So it is that time for our family vehicle to have its brakes done and we are at a crossroads. I want to put cross-drilled rotors with ceramic pads on our Chrysler Town and Country, but what is the difference between regular brake pads and the higher end options?
Brake pads are a vital part of your vehicle, just like the old saying goes, “if you go fast, you must be able to stop fast as well.” This statement hit the point right on the head, not saying we speed excessively but you get the point.
You want to be safe in your vehicle and what better way than to have great brake pads on your vehicle. Now I am not saying you must have the top-shelf Brembo brakes on your Fiesta. We have three different options in brake pads, and those are organic, ceramic, and metallic.
I have to be honest; I thought there were only two options until I started researching brake pads. What I will show in this article is the top 5 essential reasons to pay more for your brake pads, so read on and let’s find out these reasons.
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Road Noise
Road noise is a significant deciding factor for me when it comes to which brakes I will choose. With all of the driving that my family and I do on highways, the last thing I want to hear is the hum of the brake pads. Each brake pad is different, and since you have three options to choose from, you have an excellent selection.
Organic is made of various fibers, rubber, kevlar, and carbon; all of this is held together by resin and has been very popular ever since it took over the automobile industry.
Did you know that around 70% of all new vehicles have organic brake pads? They are the cheapest selection, but that comes with the disadvantage that the organic pads have a short lifespan. They are quiet and smooth on the rotors, so that is a plus for these brake pads.
The ceramic brake pads are the newest addition to the brake pad family. They are known to be quieter than the metallic brake pads, and a nice plus for this selection is that it emits fine brake dust that doesn’t stick to wheels!
That is a plus because who wants to drive around with their vehicle looking like it drove through a coal mine. Last but never least is the metallic brake pad option, this is the option we have on our van right now, and I must say I am not a fan.
These are the loudest option you can choose from, and they produce a lot of brake dust due to their ingredients it consists of which is copper, steel, iron, etc. So that answers which one I am leaning to so far, have you seen one that stands out to you?
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Time of Wear Down
This was one section that I was not surprised at all. The Organic is going to have the least amount of wear on the rotor, ceramic is half and half, and the metallic option wears the rotors the worst out of all three options.
I was not surprised because of the things that make up these three options. Organic is made up of rubber, carbon, kevlar, and mixed with various fibers. While the ceramic variant is made up of ceramic materials like the ones, you would make a pot out of and bake it in a kiln.
With the metallic option being made up of various metals is going to wear your rotor the worst. Did you know that a brake rotor on a commuting vehicle gets to 392 degrees Fahrenheit?!
Driving Conditions and Climate
For climate use, I saw that ceramic would not be a wise choice in a freezing climate. With metallic and organic being your only options in cold climates. Driving condition leaned towards the metallic option, due to its ability to perform when it is cold. The other two choices had to be warmed up before they could perform well.
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Performance
Now down to business, how are these brake pads going to operate when we need our vehicle to be running at its finest. Let’s start with pedal feel because I don’t want to have to push my feet to the ground like Fred Flintstone to be able to stop my vehicle.
From what I saw in the research I looked into, the organic brake pads are going to give you that squishy pedal feeling. This feeling reminds me of the time when your brakes have gone out….I am not comfortable with that, are you?
Well, the Ceramic pads are going to give a very tight pedal feeling. Have you ever driven a vehicle that just got its brakes done? You barely hit the pedal, and you smack into the dash, yeah I don’t know about this option.
With the metallic option being the equal medium between the two. Now with the temperature, these brake pads can get to, because we might be doing some severe driving and we have to be ready.
With this order, it came in Organic being the lowest temperature it could handle with ceramic coming in second and metallic being able to handle the highest of temperatures due to its metallic compounds it combines.
Watch the thickness of your brake pads, they need to be changed every 50,000 miles or when the friction material reaches ¼” thickness. Do not let it wear down more than that to prevent brake rotor damage.
Mileage
Now it is excellent that you have the performance, climate, wear down the timeframe, and your brakes will do all this quietly, but how long will they last?
No one wants to buy a set of brake pads every weekend especially since a set of Ceramic brake pads run $50 a set on average. That would be quite a bit of money over a year.
So this is what I found on the mileage of each brake pad option. Automotive
shops say to change your brake pads every 50,000 miles. Mechanics say brake pads last between, get this… 25,000 to 80,000 miles…..wow thanks for narrowing that down there guys.
Can you tell though how many miles a brake pad will last, no matter its physical makeup because everyone drives different? A teenage kid will not drive the same as your Great Aunt Ruth.
So the best way to tell how long your brake pads will last is to check them every 25,000 miles until you find your driving pattern. If you find yourself breaking hard and your brakes only last 40,000 then get them changed and see if you do that mileage again.
If you do, then you know on average how long your brakes will last that way you can plan for it in your preventive maintenance.
Did you know that when your brakes start squealing, that is your wear indicator on your brake pads saying it’s time to change them? So make sure you do not break that tab off when installing your brakes, it could save you some serious money.
Brake Dust
Brake Dust consists of the remaining elements of your brake pad. Depending on what the brake pad is composed of will decide how much brake dust you have coated your tires.
Organic and Ceramic leave little to no brake dust on your rims because of what they are made of. Unlike the metallic option which consists of various metals that once the friction starts in the braking process.
This friction creates static electricity that charges the dust of the brake pad, and it sticks to the first metal thing they come in contact with…..which are your rims.
Also, the metallic option has the most brake dust out of all three options as well, so that is a significant disadvantage for them.
In Conclusion
So, since we know all the reasons now for paying more for our brake pads, we can make a sound decision. We need to pick the right brake pads that we are using our vehicle for.
My family and I travel a lot by taking road trips so the organic brake pads will not work for us, and neither will the metallic because of the road noise it creates. We are going to go with the ceramic option due to road noise being a significant point for us and the climate that the ceramic pads can withstand as well.
Which brake pads are great for you and your family? Go through each point and see which options best suit your needs and wants of your vehicle.
If you commute only with your vehicle, then go with the organic option, since that will save you money each time you go to change your brake pads.
They are the cheapest, which is a great advantage for that option. Look at the list and make the right choice for your needs; by doing this, you will ensure you and your family’s safety while you drive in your vehicle.
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