Ceramic Brake Pads

I have a 2001 Camry LE V-6 with 44000 miles and it is time to replace the front pads. What is all the hype about the new ceramic pads that are out and will they work ok on my Camry?

-- Joe Golden

Reply to
Joe Golden
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As long as the pads are softer than the rotors or discs, it shouldn't matter. Steel disks may weill be indicated,....opinion only.

Jason

Reply to
Jason James

In news:ruYfb.137722$ snipped-for-privacy@news-server.bigpond.net.au, Jason James being of bellicose mind posted:

Ceramic impregnated brake lininings have been used in semi trucks for years, starting (I believe) in brake shoes. The advantage is their resistance to fade under very prolonged steady application (ie, long down grades). How the material would be formumlated and how well it would work in a light duty application like automobiles might be quite different.

Reply to
Philip ®

I just had the old brakes replaced on my '98 Camry, with the new ceramic pads. I also had to have the rotors replaced - the 'lifetime' metallic brake pads ate them up. My mechanic told me that the ceramic pads will be much easier on the rotors and last longer than the old asbestos pads but not as long as the metallic pads. Rotors aren't cheap so I went for the ceramics. So far they feel great - braking is nice and smooth.

NRJ "Plan?......... Ain't no plan!"

Reply to
Navin R. Johnson

I put ceramic pads on my 1999 Camry LE with new brimbo rotors. Our mechanic claims that ceramic pads help reduce heat, thus reduces the chances of warping your rotors. So far, I have been very pleased in that braking distance is still excellent and the rotors are holding up fine.

Reply to
Owen Funkhouser

In news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com, Navin R. Johnson being of bellicose mind posted:

Navin... you ate the bait, hook line and sinker. There have not been asbestos brake pads for many many years. "Metallic" pads have a small mixture of brass, iron filings, and copper in a rope fiber material. ALL brake pads that you can trust in mountainous driving WILL wear the rotor. The few that don't are the ones you smell burning up when you're in a line of cars going down long winding grades. Those pad materials are JUNK. These low metallic pads are ok for drivers in flat land states or who drive only in town. Pads with iron and ceramic powder or shavings in the parent organic material will fade less but be a bit harder on rotors when you USE the brakes frequently in mountainous driving. BTW, rotors on many economy Japanese cars are quite low priced.

Reply to
Philip ®

Thanks for all the replies.

Reply to
Joe Golden

I bought KVR 's Semi Metallic Carbon Fibre pads with Brembo rotors...no more brake fade....

KVRPerformance.com

Reply to
hlee

I would have laughed in your mechanic's face. Heat is a byproduct of friction and friction is what slows your car. That one friction material may require less pedal pressure than another to create the same level of friction varies ... as does the material's resistance to heat induced fade.

Reply to
Philip ®

Under what conditions do you think you encounter brake fade?

Reply to
Philip ®

When I stop from 120 Km to about 20 km in a few seconds...after heavy stop and go in traffic for an hour on a hot summer day...I have only ever felt it twice.

Also, I will hopefully be taking my car autocrossing one day for fun.....

Reply to
hlee

A firm stop from 75 mph (120 Km) is not sufficient to bring about brake fade with OEM brakes. Sorry. Summer days in stop/go/stop traffic will NOT EVER bring about brake fade.

When you brake hard AND long enough for smoke to issue out from the wheels ..... you have brake fade. The smoke will have a stench you'll never forget.

Reply to
Philip ®

OK fine, but what do you call it in my situation? Just crappy brakes? I would hit the brakes from 120 and after 3-4 seconds, my car just isn't stopping at the same rate it was initially...like around 70-60km, it's like I'm not hitting the brakes hard.

Reply to
hlee

And regardless whether or not I experienced brake fade or not, My brembos and KVR pads were cheaper than Toyota rotors and pads....

Reply to
hlee

Just FYI, I had ceramic pads installed along with new rotors a couple weeks ago. After reading some posts about brake fade I thought I'd test out my new pads on a mountain road close to where I live. I drove to the top of 'Penn View Mountain' then turned around and came back down. Usually I turn off the O/D and just coast most of the way down (1.5 miles) letting the engine slow me down but with O/D on I basically had to ride the brakes the whole way down - usually I pump but this was a test. The results: no smoke, no noise, no smell, no fade, no vibration. I even put it into neutral for the last quarter mile or so (which is a steep grade) and the ceramic pads felt the same as they always do, smooth and positive. At the bottom of the hill I pulled off to the side of the road and got out to see if there was any smoke or smell and there was nothing. If these pads don't chew up the rotors, which is one of the reasons I put them on in the first place, then I'm a ceramic man for life. Just my 2-cents.

NRJ

"Plan?......... Ain't no plan!"

Reply to
Navin R. Johnson

At 75 mph, you lose more speed per second than at 40 mph when you simply release the throttle. The reason is wind and rolling resistance are greater at 75 mph. So..... to maintain the high speed deceleration rate you had at 75 mph by the time you get down to 40 mph, you must .... increase your service brake pedal pressure. Follow me? So, you really have only a perception of brake fade. Like I said earlier, real brake fade has smoke issuing out from the wheels by the time you get the vehicle stopped (IF you get the vehicle stopped) and the stench from the smoke will be in your memory forever. This condition is pretty rare in passenger cars but not so in semi trucks not equipped with compression brakes.

Reply to
Philip ®

I just looked up "Penn View Mountain, PA" Elevation 2,160 feet. You call that a "mountain?" LOL Hehehhee. Unless that road drops to 500 feet above sea level in 1.5 miles, you don't have much of a need for ceramic brake pads. Come out west where there are 14,000 foot passes or California where there are some half mile down grades at 26%. But you're happy so who am I to laugh at that accomplishment. ;-)

Reply to
Philip ®

I went with the PFC Carbon Fiber Mettalic on OEM rotors. I will be replacing the rotors the next time I do the brakes on my 2000 LE with 51K miles. I drive in stop and go traffic every day, brakes are nice and smooth. Need to check my rear drums though. I hate drum brakes, they should have been done away with years ago.

Reply to
HG

Iguess I should have said that I live in the southwest and on a plateau of

Reply to
Joe Golden

Amazing. The brakes on my 2003 Corolla are a bit touchy. I drive in the mountains above San Bernardino quite often where altitude ranges from 800' to 8,500'. On this car, the OEM brakes are quite satisfactory and I do get them a bit toasty from time to time because I can smell a bit of HOT brake pad when I haul down to a stop after a long descent. Never had a real fade experience. I DO know from real brake fade having driven semi trucks OTR for 12 years. The pads are wearing well too. As for the drum rear brakes, they are well matched to the front discs when approaching a lockup so ... who cares whether disc or drum? Less complex and probably less unsprung weight with drum too.

Reply to
Philip ®

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