There's so much information I'm a little confused. From what I have read, ceramic pads have less dust and are quieter, and semi-metallic pads have more dust and are noisier, but they stop better.

I have read that ceramic pads wear out the rotor faster because they don't hold much heat which means that heat has to be taken on by the rotor which can cause warping.

I have also read that semi-metallic pads, not ceramic, are actually the ones that wear the rotor faster and cause them to warp.

While less dust is very appealing, I'm mostly concerned with my rotors. I don't want them to wear out or warp.

I picked up some ceramic red pads from carquest, but I'm thinking about exchanging them for semi-metallic. Thoughts?

 

There are three types, or grades, of break pads. If you use a standard rotor you want to get service grade brake pads. These are mostly ceramic pads. Prostop and Raybestos are good brands.

If you get harder brake pads other than service grade, they will warp your rotors.

If the brake pads you picked up from carquest are service grade, I would stick with them.

If you want to upgrade your pads, you also have to upgrade your rotors to bi-metal or ceramic rotors.

 

Your rotors job is to take heat away from the pads. It acts like a heatsink for the pads. I've never had a problem with buying ceramic pads with new rotors. But I'm also the type of person who will replace pads and rotors as a set (unless the one or the other is very close to new) but normally as a set. I push ceramic pads at work as best as I can and not because they're the most expensive, but because I've had very few people return any of our ceramic pads.

With that said, I have semi-metallic all the way around on my car. However, when it comes time to do the fronts again, I will be going ceramic with LS1 caliper upgrade. Also, if you buy some type of disc brake lubricant and stick it on the back of the pads and the caliper pins, you won't have squealing.

 

I'm not sure if the pads are service grade or not. I have stock rotors. I just walked in and asked for brake pads. They were about $26. How can I tell if they are service grade?

 

I don't want to buy new rotors. I think my old ones are still pretty good. Plus I really don't have the money. I just don't wanna put a pad on there that's going to warp or wear them down. I'm really afraid these ceramic carquest pads will mess up my rotors. My car is a 1995 3.4 btw.

 

For $26, they are most likely service grade. You can go to Carquest and ask them. And/or let me know what exactly you have and I can try to look it up on line.

 

MKCoconuts made a suggestion of replacing your rotors with your pads which is a good one.

Ebay has Brake Motive drilled and slotted rotors which are very good and there inexpensive. I don't what to use the word cheap, but the don't cost a lot. I have them on my car and they are really good. So long as you use "service grade" pads with them.

 

CARQUEST - Product Information:Red Pad - Inventory Closeout--While Supplies Last!

These are the pads I got. You don't think ceramic will warp my rotors though? I'm not gonna replace the rotors now.

 

Check the rotors before you put the new pads on. If you can't replace them now, see if you can have someone turn them down for you, as it's the next best option. Short of that, I'm not sure how the ceramics are gonna react with a used rotor since I've never done it before.

 

I went to the Carquest site and I couldn't find mush about them. They should be fine but I would stop by a Carquest shop and ask them.