Ceramic Pads ??

Geoguy · May 29, 2009

Anybody have better luck than me using ceramic pads? I put new rotors and ceramic pads on the dakota last year. I tried the ceramic pads because I, also was tired of brake dust all over the wheels. They seemed OK at the time but I don't drive the dakota much any more (my son drives it now). I drove the truck a few weeks ago and couldn't believe I put the kid on the road with such crappy brakes - hell!, I thought I was going to have to open the door and drag my feet! The ceramic pads were hardly worn but they just didn't grip. So, I went back to semi-metalic (Wagnors bought at Advance) and they seem to stop much better. I told the clerk I had tried ceramic pads and now I wanted some that stop.

Do ceramic pads work for the rest of you guys?

Forgot to add - it's an '03 Qad Cab.

70Cuda383 · May 29, 2009

Geoguy said:
Anybody have better luck than me using ceramic pads? I put new rotors and ceramic pads on the dakota last year. I tried the ceramic pads because I, also was tired of brake dust all over the wheels. They seemed OK at the time but I don't drive the dakota much any more (my son drives it now). I drove the truck a few weeks ago and couldn't believe I put the kid on the road with such crappy brakes - hell!, I thought I was going to have to open the door and drag my feet! The ceramic pads were hardly worn but they just didn't grip. So, I went back to semi-metalic (Wagnors bought at Advance) and they seem to stop much better. I told the clerk I had tried ceramic pads and now I wanted some that stop.

Do ceramic pads work for the rest of you guys?

Forgot to add - it's an '03 Qad Cab.

I always thought the ceremics would stop better?:huh:

did he ride the brakes or push the truck too hard...making the pads hot and glazing them over?

hskrRT · May 29, 2009

Just say no to ceramic pads. Think about it. What causes brake dust?? The pad material wearing off during normal stopping. If the pads aren't wearing and causing brake dust, then how can they be working?? I've never had good luck runnig cermaic pads. I actually cracked a set of Powerslot rotors running them. They build up heat faster and hold it longer leading to brake fade and possibly hot spotted rotors. They don't wear away the pad material as quickly meaning there isn't as much friction and friction is what makes brakes work. I will never put another set of ceramic pads on any vehicle I own.

70Cuda383 · May 29, 2009

you don't nesecarilly need brake dust to have effective brakes.

the brakes can also be effective by turning your kenetic energy (moving vehicle) into heat engergy. ceremic dissipates heat VERY well. that's why the space shuttle is covered in ceremic tiles for re-entry. that's why ceremics don't make brake dust, they create heat, not dust. as long as your rotors are not plugged up with rust scale, they will also be able to effectivly shed that heat, as long as you're not pushing the vehicle like it's a race car on a road course. stock rotors and ceremic pads are capable of handling the heat created by normal driving. if you push the vehicle hard, then you should consider upgrading your rotor to a cross drilled/slotted rotor that can shed heat better than a stock rotor

xbxjunkie · May 29, 2009

i'm running slotted rotors and ceramics with no issues so far, installed them 2 weeks ago

hskrRT · May 29, 2009

70Cuda383 said:
if you push the vehicle hard, then you should consider upgrading your rotor to a cross drilled/slotted rotor that can shed heat better than a stock rotor

I highly disagree from personal experience. Any cross drilled rotor in the stock size will not work on our trucks and WILL crack from use. Our brakes are undersized from the factory and barely adequate. I've ran four different brands of cross drilled rotors and all four have cracked using everything from ceramic to semi-metallic pads. My current brake package is EBC slotted/dimpled rotors with Reybestos brute stop semi-metallic pads and it stops better than any other rotor/pad combo I have ever used.

Kota33 · May 30, 2009

I installed ceramic brakes about 25,000 miles ago and they are squeaking like crazy now...they can't be done already, can they?

Not having brake dust is a plus.....but now I wash the truck less. Atleast the dust gave me a reason to wash my baby.

kota360 · May 30, 2009

I'm running Ceramic pads on a '04 Ram 1500, towing a boat regularly, with no problems at all. The truck stops excellent, and love the no dust deal. In the winter they squeak a little a first fro the salt, but after one application, no more noise. Highly recommend them.

9t9-5.2 · May 30, 2009

hskrRT said:
Just say no to ceramic pads. Think about it. What causes brake dust?? The pad material wearing off during normal stopping. If the pads aren't wearing and causing brake dust, then how can they be working?? I've never had good luck runnig cermaic pads. I actually cracked a set of Powerslot rotors running them. They build up heat faster and hold it longer leading to brake fade and possibly hot spotted rotors. They don't wear away the pad material as quickly meaning there isn't as much friction and friction is what makes brakes work. I will never put another set of ceramic pads on any vehicle I own.

A bit of a contradiction.
The by-product of friction is heat.

hskrRT · May 30, 2009

I'd rather have brake dust than hot spotted or cracked rotors due to excessive heat build up from running ceramic pads. If they were that great then they'd be used on race cars and installed from the factory on all high performance cars, but realistically, race cars run softer pads because they provide better braking and less heat.

6115 · May 30, 2009

I went from duralast gold with stock rotors on my 29" tires and it stopped like shit and I warped the rotors.
I now run performance friction and napa premium rotors, had them on for the past 20k with 32" tires, squeaky but they stop a lot better then the old set up, even with big tires.

Ceramic Pads ??

Geoguy

70Cuda383

hskrRT

70Cuda383

xbxjunkie

hskrRT

Kota33

kota360

9t9-5.2

hskrRT

6115

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