What are Brake Pads and Types of Brake Pads
When you back out of your driveway or cruise along a freeway, you use your brake system frequently. Each time, the system deploys its various key components to ensure your vehicle stops quickly and safely. One of these major components is the brake pad. Located right between the brake shoe and brake drum, the pads are responsible for pressing the brake rotors and applying enough pressure to stop or slow down your car.
Brake pads that don't function properly do not effectively stop your car. These can also damage other important brake system components such as brake rotors or callipers. That's why maintaining brake pads is a vital part of safe driving as well as keeping your vehicle in good condition.
Types of Brake Pads
Organic
Organic brake pads are designed from carbon, glass, rubber, Kevlar, or fiberglass materials bonded using heat-resistant resin. These types of pads cost less than the other options and have quieter operation. They're also great at putting less stress on your brake rotors. The downside, however, is that organic pads produce a higher amount of brake dust and may wear down quicker.
Semi-Metallic
Semi-metallic brake pads are made from bonding iron, steel, graphite, and copper together. These pads offer excellent performance and are a more durable and cost-effective choice than other types. Semi-metallic brake pads are also cleaner than organic pads. Even though they are highly effective in dissipating heat, these brake pads are noisy and can wear out your brake rotors faster.
Ceramic
In recent years, ceramic brake pads have become quite popular because they exhibit a wide range of benefits. These are created from stacked glass ceramic fibres, bonding agents, filler material, and pieces of various metals. They are cleaner, quieter and longer-lasting than others. Compared to semi-metallic pads, they are less noisy, and reduce heat and brake dust. The biggest drawback of ceramic brake pads is that they come with a higher price tag than the others.