Which brake deal is the best?

It happens all the time. You’ve have been driving your car the last 3 months without any interruptions. In fact, the last time you took your car into a repair shop was for an oil change, just a little over 3,000 miles ago. And, the future looked bright, too. You were beginning to make plans. Now this! Your car isn’t working well. Now you have lost your piece of mind because life is terrible for you when you’re anxious about the condition of your car. What’s wrong with your car – you’re not sure. The brakes don’t feel right. It seems the pedal was much more solid before than it is now. You’re hearing a squealing noise when you drive down the road, and you also feel vibration when you apply the brakes. Sometimes, you also have a sickening sensation in your stomach when you apply the brakes and hear them grind and squeal, and feel them pull from side to side.

Yep! You knew it all along. The mechanic at the repair shop just verified it. Your car needs brakes. The ones you have are worn.

So, how do you return your brakes back to their “brand-new” condition and get them to perform the way they did when you first got the car? After all, you have had the car three years with no problems. You just want them to perform the way they were designed. Stop, with good pedal feel, no fade, and with no noise. It shouldn’t take a miracle. That’s the problem, that’s the complaint, now what’s the solution? There are four types of brakes available to you:

1) Semi-metallic
2) Non Asbestos
3) Low Metallic
4) Ceramic

Which is best for you, and your type of driving?

SEMI-METALLIC BRAKE PADS: have one of the better pads for stopping performance.
Their friction compound normally contains steel fibers in a hard resin matrix and it contains steel fibers, wire, iron, copper, or graphite all bonded together. These are one of the more durable pads, and they have exceptional heat transfer properties. The problem is, they may not perform as well when your vehicle is cold, they tend to be noisy, and they can wear down the rotors faster. Using this type of pad, though, gives you great stopping and anti-fade performance and long pad life. But you must be prepared to endure brake noise and shorter rotor life.

NON ASBESTOS ORGANIC: are the pads to use when you want quiet. This type of pad is made from various fibers: glass, rubber, carbon, Kevlar, and high-temperature resins. They are softer and produce the least amount of noise, but wear faster and create more brake dust. Their life may be short due to their inability to transfer heat, but they are usually the most economical. This is the type of pad to use when you want quiet brakes, and where stopping performance and brake fade is not critical. However, because of the excessive brake dust they generate they cause your wheels to get dirtier, and grimier, quicker.

LOW METALLIC NON ASBESTOS ORGANIC: pads have the same features as the non-asbestos organic pads with the exception of their brake pad compound. Their organic formula usually contains small amounts of copper or steel to provide better heat transfer capability. But, they are also slightly noisier and generate more brake dust. Use these pads, when you want the benefits of the non-asbestos organic pads, but with better braking performance.

CERAMIC PADS: These pads have been available for over 15 years. They’re made of ceramic fibers, small amounts of metal, bonding agents, and nonferrous filler materials. They are lighter in color, quiet, and cause the least amount of brake dust. They are also the most durable because they have the best heat transfer capability without creating wear on the rotors. Each manufacturer has their own separate formula, so each brand is different. Use this type of pad when you want excellent stopping performance, solid pedal feel, little brake noise, small amounts of brake dust, and long pad life. They are also the most expensive but your wheels stay cleaner, longer, because the dust they create is not conspicuous.

In addition to the four different types of brake pads there are also three different grades of pads for each of the four types. There are:

1) Premium grade
2) Standard grade
3) Economy grade

PREMIUM GRADE: Premium grade pads provide the best in performance, noise, and wear. They also have a distinct advantage. They are application engineered to the specific vehicle they are installed upon, providing better fit, less vibration, and better over-all performance. Premium pads are built to return your brakes back to their “brand-new” condition allowing them to perform as they first did. This gives you shorter, but superior stopping distance, fade resistance, pedal feel, and noise control. Premium grade linings equal the performance found in the linings of new vehicles.

These linings are great for those who want value and normal duty pads. They provide better wear than the economy grade.

ECONOMY GRADE: These are the linings for those who want a cheap fix. They do not provide durability, feel, or the performance of the other grades. They may not fit correctly, create excessive noise, and possibly fail sooner, causing additional wear problems to other brake components. You decide if it is worth the effort to buy inferior linings and replace them sooner than the other grades.

ROTOR FINISH: Another factor that is important for your brakes is rotor finish. New brake pads installed on rotors which have a poor finish, create brake noise. The better the rotor finish, the less brake noise you will experience. What’s a good finish? Typically, it’s 20 to 30 micro-inches RA, (roughness average). This type of finish minimizes noise, eliminates pedal pulsation, and extends the life of the rotors and brake pads.

So, what type of brakes is best for you? You decide! Should you buy a cheap set of pads and rotors that last 5,000 – 10,000 miles, or is it better to buy quality and have the brake pads and rotors last 40, 50, even 60,000 miles? What is the best bargain?

Beware, of advertised, low priced, brake jobs. What type of brake product are they providing? It doesn’t make sense to purchase inferior brakes, (even if they come with a lifetime warranty) and be forced to keep paying labor charges, and replacing other failed brake components caused by those inferior brakes. Its probably easier, more convenient, more economical, and safer, to buy the best brake components you can afford and which meets your driving