and Ferodo. never once have I been dissappointed with them, and they're MUCH cheaper than the $200 a set you describe. I hope they're worth it!

 

wha no porterfield on the list?

 

Satisfied have prices from $40/set on up. They have everything from basic street passenger pads to full race/full ceramic. I am happy with them, but yeah the price is a bit inhibitive.

 

EBC green stuff are pretty good.I use them and they are great.

 

I bought Akebono ceramic pads for my car and have been very happy with them. They stop well and are indeed quiet.

They do create some dust, but not nearly as much as semi-metallic pads I had before.

 

Nope. Porterfield sucks donkey butt compared to a true race brand.

 

I had Ceramics on my Tiburon. Wont go with aything else.