Brake Pads for Your Cars – The Best Ones and Why
When your car starts to make the squealing noise that you do not like, the most obvious solution is a brake pad replacement. Brake pads are metallic plates that have a covering or padding the presses against your rotors as you apply the brakes. Due to this, the wheels instantly stop spinning. To understand the pads better you need to come to terms with their history.
Brief History
Back when discs were new inventions, the padding on the pads was asbestos. There was not much wrong with the asbestos material in terms of braking, however, people later took into notice that asbestos dust can be a cause of lung cancer.
Therefore, asbestos-made pads became illegal, and manufacturers faced the problem of finding other materials as replacements. This led to the introduction of ceramic pads in the 1980s. Nevertheless, the ceramic brake pads were subject to horrible noises and dust. This led to other pad inventions such as organic brake pads, and metallic brake pads that each had their unappealing features.
Organic pads wore out faster, while the metallic pads became detrimental for the metallic rotors. As time progressed, advances in brake pad technology came to life, and this resulted in the introduction of ceramic pads that do not leave dust and do not make a disturbing noise when you apply the brakes.
Ceramic pads do leave a lot of noise, but it has a high frequency that you cannot hear. Ceramic pads compose of today compose of porcelain, clay, and bond to copper flakes and filaments. This mixture of materials allows them to stop the vehicle well, without making any disturbing noise. Not to mention, they can also last a long time.
Which Brake Pads should You Chose?
The difference between ceramic brake pads and metallic brake pads is the stopping ability. Semi-metallic brake pads can provide your car with a faster braking response. This makes them an ideal choice for people that drive sports cars, and racing fanatics. Cars that compete in racing use full-metal brake pads to further increase their braking ability.
Nevertheless, full metal brake pads are not something that you can use every day because they can wear down the rotors quickly. The best braking pads that you can find are carbon fiber pads. They offer the best braking ability and wear the least under a high-pressure situation. They are however extremely costly and difficult to find.
If you are an average car owner, then the best choice in terms of braking pads is ceramic ones. They are cost-friendly, last you a long time, do not cause wear on the rotors, and do not make too much noise. Picking out the best brake pads will depend on your personality, car, and driving style.
Another thing that determines the pads is the model of your car. Lastly, deciding on brake pad types at the time of replacement should now be easier for you.