Ceramic Brake Pads

Aeroboost

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 5, 2008
Location
Maiden
Forgive my ignorance...

YEARS ago; I put ceramic brake pads on the front of my car and they made the ABS act up. The thing almost wouldn't stop in low speed situations, like being in a parking lot, because the ABS immediately kicked in and started pulsing. After going back and forth with the parts house about the lifetime warranty; I put the regular ones on it, everything went to normal and I haven't touched ceramic pads since (that I know of).

So, fast forward about 20yrs and I'm going to put brakes on my daughter's car. The only thing I can find is ceramic.

Is what happened to me a fluke? Has anybody else had that happen? Has the potential problem been fixed?
I don't want to take this thing apart any more than I have to, and I definitely don't want to give her something that's not going to work.

Thanks
 
Coming from a full-time technician/shop manager/whatever the owner thinks I need to do today, I'd bet 90% of what we install are ceramic. Off hand, the only thing that gets semi-metallic pads are the 3/4 ton and up trucks, and maybe some of the older cars (80s and before) that ceramic isn't offered. I'm thinking your situation was a fluke. I am curious what type of car you had the trouble with.
 
BLarkin said:
Coming from a full-time technician/shop manager/whatever the owner thinks I need to do today, I'd bet 90% of what we install are ceramic. Off hand, the only thing that gets semi-metallic pads are the 3/4 ton and up trucks, and maybe some of the older cars (80s and before) that ceramic isn't offered. I'm thinking your situation was a fluke. I am curious what type of car you had the trouble with.
Click to expand...
It was a '96 Thunderbird.
 
I would bet fluke, but ceramic brakes can vary greatly. Our parts rep once told me that there is no standard, no regulation on what makes brake pads ceramic. Apparently you could have a huge vat of friction material and if you added a pinch of ceramic to that vat, you could sellas "ceramic pads". Just buy quality parts
 
I always replace with ceramic pads, I’m betting a fluke

I kept the cheapest parts store house brand pads on my crawler. They are way softer and don’t require getting up to temp for maximum bite.

Everything else gets ceramic pads
 
ABS shouldn't care what pads you run. Guessing problem was something else. Whacked a sensor when changing or something.
 
I'm as baffled as you. As well as everybody else.
but it happened...
'standard' pads fixed it. I never had that problem again in 21yrs of owning that car.

I ordered the parts last night. obviously got ceramic.
 
Maybe a different thickness and the varied pressures were playing with the ABS?
 
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