Pads for DD: ceramic or semi-metallic?

Time for front pads & rotors on my DD '05 Scion xB.

(No complaints, I'm close to 65k miles!)

Within a few dollars of each other are ceramic and semi-metallic pads. I have no idea of the pros and cons of either material.

Discuss.

First make sure you check what your rotors are compatible with. Often you can run one of these but not the other.

I've run semi-metallics, they're a lot like organics but a bit sharper and more noisy (and can take more heat before they get gooey, but that's probably not relevant). They might be frosty cold for the first few stops but it doesn't take much to warm them up. I'd say they're fine for DD'ing.

any rotor will take any pad. i've never heard of rotors being incompatible with a particular type of pad. however, each type of pad has its own pros and cons. semi-mets are typically noisier than ceramics. ceramics typically wear the rotor less than semi-mets. semi-mets are typically better than semi-mets in their ability to operate at high temps.

I have had good luck with ceramics (Akebono Euros specifically) on DDs. Both my BMW nd my Range Rover got them and they worked great. Stopped making the wheels black, were quiet, and worked better as they got hotter (the Range Rover was used for towing and the pads worked real good in that application).

For my BMW, this was the amount of dust after a month of DDin it and no washes:

Considering the stock type pads woud blacken the wheels within a week...

AngryCorvair wrote: any rotor will take any pad. i've never heard of rotors being incompatible with a particular type of pad.

Not quite, you're right that your average iron rotor can work with any kind of pad, but ceramic rotors require organic pads (which is what I had mixed up).

I'd go ceramic. OEM on the MPV was ceramic. I replaced them when they started making noise, but when I pulled the pads, they still had maybe 50% life left. I went ahead and changed 'em anyway, but wow! I'm not accustomed to brakes lasting that long, especially on a relatively heavy vehicle.

Oh, and naturally the replacement pads were ceramic, sourced from NAPA, and made (of all places) in Spain. Hey, at least it wasn't China, right?

Whatever the car came with, unless you're upgrading. If you're happy with the stock pads and their stopping power/longevity, I'd just replace them with those.

GameboyRMH wrote:

AngryCorvair wrote: any rotor will take any pad. i've never heard of rotors being incompatible with a particular type of pad.

Not quite, you're right that your average iron rotor can work with any kind of pad, but ceramic rotors require organic pads (which is what I had mixed up).

BRB, searching interwebs for "Scion Ceramic Rotors"

I got some Napa ceramics for my DD Civic a number of years ago. They are quite and man they have lasted forever and still have alot of life left. Now I'm curious to see how many miles they have. Maybe I can find the receipt.

I always thought ceramics wore the rotors more. I have used semi- metallics. More dust and sqeeky at the beginning of a drive, but a little less money

I would order factory Toyota pads myself. They are not that expensive and will probably outperform anything you can pick up at the autoparts store.

I bought from these guys many times and they always have great prices

www.toyotapart.com

J

Chris_V wrote: I have had good luck with ceramics (Akebono Euros specifically) on DDs. Both my BMW nd my Range Rover got them and they worked great. Stopped making the wheels black, were quiet, and worked better as they got hotter (the Range Rover was used for towing and the pads worked real good in that application). For my BMW, this was the amount of dust after a month of DDin it and no washes: [image] Considering the stock type pads woud blacken the wheels within a week...

What pad material did your car come with from the factory?

The OE pads on our 530i were organic and dusted like the business, but offered up excellent bite and pedal feel. I've put parts-store semi-metalic and now Akebono ceramic pads on the car since, but the car doesn't brake as confidently now. Dust be damned, I'm going back to OE pads with the next change.

Meh, sometimes I just overthink things. Turns out that NAPA has a combo pack of ceramic pads and rotors for less than almost any combo I can put together at Rock Auto. I'll pick it up tomorrow.

I've done that so many times. I usually have to have the wife get tired of me trying to save a nickel and she finds it as cheap as I am without the drama. It's a shame she sucks at finding anything uncommon.