# Ceramic Brakes **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [July 18, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ceramic-brakes/73604 "2012-07-18T23:36:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grampy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a9adbd/32.png) [@grampy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/grampy)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ceramic-brakes/73604/1 "2012-07-18T23:36:31Z")
Is there a advantage to ceramic brakes over the standard brakes most shops install? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 11:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ceramic-brakes/73604/2 "2012-07-18T23:44:20Z")
They last much longer, produce less dust and cause less wear on the rotors. They also seem to reduce the shuddering problem that some vehicles are prone to. Unless you get ceramic racing pads, their stopping power is about the same as regular brakes. ---
**Author:** ![doubleclutch](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/doubleclutch/32/1281_2.png) [@doubleclutch](https://community.cartalk.com/u/doubleclutch)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 11:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ceramic-brakes/73604/3 "2012-07-18T23:52:35Z")
Are you talking about ceramic pads like NAPA gives you when you ask for the “good” ones or the very expensive ceramic rotors that are found on some high-end sports cars? ---
**Author:** ![grampy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a9adbd/32.png) [@grampy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/grampy)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 12:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ceramic-brakes/73604/4 "2012-07-19T00:10:35Z")
Ceramic pads installed on a Honda accord. Honda brakes in recent model years were just wearing out anywhere from 9k up to 20k. My mechanic must have realized this when he did the brake job at 32k,so the reason for ceramics Thanks, keith and doubleclutch ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 2:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ceramic-brakes/73604/5 "2012-07-19T02:54:31Z")
Instead of the pads wearing out, the rotors wear out…Why pay $20 for brake pads when you can pay $75?? ---
**Author:** ![oblivion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3ab097/32.png) [@oblivion](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oblivion)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ceramic-brakes/73604/6 "2012-07-19T14:15:33Z")
@Caddyman: Not sure it matters anymore. It seems like you have to have rotors replaced at every brake job these days anyway, no matter how early you catch your worn pads. ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Marc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@Big\_Marc](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Big_Marc)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ceramic-brakes/73604/7 "2012-07-19T16:21:23Z")
Ceramic pads our a softer pad compaired to a semi-met. pad the only then i ever noticed different about them if used on a car that had semi’s on as oem they work very well but the brake pael feels different meaning that my friends gf 04 Jeep grand cheerake she said the pedal felt soft. we put semi back on it and the pedal felt like it used to b4 we switched to ceramic. all different brake pads our a compermise . its all about what your needs are . ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ceramic-brakes/73604/8 "2012-07-19T16:36:20Z")
I’ve seen the rotors wear out with the semi-metalic pads…but NOT the ceramic pads. And the only time I ever saw rotors wear out was on GM products and my brothers 80’s Mustangs. Been using ceramic pads for several years now. Pads have been replaced twice…and the rotors are fine. ---
**Author:** ![doubleclutch](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/doubleclutch/32/1281_2.png) [@doubleclutch](https://community.cartalk.com/u/doubleclutch)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ceramic-brakes/73604/9 "2012-07-19T17:21:22Z")
I use ceramic pads on my cars and I usually replace the rotors every 2nd or 3rd set of pads. I find that the best grade of rotors at NAPA hold up well and do not warp. ---
**Author:** ![grampy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a9adbd/32.png) [@grampy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/grampy)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2012, 2:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ceramic-brakes/73604/10 "2012-07-21T02:46:01Z")
Thanks all Brakes function fine now. You have Re-affirmed my faith in my mechanic. ---
**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2012, 4:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ceramic-brakes/73604/11 "2012-07-21T04:02:20Z")
Doubleclutch, I’ve noticed the exact same thing. Ceramic pads don’t wear the rotors anywhere near as bad a semi-metallics, don’t leave a dark dust on my rims, and last as much as twice as long. I’ve been using them for years on my Ford Explorer, and found a source for my Supra (non-racing, professional grade ceramic pads from Raybestos). The Ford has had 3 sets of ceramic pads on them since I started using them, and haven’t had to turn the rotors once. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2012, 5:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ceramic-brakes/73604/12 "2012-07-21T05:07:46Z")
I’ve been doing brake jobs for over forty years. And here’s the rule of thumb. Always use the same brake materials that originally came on the vehicle. The engineers who designed the brake system spent many hours and many dollars to figure out what works best. When you deviate from this brake design, all you’re doing is asking for trouble either with brake performance or brake noise. Tester ---
**Author:** ![jesmed1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/jesmed1/32/2097_2.png) [@jesmed1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jesmed1)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2012, 4:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ceramic-brakes/73604/13 "2012-07-21T16:55:59Z")
Tester, I defer to your vast experience. However, I would note that (1) the engineers also designed with the attempt to minimize cost, and (2) advances in material science have made parts like ceramic pads available that weren’t around when cars of a certain age were designed. i haven’t tried ceramic pads myself, but based on this discussion I’d like to try a set next time around. ---
**Author:** ![galant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/77aa72/32.png) [@galant](https://community.cartalk.com/u/galant)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2012, 8:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ceramic-brakes/73604/14 "2012-07-23T08:37:22Z")
I put ceramics on my Camry and have had good result do far. The car came with Semi-metallic as original, but I know the SE model and also the Lexus equivalent have ceramics, so I guess if you pay more you get less dust. Since the rest of the brake system is the same, I wasn’t concerned over the ceramics not working properly.