Ceramic vs. Metallic Brake Pads

Ceramic brake pad materials are made up of ceramic compounds and copper fibers. This allows for a quicker recovery after stopping and better heat resistance. Ceramic brakes keep the dust, heat fade and wear on the rotors to a minimum. Ceramic brakes can be used for most any applications from the family car to the race car. Metallic brake pad materials are made up of steel material fibers, but they show more dust and a slower recovery after the stop. Beware, there are some companies who are making a cheaper ceramic brake pad by using organic materials mixed with the ceramic compounds. These are less expensive brakes with very little performance or quality. According to most mechanics, the ceramic brake not only meets and exceeds the required OEM standards, it performs much better than metallic, semi-metallic or "semi-ceramic" pads.