which are better? does you have to have a certain rotor to run either metallic or ceramic pads?

i am going to do a brake job on my 97 burb this weekend.

 

Metallics, save yourself alot of headaches and get decent rotors. Trust me.

 

everything i am reading is say ceramic is the say to go???

 

I'm telling you, for a regular brake job, regular rotors (get the better of the choices given at the parts counter) and a good set of semi-metallics and you're good to go. Myself, I get Carquest but am sure others are good too. Carquest uses Raybestos made pads much if not all the time. Get pads with a warranty against noise and excessive dust. If you got the Carquest or Wagner pads, you won't be sorry. Bendix as well as others that are trusted names work good too. I personally don't see Ceramics any good or better than semi-metallics. I think they need a specific rotor, but in general are too hard and tear rotors to sh+t. I got Ceramics for mine originally, "only the best for my whip", ya, ended up to be twice the money for 10 times the squeeling headcaches, never again.

Do the search on Carquest "blue" and Wagner Thermoquiets, you'll see a different story than the ones you've read prior.

 

i agree with blue2000 go with metallic. ive run wagner thermoquiets on my last 4 vehicles and they are great. not much dust,soild feel and no squealing etc..

 

I use Napa Gold Ceramics and noticed alot less brake dust, but didnt notice any diffrence in stopping power even with Power Slot rotors. I also switched to 34 inch tires which probably negated the brake upgrade.

 

The ceramics I had gave a normal amount of dust, more as the squeeling started it seemed. The semi-metallics have almost no dust, no noise and stop the same for half the price and warrantied all the same. I gotta pick up another set for the rears in the coming weeks.

 

I agree I had a set of ceramics they got so hot one time I had a caliper piston chip they were the worst brakes I ever used

 

It's really certain stuff for certain vehicles, semi-metallics work great on pretty much everything but it's hit and miss with Ceramics or other materials for instance with other vehicles.

 

X2! 55,000 miles on them and have used about 50% of the pad.

 

Alright listen, important update from something I learned today. Originally I thaught I had ceramic pads that squeeled like crazy, not so. It was actually a certain semi-metallic or full metallic pad that I actually had. It was for the rear with a part number of GMD711. So today I'm talking to our parts guy, he suggests ceramics, I think he said they are a new type of organic this and that, so I kinda him and hah until I explain what I had and what they were like. Seeing the part number I had I said those were the ones that I had problems with. He said the metallics were harder on the rotors so I said I'd give these new ceramics a whirl. He said they were good, plus they are warrantied too for an extra 20 bucks over the proven good "blue" semi-metallics. I'm going to give them a try pretty soon and report back feedback on dust and noise. I'm one to give the benefit of the doubt and try new things so we'll see. I've never had these, BCD711 for the rears before so they might be great too. My fronts won't need doing for a while yet so the true test will be with them if the rears get the thumbs up. I also got new rotors for the back, the more expensive set which to me is good assurance.

 

I had ceramics on my last truck & they dusted.. So If my F150 needs pads eventually Metallic is the route i'm heading.

 

Good idea, the semi-metallic pads that I normally use work flawlessly, but I'm going to try these new pads. If they f-up, then they are warrantied so off they come and back to semi-metallic "blue" pads.

 

If you tow heavy/frequently don't go with ceramics.

 

are the factory pads ceramic or metallic?