Posted: 11/11/2012 6:06:59 PM EDT
|
Looking for some recommendations for ceramic brake pads. They are going on a 98 Dodge Ram 1500 4wd. I put some Friction Master ceramic pads on the last time. I love the fact that they don't black up my wheels, but they just don't seem to have the same stopping power that the regular factory pads had or the NAPA pads I put on there after that.
I will also be replacing the rotors at the same time. Any reasonably priced brands to buy, or brands to avoid. Thanks. |
| On my Ram Ive had good luck with Hawk pads. I dont remember which version though. On their site they should have a breakdown of their different lines and denote which ones are 'low dust'. I last used the low dust version and found them to have fine stopping power. |
|
Almost all of the ceramic pads offer reduced stopping power compared to a semi-metallic or performance semi-metallic pad. Hawk's web site shows that their HPS street has better stopping power versus their Ceramic. Tirerack's site compares Akebono, Centric, and Hawk pads as well and the Super Duty truck Hawk pads would be your best choice. FWIW I have Hawk HPS street pads on my Crown Vic and on the rear of Cobalt SS Turbo, and they leave almost no dust, and the dust is a light tan color. There's no noise either, but I used brake pad grease on the backing plates. I find that they need some heat to work better, but they're not horrible in the cold either. |
| I've used Bendix and store brand ceramic pads, stopping ability is slightly reduced (I guess, an F150 traveling at 60mph or so wont exactly stop fast, no matter what). Both left little to no dust which is what I was after (OE brakes turned my wheels black within 1 day). |
|
I generally dislike ceramic pads. Regardless of claims of "equivalent" performance, they just fall short in real world applications. Initial bite is often lower and real stopping power may require additional pedal pressure.
I'm a fan of performance based semi metallics for street use. They dust like crazy and they wear faster than ceramics. But they perform very well under extreme conditions and are quite predictable. They also require lower pedal pressure than many ceramics. Lets look at this another way. If your car/truck was designed for semi metallic pads, you will probably be less satisfied with ceramic stopping performance if you simply swap over. If your ride had ceramics as original equipment then the differences have been accounted for in the design. This may include larger rotors, higher pressures and different sized pads. If you tow or carry heavy loads, and/or you have oversized tires, stay away from ceramics. You will push as hard as you can on the brake pedal and the pads will reach the friction limit rapidly. This will result in you, your truck and your 27 foot fishing boat going right through the red light. In this case, it really is difficult to beat a high performance semi metallic. A company called carbotech makes incredibly powerful pads. Swapping from ceramics to XP8 pads is a stunning change indeed. |
| I always recommend OE for brakes at least for the pads the pad is the most important piece thats what creates the friction. I recommend OE pads and downtown rotors you will get the most bang for your buck youll pay a little more for OE parts but they are worth it they are quieter and they ride a lot smoother. |