'97 F150 - 15-20K miles annual driving - mostly suburban roads, about 2K miles/year towing 1500 pound boat.

Went 75K miles on original pads/rotor.

Finally due for a brake job - went to an independant shop (not a chain) - agreed to go with ceramic brake pads.

Had vibration on braking after 8K - (about 5 months later) - shop thought rotors were bad - replaced them free.

Another 8K (6 months later) , same problem developed with vibration on braking - shop cut rotors, pulled ceramic pads s and put on semi-metallics.

Said they were having a lot of problems with all vehicles and ceramic pads.

 

 

i put raybestos ceramics on my 97 150 about 10,000 miles ago. Perfectly quiet, no dust and smooth stops.

 

The problem was the rotors he used. Some better ones mated to those cermic pads would have been much better.

 

I had a bad experience with cermaic pads also.I replaced the original pads with ceramic put about 15k on them and they began to squeal a bit. Took the vehicle back to the dealer and they said the hardnesss of the ceramic pad scorched the rotor and the rotors could not be cut due to the damage from the ceramic pad!
I went back to Ford pads.
Dont get me wrong the ceramic pads were great before they squealed.
I guess i needed to step up to a better set of rotors

 

shawnp, ceramic pads are softer than metallic. The rotors were scored (probably) by the original pads i.e. the rotors were nearly shot when you replaced the original pads.

 

actually, ceramic as a substance IS harder than metal.

Case in point, you dont grind ceramic with a metal grinding wheel. Its the other way around.

Where metal is forged and cast, ceramic is created through vitrification, whereby clay is melted into tiny glass posts that hold individual ceramic grains together.

Ceramic and abrasives wear by having the small bits of grit break free from these small glass posts, revealing a fresh piece of grit.

Any softness you see is actually weaker vitrification. That causes the pad to eject grains faster.

 

i didnt say ceramic as a substance is harder than metal. i said ceramic brake pads are softer than metallic brake pads.

 

The Ford pads are ceramic.

 

confusion about brake repairs occurs when people replace the pads and shortly after develop rotor problems. there is a strong tendency for many people is to blame the new pads for scoring the rotors. in my experience, that is not true. The rotors were marginal and should have been replaced simulatenously with the pad replacement. some brake shops compound the problem by selling cheap cheap pads knowing the customer will return and buy new rotors, and a quality pad the customer should have bought on the first visit. Moral of the story is dont count on reworked (milled, or having your "rotors turned" ) rotors to last very long. Replace pads and rotors for best results, especially if the vehicle is high milege, driven hard or pulled heavy loads. And when you install new pads and/or rotors, take the time to break them in slowly. If you dont, brake pads will glaze, rotors can warp from overheating,etc. Make about 10 easy stops from 30 mph and park for 30 minutes. Repeat the process once more from about 40 mph (easy stops). Avoid hard stop or hard braking for first 1000 miles. Dont use brake dust caps (the kleen brake covers that keep dust from coming onto the wheel. the covers cause the rotors to heat up and warp).

 

also, many people are aware there are metallic, semi metallic and ceramic brake pads but dont realize the importance of quality brake parts. i wouldnt scratch my butt with some of the "quality" brake pads sold by the chains. If they have a "replacement for life", then many times those are the crappiest pads you can ever find. go to a parts store, dont buy the cheapest pad and buy a good to excellent quality pad. There is a Large Difference. I like raybestos quiet stop ceramic, but if in doubt, i would buy ford motor co pads from the dealer.