Do Ceramic Brake Pads Wear Rotors Faster?

If you are considering switching to ceramic brake pads, you might be wondering if they will wear your rotors faster than the traditional material. This blog post goes into detail about how each type of pad wears down a rotor and offers advice on how to care for them properly.

How does Ceramic Brake Pad Wear Down a Rotor?

The Impact of the Braking Action- The key to brake wear is in understanding how braking works. When you push down on your brakes, your vehicle’s kinetic energy converts into heat and sound that dissipates from the system, making the car stop.

Types of Brake Pads

Traditional brake pads are made out of a metal and organic material, typically either asbestos or silicone. The friction between these two materials creates the heat that is needed to cause the brakes to work. It also wears down your rotors over time in order for them to be effective at slowing you down when necessary.

Now there are 4 common brake pads in the market.

#1 Semi-Metallic Brake Pad

Semi-metallic brake pads are typically made up of a combination of metal and semi-metal materials, such as copper. The friction between these two different types of material creates heat that is needed to cause the brakes to work.

Semi-metallic brake pads are said to be durable and dependable. They do wear down your rotors over time to be effective at slowing you down when needed, but they typically last longer than other types of brake pads.

Semi-metallic brake pads are the most expensive type on the market today and usually come with warranties from their manufacturers that range anywhere from 12 months up to 24 months.

#2 Non Asbestos Organic Brake Pad

Non asbestos organic brake pads are made up of semi-metallic materials, such as copper and lead. Organic-inorganic compounds that have been added to these types of brake pads include silicon dioxide or calcium carbonate which helps provide the material with a ceramic-like feeling at low temperatures.

This type of brake pad is said to be softer and quieter than others. However, they are also known to be less durable.

The trade-off for this increased wear is that the pads will “self-clean” as they heat up when braking, in comparison with other brake pad types which can become coated with carbon from their use and develop a softer surface over time.

#3 Low-Metallic NAO

This type of brake pad is made of inorganic composite material with low metal content.

Auto experts said that this combination of material helps this pad transfer heat better, leading to better braking.

One drawback of this type is that they may be more expensive than other types and they’re noisy.

#4 Ceramic Brake Pads

A ceramic brake pad is made of a mixture of filler materials (like copper) and ceramic fibers. As of this combination, ceramic brake pads are quieter.

It is cleaner and lasts longer than other types of brake pads. Its braking is excellent too.

Do Ceramic Brake Pads Wear Rotors Faster?

Among other types of brake pads, ceramic one can be said to be a premium one. There are many advantages of ceramic brake pads such as the quiet and clean braking.

However, there is one disadvantage of it that ceramic brake pads wear rotors faster. Why is it the case?

One of the main roles of the pad is to absorb heat, but materials like ceramic and copper that are found in some ceramic brake pads can’t absorb much heat as they should. The unabsorbed heat is transferred to other parts of the braking system, causing them to wear and tear faster.

The bottom line is ceramic brake pads are very durable but they wear rotors faster than other types of brake pads. Mechanics said that ceramic is best not used in cold climates and for racing.

Ceramic Brake Pads Wear Rotors Faster: The Conclusion

It is proven that there are many advantages of using a ceramic brake pad, but it also has certain disadvantages such as wearing rotors faster than its counterparts. There will be no problem if the wear and tear happen over a long period of time, but it will be disastrous if you’re in an emergency situation.