There are many aspects to the way a car runsthat you may completely take for granted. Many people don’t even know how theircars work, even though they are behind the wheel every single day. However,there is quite a bit to consider when it comes to cars; brake pads alone arevery important and can be a real topic of conversation.
What are the pros and cons of ceramic versusmetallic brake pads? Generally, ceramicbrake pads allow for better performance than metallic brake pads. However, theyare also significantly more expensive. There are pros and cons associated withboth that make them viable options.
Brake pads are much more important than mostpeople realize. Their function is crucial to your ability to drive a carsafely. Because safety is important, it is a good idea to know a little bitmore about the types of brake pads and the pros and cons that come with each ofyour options.
What Are Brake Pads?
Before learning about the advantages anddisadvantages of certain types of brake pads, a quick review of brake pads isin order. You use the brakes of your car all the time, such as whenever youreach a stop sign or red light on the road. However, there’s a lot more to itthan stepping on the right pedal.
The brake pads are the component of yourbraking system that make contact with the brake rotors in your vehicle,applying both friction and pressure to them. When the brake pads make contactwith the brake rotors, they force your wheels to stop.
How Do Brake Pads Work?
Brake pads are extremely strong and undergo muchstress. Think about how quickly the wheels of your car rotate and how much yourcar weighs. Of course, you want to make sure that the brake pads you use aremade of the most resilient material possible.
The friction between the brake pads and therotors of your car is what causes the wheels to slow down and stop turning. Thelight press of your foot to the brake pedal activates a series of events thatleads to this friction.
When you push down on your brakes, youactivate a cylinder that sends brake fluids down to the calipers below yourcar. The calipers make contact with your brake pads, and then your brake padsapply pressure to the rotors of each of the wheels of your car.
Then, this pressure will lead to the frictionthat is necessary to bring your vehicle to a stop. When your rotor slows down,your wheels will slow down as well.
Interestingly, when you take your foot off thebrake pedal, the whole process will take place in reverse. The brake pads willrelease the rotors of your car, the brake fluids will move away from thecalipers and back up the hoses, and your wheels will start moving again.
If you want to learn more about how the 40parts of a brake work together, check out this video.
What You Should Know About Ceramic Brake Pads
Ceramic brake pads were introduced in the1980s. Their first use was for high-speed trains, but later high were adaptedto be used in high-performance cars. They are made from a combination ofceramic fibers, bonding agents, copper fibers, and other filler material. Theceramic and copper fibers allow the pads to be very tolerant to very high braketemperatures.
Pros
Ceramic brake pads keep the performance ofyour car very strong, even after you’ve made a large number of hard stops. Theydissipate heat very well because of the compounds from which they are made.
Ceramic brake pads are also very resilient anddo not break down significantly when you use them repeatedly. Due to these twoqualities, they last a long time and produce significantly less dust than othertypes of brake pads. Also, the dust that these brake pads produce is lessnoticeable in appearance and does not stick to the wheels of your car.
Compared to metallic brake pads, ceramic brakepads are quieter. They are also more durable overall.
Cons
Even though ceramic brake pads may seem like agreat choice, there are disadvantages as well. The main disadvantage is thatthey are very expensive. They are significantly more expensive than metallicbrake pads, at least in terms of the upfront costs. You can typically expect to pay an additional50% for ceramic brake pads.
Additionally, even though the brake padsthemselves are more durable, ceramic brake pads generally make for more wearand tear on your rotors than the metallic ones would.
What You Should Know AboutMetallic Brake Pads
The majority of vehicles that you will see onthe road have metallic brake pads, often referred to as semi-metallic brakepads. However, you should keep in mind that just because they are metallic doesnot mean that they are simply pieces of metal. They are made of different typesof metal, including copper, graphite, steel, and iron. Fibers of these metalsare all mixed with bond material to form the pads.
These metallic brake pads can vary quite a bitwhen it comes to quality. The higher-quality pads contain finer metallicfibers, while the lower-quality pads tend to have larger and coarser pieces ofmetal. As would be expected, the brake pads made from the finer fibers aregenerally more expensive.
Pros
Metallic brake pads are significantly lessexpensive than their ceramic counterparts. They are also less likely to causedamage to the rotors then the ceramic pads, although they do cause some damagejust because they are heavy and lack malleability. They work very effectivelyas well, with an effective grip even during cold weather (even though they dowork most effectively when it’s warm).
Metallic brake pads will give you high-qualityperformance and will effectively transfer the heat generated by the frictionthat is created with the brake rotors. These brake pads are both durable andcost-effective. Because they are so durable, they are even a good option if youhave a heavy vehicle, such as a truck.
Cons
A major disadvantage associated with metallicbrake pads is that they are heavy. This can have a minor impact on how muchfuel your car uses while you are driving. Additionally, the extra weight makesit so that metallic brake pads aren’t necessarily the pads of choice for peoplewho are interested in high-performance driving.
Even though metallic brake pads are durable,they generally do not last as long as the ceramic ones do. Also, they give riseto more dark dust that is more likely to stick to the wheels of your car thenthe dust generated by ceramic brake pads. They are also significantly louderthan ceramic pads, which can impact your driving experience.
Final Thoughts
There are many pros and cons that come with bothceramic and metallic brake pads. The brake pads that are best for your vehicledepends on what’s important to you. Ceramic brake pads might give you aslightly more streamlined driving experience, but you should decide whether ornot the extra money you would spend on them is worth that. You can also consultwith other experts to figure out what would be the best choice for yourparticular car. At the end of the day, you need to weigh the pros and cons andfigure out which choice is better for you.
