That is the million-dollar question for many people, and the answer is. You pay more for brakes because the brakes are made out of different materials.
Depending on the material that the brakes are made out of will decide how much brake dust those brakes create, how quick you can stop, and their durability after repetitive stop and go movements.
This all sounds easy enough to understand; there is so much more that comes into play when looking at your brake system.
So let’s take a minute and dive deeper into your brake system and how paying more for your brakes can help your vehicle in the long run.
How do brake pads make the braking system work?
Knowing how a brake system works on a vehicle will help you troubleshoot any problem that you have when it comes to the brakes.
So how your brake system works is when you press on the brake pedal that energy is then amplified by your brake booster that is in your engine bay fastened to the firewall on the driver side.
The energy amplified by the brake booster moves the piston inside the master cylinder which then forces the brake fluid out of the master cylinder and into the brake lines.
Once the brake fluid is in the brake lines, it travels to each wheel and forces itself into the brakes which in turn activates your calipers using the brake pads to create friction on the brake rotors causing you to stop.
Sounds easy enough. Without the brake pads being in an operational status, the vehicle would not be able to stop quickly. Also if the brake pads are worn down substantially your brake pedal can feel mushy.
This is an excellent indication that not only are your brakes needing to be serviced, but you have waited too long to get the brakes replaced that there is a high chance that you have damaged your brake rotors, which will need to be replaced now as well.
Keeping your brake fluid topped up in between the two fill lines on the brake reservoir will keep your brake system working great.
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What is the difference between the brake pads?
Now I don’t know how you and your family tried your vehicle, but my family and I are going on constant road trips. We love seeing the country, and in the mountains, the forest, and the ocean it is all amazing.
But with all of this traveling our brakes go through an iron man competition. They will get extremely hot and start rumbling in the mountains after a repetitive stop and go movements.
This makes me cautious because I want my family to be as safe as possible. So the question came to my mind what the difference between the brakes is?
When looking at your brake system, most people only think of the brake pad itself, but this isn’t all of the brake system. Your brake system is composed of multiple parts that all work in coordination with each other to give your vehicle a pleasant steady breaking process that still keeps the comfort in the vehicle itself.
Let’s start with the brake pads themselves, what are our options with brake pads, how are they different from one another, and what is the price difference between each option.
Semi-metallic
Many people have metal brake pads because they are the cheapest. They are also the brake pads that give off the most brake dust while braking with the vehicle.
These brake pads are made up of multiple pieces of metal. These metals are broken down and compounded into a brake pad then that brake pad is put on to a shell and you have yourself a brake pad.
A significant advantage of using these brake pads though is that this option performs very well in low temperatures.
Low metallic
This option is known to be very noisy while driving, and this option emits the most substantial amount of brake dust out of all possibilities.
Research has shown that the copper or steel that it makes up these brake pads help very well with transferring the heat away from the brakes and provides additional help with the braking process.
Ceramic
Can you guess what these brake pads are made up of? If you guessed pots, plates, and other ceramic materials you are correct! These brake pads are the most expensive out of the options we have, but they are also the highest performing brake option on the market.
These brake pads do not emit much brake dust at all and last longer than the semi-metallic option. This option is not very loud at all and is known to outperform its competitors.
With this option being put on heavy and high performing vehicles, the manufactures did put some copper strands in the brake pads to assist with breaking. Remember in the breaking process friction is our friend and copper makes a lot of friction.
But when it comes to friction if the brakes do not cool the rotors calipers and brake pads down then the he that is created from the breaking process will affect other parts in the braking system.
That is when upgrading your rotors comes into effect, but we will talk about those in a little bit.
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Organic
Made up of Kevlar, rubber, glass, and fiber these bricks are known to be quiet. But when there’s always a great advantage like that is a disadvantage and that disadvantage is these organic a brake pads wear faster and then its competitors and they produce a lot of brake dust.
The crazy part is over 60% of auto manufacturers put organic brake pads on their vehicles when they are leaving the factory.
The auto manufacturers did say that using a vehicle for your regular commute to and from work, and organic brake pads would be an excellent option for you. Also, unlike its competitors, organic brake pads do not put as much stress on the brake rotors as its competitors.
This is an advantage because brake rotors are quite expensive if you have to keep replacing them, every time you change your brake pads.
Where should I get my brake pads from?
Amazon, Pepboys, Advanced Auto, Oreillys, and Autozone. These are only a few companies that provide automotive part solutions to the industry. But there are so many options that we can choose from.
The ideal solution would be to look at the price, warranty, and how quick can we get these brake pads delivered to us. Just a tip, you need to make some rules for your auto part store.
If they consistently mess up your order or take too long to get your part in, then, they are being counterproductive to what we are trying to do here, and you need to let them go. Which store have you found is the best option for you?
Do you find that the staff is the most helpful at one place over another? I take into consideration the price, warranty, and how quick can you get me the right part.
I will stop going to the establishment that I get parts from if they mess up on my parts too much. You need a part solution person that is mechanically inclined and can get you the right part the 1st time you ask for it.
A great example would be I had to get a hydraulic hose made for my regular job, and these hydraulic hoses are made out of metal strands and rubber coating on the outside of the line.
I had to replace a hose, so I took it to the hydraulic hose shop, and the person at the calender looked at the hose and said do you want the same hose?
I said yes please, and he said oh we can’t do this; we do not carry plastic hoses…. I was dumbfounded from his comment I picked up the hose and walked out. I have never returned to that establishment because it is not the correct parts solution I require.
So make sure you do the same thing with your part solution auction, and you will have years of correct part orders for all of your projects.
The reason for that example was to give you an idea of things you need to look out for when ordering your brakes. The last thing you want is to get back to your shop or home and find out you have the wrong brake pads and components.
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How does my driving experience change from the different brake pads?
With the different brake pads on your vehicle, you are going to notice the noise and the friction that you get through the brake pedal. Also, a good tip is that if your brake rotors are a little rusty and you hear some grinding or noises coming from your brakes as soon as you start and move the vehicle.
Do not worry; this is your brake pads taking the rust off of the surface of your brake rotors and is entirely normal. A significant difference between two of your brake pads is and also one of those options will require you to compress your brake pedal a lot more than the other.
These brake pads have competed with each other for years and years. I am talking about the metallic verse the ceramic brake pads.
Many race cars and performance drivers chose to go with the metallic option. This is because the metallic brake pad because of its compound is made up of metal this brake pad can disperse the heat from the friction created from the braking process a lot quicker than the ceramic option.
Also in high temperatures, the metallic option performs much better than the ceramic. You are going to tell the difference in your brake pedal of which brake pads you are using at that period the metallic option does not compress as much as the organic brake pads.
That means less pressure is needed to have your vehicle stop successfully and increase the ability to stop even quicker.
Do I need different brake rotors if I don’t use the factory brake pads?
You do not have to have different brake rotors because you are using aftermarket brake pads. The brake rotors work in conjunction with your brake pads to increase the effectiveness of your brake pads.
The brake rotors play a crucial role in our braking system and understanding their role will not only keep you safe, but it will also keep your vehicle safe.
There are four different types of brake rotors, and each one is different than the other. So here are your different brake rotor options and what makes each one different than its competitors.
Regular OEM
This is the brake rotor that comes with your vehicle straight from the factory. It is smooth and has a plane surface.
There are no additional holes, markings, or slots that are put into this brake rotor. These brake rotors can be found quite cheaply online and will usually save you some money from ordering locally.
Cross Drilled
With this option, the brake rotor is going to have holes drilled throughout the rotor. These drilled holes will provide additional cooling to the rotors in the brake pads while driving.
Drilled and slotted
This option gives us the best of both worlds. We have the holes drilled throughout the brake rotor. Also, we have slotted lines through the brake rotor as well.
The slotted lines will not be going all the way through the rotor but more of a pit to create additional air canals while driving.
These slotted lines will provide cooling to your brake system and in increasing the performance and durability of your brake system.
This option of brake rotor does cost extra and is often an aftermarket upgrade to your vehicle unless you are purchasing a high-end performance vehicle.
Diamond slotted
Diamond slotted is precisely that, there are slots in the brake rotor that provide ventilation to the brake system while in motion. It is a straightforward yet effective design that auto manufacturers have been using consistently across higher-end vehicles.
Do you have to use a specific brake pad for the different brake rotors?
No, you do not have to use a specific brake pad for each rotor. You need to pick the brake pad that matches your style of driving and the requirements that you are looking for from your vehicle.
If you are looking for a high-performance vehicle and you need to stop quickly, then you need a metallic brake pad. If you want a show car and you
will not be racing around and stopping swiftly, then you need to look at a ceramic brake pad.
That way there is the least amount of brake dust being emitted from your brake pads. The least amount of brake dust will help the time that you spend on detailing your vehicle.
So you need to ask yourself what style of driving are you meaning and what do you want from your vehicle, this will tell you what brake pad to have and which rotor you want it on.
How long does a brake system last for, before needing replacement parts?
With the brake pads, there is a difficult question to answer. Due to everyone having different driving skills and habits. Brake pads are supposed to last for 25000 to 65000 miles is the average lifespan of a brake pad.
But of course, this all depends on you and your driving habits. If you stop quickly, just stuck in stopping go traffic, or if you have a heavy foot.
All these things can affect the lifespan of your brake pads. There are some people the can go 70000 miles plus with the same brake pads without is due to them not needing to stop and go often.
Usually, when you see a person, the has high mileage and has not changed their brake pads it is because the distance is highway mileage. Where’s the rest of the brake system it all depends on your maintenance interval.
With your brake rotors, their lifespan reflects from your brake pads lifespan. If you leave your brake pads on when they are low, and the squealer tabs already have broken off.
Then there is a good chance you will have to replace your brake rotors as well because the brake pads have scoured the rotor. This repair is in direct correlation to your Scheduled maintenance intervals.
If you never check your brakes, then your brake pads are going to take out your brake rotors, and that is going to double the price of the repair. Also making sure that you have enough brake fluid and that your brake fluid is not dirty can help your brake system last even longer.
What does brake dust do to my wheels?
Most people believe that their brakes are failing because they have brake dust on their wheels. This is not a problem; brake dust is a sign that your brakes are doing what they’re supposed to be doing and that is stopping your vehicle.
When your brake pad comes in contact with your brake rotor it where’s the pad of the brake pad down. When it does this, it emits the dust of the particles from the components of your brake pad.
Many people believe that brake dust does not hurt anything and you can have it sit on your wheels for as long as you like. But the truth is you need to clean the brake dust off of your wheels thoroughly at least every week.
This is not because of the metal that is in the brake dust. But because as vehicles change in our present-day automotive world. The cars are becoming lighter, and we are looking for more ways to be better for the environment.
We are still working on that by some of the things that make up your brake pad can be corrosive to your wheels. Just like salt is corrosive to Chrome wheels we need to wipe off the brake dust when a good amount accumulates.
This should not be a chore or something to dread because your vehicle is an investment in you. So make sure you take care of it so it can take care of you.
Can I reuse any part of my brakes?
Yes, you can reuse a part from your brakes, sadly it is not the brake pad. The part that you are able to reuse is the brake rotor. There is a stipulation though if the rotor is damaged too much because you let your brake pad wear down too far and it damaged the rotor then you are not able to reuse the rotor.
Rotors are supposed to be changed when you replace the brake pads. By if the rotors still have a fair amount of face on them then you can get it resurfaced at a machine shop and reuse the same rotor.
Always make sure that your brake rotor is not warped before attempting to reuse it. Other then the brake rotor and brake pad the rest of your braking system does not have to be replaced, besides the brake fluid. Taking care of your brake system is vital to taking care of your vehicle.
How much would I pay to have my brakes installed?
It all depends on if you are getting all of your brakes done and how many axles you have. This will help with the math in deciding how much it is going to cost.
Rotors usually cost $30 to $70 each, and pads will run you $5 to $40 a pair depending on which ones you get. Labor is going to be another $50 to $250.
So overall it is going to cost you between $100 to $500 depending on the shop that you take it. If you have never changed your brakes before and want to save that money from paying a shop, have replaced them for you. I suggest you watch one of our how-to videos in replacing brake pads and rotors.
In conclusion
In conclusion, we have found how to use our brake pads and braking system effectively. We have also learned about the different components in the braking system and how it works.
So hopefully you have learned something to better your knowledge about your vehicle and how you can save yourself money on the maintenance.
Remember, the faster you go, the quicker you need to stop, so make sure your brakes are taken care of at all times to protect yourself and all others around you.
Thank you for reading my article! I hope you enjoyed it and found it beneficial as well to find the right brakes for your vehicle! Check out my Youtube channel and subscribe for more DIY Auto repair and flipping cars for profit videos! Thank you again!
