Ceramic Brake Pads and Drilled and Slotted Rotors

My '97 Eb is coming due for Pads and perhaps Rotors. has anybody used the ceramics yet and drilled and slotted rotors ? Parts are cheap labor isn't so I always look for the best when it comes to parts. What are the thoughts of the group ?

Reply to
Stephen M. Gluck
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If you plan on running Watkins Glen or slowing down runaway freight trains, they'd be a good idea.... for normal driving, I'd stick with stock type rotors and premium pads. I doubt that you'll find many occasions where enough heat is generated in your braking system to warrant the added costs.

Reply to
Jim Warman

Steve,

Just because you need pads doesn't automatically mean that you need rotors. In all likelyhood, unless you feel some pulsing in your brakes, the rotors will be perfectly fine for continued duty. Just check that they meet minimum thickness specs and slap on some new pads. Do *NOT* turn the brake disks. The reduced thickness will have them warping up like a potato chip in no time and then you *will* need new rotors. The new pads will seat into the shape of the worn disk surface in a very short time.

Ceramic pads are OK, but much more expensive. They will do the job. You'll get less dust, longer wear and better gas mileage due to a lighter wallet.

OTOH, slotted or cross-drilled rotors are *not* for you. They are for racing application (or racer wanna-bees) where you build up gasses between the pads and rotor surface. The relieved area gives the gas a place to escape. They are more likely to crack and/or warp under normal use and should therefore be avoided. They will wear your expensive ceramic pads down faster due to the reduced contact surface area. They also are considerably noisier and often result in a slight grinding noise in use.

Personally, I like Raybestos PG (Pro Grade) pads and disks. Good price, good performance.

YMMV,

-Fred W

Reply to
Fred W.

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