Brake pads ensure your safety on sudden stoppage while driving your vehicle. They should be durable, heat resistant, affordable, and less noisy. The ceramic and semi-metallic brake pads are pretty famous among users. In comparing ceramic vs. semi-metallic brake pads, which one will you prefer?
The semi-metallic pads have 30 to 65% metals of their weight, and the ceramic pads are made of ceramics. In the category of noise production, heat conductivity, and brake dust, ceramic brake pads perform better than semi-metallic pads. But the semi-metallic pads are more durable and have greater longevity.
When it comes to safety on a vehicle, you should not consider any compromises. Both semi-metallic and ceramic pads are great in real life. But choose one among them by a proper comparison.
An Overview of Ceramic Brake Pads
Ceramic pads are new in the market compared to semi-metallic brake pads. The solid ceramic compounds are embedded with copper fibers inside the pad.
So, they use metals with the primary ceramic compounds. That’s why it can resist higher temperatures and is an excellent alternative to metallic brake pads.
Pros
- Less noise production
- Dust from the pads don’t stick to the wheels
- Better longevity than other types
- Stable in higher temperatures
Cons
- A bit expensive
- Not ideal in cold regions
- Don’t absorb any heat
- Not designed for heavy-duty tasks
This article may help you, If you're interested more about ceramic brake pads,
An Overview of Semi-Metallic Brake Pads
Semi-metallic means there won’t be 100% metal in the brake pads. Typically, 30% to 65% metal is combined with fine metallic fibers, graphite lubricants, etc., to increase the stability and durability of the brake pads.
The thickness of the pads increases because of such a combination of different materials. It can also work as brake-cooling because the build materials can draw the heat from the rotor and transfer it to the surroundings.
Advantage of Semi-Metallic Brake Pads
- Excellent performance as brake pads
- Performance temperature range is pretty wide
- Ideal for cold regions
- Low compressibility
- Cheap than ceramic pads
Disadvantage of Semi-Metallic Brake Pads
- Produce noise within human hearing range
- Abrasive than others
- Extra effort in maintenance
Differences Between Ceramic and Semi-Metallic Pads
Both brake pads are pretty unique and have special abilities. Therefore, you will need some specific points to clarify the difference between ceramic and semi-metallic pads.
Build Materials
Obviously, there is a vast difference in their build-in materials. The ceramic brake pads are made of ceramic which is later embedded with some metals to increase its durability.
On the other hand, semi-metallic brake pads are made of 30 to 65% metals and later mixed with metals to provide a durable structure as a brake pad.
Durability
The ceramic brake pads are more durable compared to semi-metallic pads. That’s because the ceramic compound is already a compact and robust raw element for brake pads.
When it mixes with the metals, the structure becomes too strong. It also increases the lifetime of your brake pad. But the semi-metallic is less durable because of dust production.
Performance
Well, you can’t just judge brake pads performance without a proper vehicle. Their model and design can reduce or increase the brake pad’s performance.
If you have vehicles like trucks or cargo trucks, you should use semi-metallic brake pads. Regular drivers use ceramic brake pads.
Efforts On Maintenance
Your automobile needs maintenance within a certain period. Otherwise, they will start to malfunction.
As you know that the semi-metallic brake pads produce dust while running, you will need to clean those dust, or else it will reduce the pads’ friction. But the ceramic pads produce significantly less amount of dust.
Better Heat Resistance
Though ceramic brake pads last longer, they are better for heat resistance.
As the semi-metallic pads have large metals, they have relatively higher heat conductivity. Therefore, ceramic brake pads can easily resist more heat than others. That’s because of the combination of ceramics and metals in the brake pads.
Affordability
There’s no doubt that the ceramic brake pads are pretty expensive compared to the semi-metallic ones.
It’s because of their build process. It would be easy to build metal brake pads rather than the combination of metal and ceramics in a brake pad with standard proportion.
Noise Production
It’s one of the crucial facts to notice while getting a brake pad. Well, the ceramic brake pads win this round. The ceramic compound helps to absorb the noise and keep it under control.
On the other hand, the semi-metallic brakes create a significant number of noises that irritate people from the surroundings.
Suitability
The suitability will depend on your vehicle choice. But as the ceramic brakes provide less noise, less dust, and a wide range of temperature control during driving, they should be more suitable than semi-metallic ones.
But you can’t use the ceramic pads on heavy-duty vehicles. Therefore, the ceramic brake pads are behind in the race of suitability.
Choose Your Brake Pads
So, the question remains - which brake pads would you choose? Suppose you have a typical car, and you just want safety while driving home or to your office. The semi-metallic would be the best choice in that case.
But if you are a truck driver and need to go on long drives, the ceramic brake pads would be more preferable. Cost, maintenance, and other facts will help you to choose the most suitable one among the two variants.
Final Words
Safety first, last, and always. When it comes to the safety of your vehicle, you should not compromise, especially on brakes. Select the finest brake pads for your car.
As you have read the passage of ceramic vs. semi-metallic brake pads, you can now select a couple of brake pads for the car. Do your research correctly and remember that your life security depends on it. Stay safe, drive safe!
