Organic vs. Ceramic vs. Metallic... What's the difference?
10-18-2009, 08:56 PM
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Organic vs. Ceramic vs. Metallic... What's the difference? I need new brakes. I'm going to buy the rotors from a fellow LS1tech member, but I need pads. Is there a big difference between the pads?
10-19-2009, 12:19 AM
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ceramic= minimal brake dust. Great for ease of cleaning, less noise, and smoothest.
Semi-metallic= Medium brake dust. Highest resistance to heat. Noisy when warmed up.
Organic= Greatest brake dust. Medium resistance to heat, often noisy.
Almost all performance brake pads are semi-metallic, EBC, Hawk, etc. etc..
If this is for a car that's going to be seeing heavy braking such as track use etc., go with a performance aftermarket pad like listed about. NOT DURALASTS! Pads like that will have brake fad the second time down the track!
If this is a casual commuter car, but you want a decent pad, go with something like a Wagner (O'reilly auto parts, Bumper to Bumper) or (NAPA GOLD?) I beleive that's their highest pad, which is also well suited for an "average" car.
Hope that helps.
Semi-metallic= Medium brake dust. Highest resistance to heat. Noisy when warmed up.
Organic= Greatest brake dust. Medium resistance to heat, often noisy.
Almost all performance brake pads are semi-metallic, EBC, Hawk, etc. etc..
If this is for a car that's going to be seeing heavy braking such as track use etc., go with a performance aftermarket pad like listed about. NOT DURALASTS! Pads like that will have brake fad the second time down the track!
If this is a casual commuter car, but you want a decent pad, go with something like a Wagner (O'reilly auto parts, Bumper to Bumper) or (NAPA GOLD?) I beleive that's their highest pad, which is also well suited for an "average" car.
Hope that helps.
10-19-2009, 07:55 PM
#3
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Duralast pads are pieces of crap. Every time I went down the Cajon Pass in San Bernardino/Devore or came down from Lake Arrowhead or Big Bear, I almost **** my pants. The moment those pads start to heat up, their fade is ridiculous.
10-20-2009, 06:03 PM
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There are 3 common friction material categories: Semi-mets, Low-mets, and NAO's (Non asbestos organics). Ceramic is really just a Marketing term. They are essentially NAO's. Low-mets are very common in Europe and will give you high output but are the dustiest. The 2010 Camaro SS and 2009 GXP have low-mets for example.
The majority of all new vehicles now use NAO's because of their low dust/noise properties. However, because they do not contain any steel (or very little) they are typically not used for high performance or heavy duty applications.
Semi-mets are not used as much by OEM's because NAO's can now offer similar stopping power with the added benefit of low noise/dust. However, some aftermarket companies may offer a semi-met option to replace a "ceramic" for the customer that is looking for better stopping power (i.e. towing). Semi-met pads have good fade resistance and output but tend to be noisier.
What I mentioned above generally applies to OEM friction materials. With aftermarket materials it is sometimes a crap shoot but you get the idea.
My advice would be to stick with the same type of material that was OEM and buy from a reputable company. If you want something different, each company will have an online catalog that will tell you what they recommend for your specific application.
The majority of all new vehicles now use NAO's because of their low dust/noise properties. However, because they do not contain any steel (or very little) they are typically not used for high performance or heavy duty applications.
Semi-mets are not used as much by OEM's because NAO's can now offer similar stopping power with the added benefit of low noise/dust. However, some aftermarket companies may offer a semi-met option to replace a "ceramic" for the customer that is looking for better stopping power (i.e. towing). Semi-met pads have good fade resistance and output but tend to be noisier.
What I mentioned above generally applies to OEM friction materials. With aftermarket materials it is sometimes a crap shoot but you get the idea.
My advice would be to stick with the same type of material that was OEM and buy from a reputable company. If you want something different, each company will have an online catalog that will tell you what they recommend for your specific application.
Last edited by BlackGT5; 10-22-2009 at 04:20 PM.
