Your car might need to be replaced with new brake pads and this might tense you. There are different types of brake pads, and which is right for you do not know. Therefore, how would you choose a brake pad which you do not know about?
You can by knowing all the different types of brake pads available in the market today. Moreover, you will be able to confidently select your preferable brake pad.
Your vehicle has pistons. These pistons push the brake fluid to compress the brake pad with the brake discs. Hence, it produces tons of friction which makes the car stop.
The brake system produces friction from kinetic energy. Moreover, the kinetic energy is transformed into friction making the car stop.
This article will guide you through some of the different types of brake pads, and which is right for you. Further, it will let you choose your brake pad wisely.
Different Types Of Brake Pads
Ceramic Brake Pads
Ceramic brake pads are made up of the ceramics you see in pottery and plates. However, they are far more durable and long-lasting. Further, these kinds of ceramics are made up of ceramic fibers. They are stacked onto each other. Moreover, filler materials, different types of alloys, and bonding agents are used too.
What led to the production of ceramic brake pads?
Brake pads undergo very high temperatures. Ceramics have a very high melting point making them very suitable for brake usage. Moreover, ceramics became very popular in recent years. They were made after the usage of semi-metallic brakes. Semi-metallic brakes are used to make squeaky sounds and unpleasant low-frequency noise.
Moreover, the semi-metallic brakes are used to produce lots of heat. We all know heat causes rapid wear and tear of the product. Therefore, the semi-metallic brakes are used to get less lifespan. Ceramic brakes offer very silent work and a better heat dissipation system mechanism. Moreover, ceramic brakes are cleaner than semi-metallic brakes. The rotors are less abrasive and last longer than other brake pads.
There are some drawbacks to ceramic brake pads. The cost of ceramic brake pads is high. Further, they are not used on performance vehicles and hard duty trucks. So now you know there are different types of brake pads, and which is right for you. Let’s dive into the next type of brake pad.
So now it leads us to the semi-metallic brakes.
Semi-Metallic Brake Pads
There are thousands of vehicles equipped with semi-metallic brakes on the road. Semi-metallic brakes are made up of compound iron along with copper, steel, and graphite. All of these are mixed to make an alloy.
Moreover, a mixture of different types of the alloy makes the metal very hard. Further, different alloys have different molecular sizes. This prevents the molecules from sliding past each other. These pads provide impeccable performance and better heat dissipation.
Metallic brakes are used for better durability and for heavier trucks. They are very resistant to brake fade and have a strong infrastructure. Further, the semi-metallic brakes are available in wide varieties. Therefore, you have the perfect brake pad for your vehicle.
The metallic brakes are reasonably priced compared to ceramic brakes. However, there are a few disadvantages of the semi-metallic brake pads. Sometimes, these brake pads can be very noisy. Further, it makes a squeaky sound found on the Aston Martin Valkyrie. Moreover, the brake pads produce a huge amount of heat.
This is harmful to the brake rotors. A high melting point makes the rotors melt easily. Thus, you have to change the rotors more often.
Now, let’s know about the Organic brake pads.
Organic Brake Pads
Organic brake pads are made up of carbon, glass, rubber, or even fiberglass. The fiberglass is mixed with heat-resistant resin for better thermal management and increasing the melting point of the material. This is because the brake pads undergo high temperatures due to friction.
However, organic pads have some downsides. It produces dust and is prone to faster wear and tear. Hence, you need to replace the brake pads very often. So this is one of the different types of brake pads, and which is right for you.
Asbestos Brake Pads
People used to make friction material with Asbestos in the earlier ’80s. Moreover, these kinds of brake pads had a very special ability to dissipate heat well. Now, let’s know more about the different types of brake pads, and which is right for you.
Thus, “resulting in better thermal management”. However, asbestos was poisonous causing cancer. It would potentially harm peoples in the surrounding area by mixing with air during wear and tear. Therefore, it had to be abandoned.
When Do You Need To Replace Brake Pads
The brake pads should last around 25,000 to 65,000 miles. However, several factors depending on the lifespan of your brake pad. Further, you should replace your brake pad with around 25% of its remaining life. There are some symptoms to understand that your brake pad needs a change.
- Unwanted squealing sound – Most of the brake pads have a wear indicator. It makes an unpleasant sound when you brake. Further, this will let you understand that your brake pad needs a change.
- Grinding Sound – This sound indicates the brake captured dust in the pads.
- Pulling – your car will turn in one direction during this situation.
Conclusion
There are several types of brake pads in the market. The material used matters the most. Further, it also depends on the type of car you have. There are ceramic brake pads, semi-metallic brake pads in the market today. Further, You can also go for the carbon-ceramic brake pads.
Moreover, These are much stronger than usual brake pads and tend to be very lightweight.
Aftermarket brakes are very confusing to buy. Always consider buying from an authentic car dealer. Or else you might end up buying something replica. There are different types of brake pads, and which is right for you, you know by now. Consider the ceramic brakes if you are a normal car user.
Go for the semi-metallic brake pads if you have a sporty car. At the end of the day, the more horses in your car, the better your brake pad needs to be. This is all from ‘different types of brake pad and which is right for you’ guide. We hope you will like our guide.