Ceramic brake pads

[DIYspanner]

Just curious!

For those using them, are you getting any benefit from them compared to OE pads?

I've read improved braking and less wear of pads and rotors are the gains.

 

[JohnD]

I had some to keep the wheels cleaner.

Not noticed any other difference.

 

[Burnerman]

I fitted some of these to a neighbours Lotus Exige and then took it for the MOT......all I noticed was the brakes initially had very little feel or retardation but once they became hot they were really quite savage.
I also noticed the discs weren't the usual grey iron things but looked rather like an aluminium composite, so goodness knows what that was. Maybe they were ceramic too!
John

 

[fixitflav]

I fitted some of these to a neighbours Lotus Exige and then took it for the MOT......all I noticed was the brakes initially had very little feel or retardation but once they became hot they were really quite savage.
I also noticed the discs weren't the usual grey iron things but looked rather like an aluminium composite, so goodness knows what that was. Maybe they were ceramic too!
John

The aluminium is just a coating, the last few I've fitted had it. Older ones were coated with anti-corrosion grease-type stuff which needed washing off. The aluminium coating rubs off after a few miles, big improvement.
I thought brake pad friction material was always ceramic since asbestos was banned. Perhaps there's some development I'm not aware of that OP is asking about.

 

[Burnerman]

https://www.elise-shop.com/elisesho...6.html?zenid=3c6b168be4a7b7c1a5d8d0d6ccdf2839
These are the discs that were fitted - some sort of aluminium compound.
The story - the guy, who works overseas, used the Elise in the winter here and put it away without hosing the salt off. He asked me to fit some new pads all round which he supplied.
I had one hell of a job releasing the calipers as the pads had bonded heavily into the alloy discs courtesy of the salt but eventually they came away, leaving a heavily etched area where the pads had sat. I was able to rub the discs down, or at least take the step off, with emery but a test run showed the brake pedal to be bouncing quite badly. I had to drive - read thrash - the thing for around 100 miles before the car was behaving and the brake pedal bounce significantly reduced for the MOT which it passed.
An awful car! Noisy, cold and uncomfortable but by hell it could grip the road!
John

 

[Mottie]

I had to drive - read thrash - the thing for around 100 miles...

You poor thing, it must have been awful for you! Looking at those Lotus discs, it’s only the centre bell that is an aluminium compound - the actual discs are a much harder material.

Many discs come nowdays sprayed with an anti-corrosion coating all over that looks like aluminium. The first few miles wipes the coating off of the friction area and what remains keeps the disc looking good. I fitted new discs all round on our Evoque at the same time a couple of years ago from the same manufacturer. The rears were coated but the fronts weren’t (old stock I think). You can see the difference.

 

[Burnerman]

Yes, I like to fit the coated ones myself if I can get them.
However, these Lotus discs were pretty old and worn but the material was definitely alloy / ceramic / whatever compound as it turned the brown emery cloth to silver....the owner did tell me the name and they cost a fortune but I've forgotten what it was. The discs were surprisingly soft!
I never knew the disc centre was called the bell
John
PS the Elise must be one of the easier cars to MOT - all the brake pipes are hidden underneath the alloy floor skid (Providing you can get out of the thing in the first place )
J.

 

[DIYspanner]

Perhaps there's some development I'm not aware of that OP is asking about.

The reason I asked about ceramic pads was because of this video. The fella has worked on the spanners for decades and some of videos on his channel are interesting. His manner may not appeal but he's informative.

 

[fixitflav]

The reason I asked about ceramic pads was because of this video. The fella has worked on the spanners for decades and some of videos on his channel are interesting. His manner may not appeal but he's informative.

Thanks for that, very interesting and informative. Seems therr's more history than I thought. For an American, I didn't find him too grating!
I've noticed discs need replacing more often than they used to. Not sure about needing the ultimate stopping power of the discs, I'd have thought stopping distance more likely to be limited by the tyre/road adhesion.

 

[Stivino]

The guy presenting that video must be a lot older than he looks. He says that brake discs were just being introduced when he was young. That must make him about 120 years old.

 

[fixitflav]

The guy presenting that video must be a lot older than he looks. He says that brake pads were just being introduced when he was young. That must make him about 120 years old.

He said disc brakes (though you can't have them without pads!) They came out about 1970 for popular cars, maybe high performance jobs had them a bit earlier. So he could be about 70 yo. I'm 74 and I remember working on drums and discs around then.

 

[Stivino]

He said disc brakes (though you can't have them without pads!) They came out about 1970 for popular cars, maybe high performance jobs had them a bit earlier. So he could be about 70 yo. I'm 74 and I remember working on drums and discs around then.

I edited that, I meant to write discs.
He's still not old enough to remember the introduction of disc brakes on motor vehicles.

 

[fixitflav]

I edited that, I meant to write discs.
He's still not old enough to remember the introduction of disc brakes on motor vehicles.

OK, checked the history. I suppose he was talking about the time discs became common.

 

[Nige F]

He said disc brakes (though you can't have them without pads!) They came out about 1970 for popular cars, maybe high performance jobs had them a bit earlier. So he could be about 70 yo. I'm 74 and I remember working on drums and discs around then.

BMC 1100/1300 range had them from the 60's (1963? )

 

[Nige F]

The reason I asked about ceramic pads was because of this video. The fella has worked on the spanners for decades and some of videos on his channel are interesting. His manner may not appeal but he's informative.

Scotty Kilmer - excellent guy. I just watch with subtitles and no sound