I had my break pads replaced yesterday. I asked for ceramic pads and I was told that they weren't available for my model and year. I remember seeing something about ceramic pads on here in the past. Has anybody got any info about them?

 

I was told the same thing about a year ago. I just went with the NAPA heavy duty replacements.

 

the parts counter guys love to sell them, they r great at stoping, keeping dust down, and destroying rotors. I used them on my 99 and they cost me $$$ and a few busted knuckles replacing my rotors after 4 months of wobble wobble stops.imho semi metalic bendix mkd's have lasted way longer and r half the price.

 

I agree! While they dust less and make less noise then metallics/semi metallics, they retain the heat for longer periods. In addition,ceramics tend to fade more during heavy use and towing, which may lead to them failing completely. That is why ceramics are not usually recommended for trucks.

 

running akebono ceramics right now. got 25,000 miles on them no issues with the pads or rotors.

 

If a vehicle does not come stock with ceramics and you replace the original pads with ceramics in nearly every case it just eats the rotors up. I believe that there is a different material used in the rotors for ceramic pads when they come stock. Taking metallics off and replacing with ceramics just does not get the desired result.

 

i would think ceramics would be dangerous if tow. They heat and burn then lose stopping power. I will deal with the dust over an unsafe brake on a large truck. Thats probably the reason parts store dont sell them. Rotors are not that pricey

 

I agree! It is always a best practice to match ceramic pads or any high quality premium pad with premium rotors containing properly designed vane configurations. This will not only increase air circulation and dissipate heat more quickly, but dampen noise-producing vibration as well.

The bottom line is less heat and vibration equate to less noise and pad wear, while increasing total brake effectiveness.