Do you need ceramic brake pads?
What kind of brake pads does your vehicle require ceramic, semi metallic, or organic?
Semi-Metallic Brake Pads:
Semi-Metallic brake pads have been around for a long, long, time. What are semi-metallic pads made of you wonder? A mixture of organic or synthetic fibers plus certain metals all molded together. These brake pads offer proven longevity, reliability, and are cost effective.
Typically the semi-metallic brake pads that we offer Plainfield, Naperville, Bolingbrook, IL, plus all surrounding suburbs at our auto repair shop include a lifetime warranty.
Here are some of the pros & cons of using semi-metallic brake pads:
Pros:
• Semi-metallic pads work great in the cold & are excellent for short trips.
• Semi-metallic brake pads are available for light to heavy-duty applications.
• They’re less expensive than their ceramic brake pad cousin.
• They typically don’t wear rotors like ceramic brake pads.
Cons:
• They’re usually louder than ceramic brake pads. Hence more noise.
• Rims get dirty. As they produce more black dust that happens to stick to wheels.
• They typically don’t last as long as ceramic brake pads do.
Ceramic Brake Pads:
Ceramic brake pads are considered the latest in brake pad technology and have been around since the 1980’s. Ceramic brake pads meet or exceed all original equipment (O.E.M.) standards for durability, stopping distance plus noise to say the least.
Wondering what ceramic brake pads are made from? A mixture of ceramic compounds and copper fibers in place of the semi-metallic pad’s steel fibers. Hence this allows the ceramic pads to handle high brake temperatures with less heat fade, they also provide faster recovery after the stop, and then also generate less dust and wear on both the pads and rotors. In the long run this will help your brakes last longer. Hence less money spent on brake parts and service.
Here’s a quick breakdown of their pros and cons:
Pros:
• They’re quieter than semi-metallic pads.
• They create less dust, hence your wheels stay cleaner.
• They last longer than semi-metallic’s by far.
Cons:
• They’re not recommended for racing or heavy-duty applications.
• They’re hands down more expensive than comparable metallic pads.
• They cause more wear to brake rotors than metallic’s do.
Organic Brake Pads:
Organic brake pads were originally manufactured using asbestos as a friction material. Hence asbestos is a good material for absorbing and dissipating heat. But when asbestos brake pads breakdown, they create dust like any brake pads and asbestos dust is dangerous to your health. Hence this is one reason for there downfall and the reason that there not used like they use to be. Organic pads are still out there, but just like brake fad they are slowing fading away.
Newer organic brake pads are made from safer materials such as kevlar, glass, rubber, as well as resins. Another downside of organic brake pads is that, because they’re softer, they wear faster. As they wear, they create more dust than other types of brake pads. Hence another reason there not used as much is because of how dirty they make your wheels. The dust creates a black coating that sticks to aluminum wheels, rims, tires and is sometimes very difficult to remove.
Pros:
• Organic pads minimize brake rotor wear. Hence rotors last longer.
• Organic pads deliver solid braking performance.
• Organic materials don’t pollute as they wear.
Cons:
• Organic dust sticks to your wheels.
• Organic pads wear quicker that other pads.
• As they wear, they create more dust than other types of brake pads.
Need your brake pads replaced? Last Chance Auto Repair is a brake repair shop in Plainfield, IL, that has been servicing brakes for the local area that includes the towns of Bolingbrook, Naperville, Romeoville, all surrounding Chicago South West suburbs and beyond since 1978.
When it comes to brakes, repair, service, plus maintenance our team is your local #1 choice dealership alternative that you can trust plus afford. Do you know what kind of brake pads your vehicle needs? Give us a call at (815) 577-0327, were here for you.