Choosing The Best Brakes For Your Vehicle And Purpose
Choosing the best brakes for your vehicle can make a big difference. What’s the difference between Carbon ceramic, organic, and metallic brakes? Which is best for your car and your driving style? It all depends on what purpose you need them for. Let’s have a look at which brakes will suit you the best.
Carbon Ceramic Brakes Pads
Carbon ceramic brakes are the newest and lightest on the market. They really look great and also tend to last longer than other brake types. Despite this, they are not necessarily the best option if you’re wanting to time on the track with your car. This is because they degrade faster if you’re too hard on the brakes. Excess heat build-up also tends to degrade them. Ceramic brakes will generally perform well on the track but may not last as long as you expect depending on your driving style. Make sure you consider the importance of track services for race days if you’re planning to head out on the track. These services will ensure your ceramic brakes are ready for action on race day. Carbon brakes generally don’t do as well in colder climates and will take a while to warm up. While they may be ideal for performance braking, they’re not the most practical for every day driving. They also cost substantially more than metallic brake pads.
Organic Brakes
Although organic brakes may not offer the same level of braking performance that ceramic brakes offer, they are nevertheless strong and reliable. Made from natural materials such as glass and rubber, they generate a moderate amount of friction and can withstand high heat. If you enjoy taking your performance car out on the track now and again, then organic brake pads may not be the best option for you. They tend to take a bit later than metallic or carbon brakes and not may not be as responsive as you would like.
Metallic Pads
Consisting of either steel, iron, copper, or other composite alloys, metallic brake pads are fairly common around a large selection of vehicles. They offer great braking performance over a wide range of temperature variations. Metals are generally good conductors of heat and so they manage to withstand a large amount of heat. They also don’t compress as much as organic brakes which means that you don’t need to press as hard. The main downside of metallic brakes is that they are noisier and dustier than ceramic and organic brakes. They also tend to inflict more wear and tear on the rotors. Make sure you keep your brake rotor maintenance in check. If you’re looking for performance brakes that will last on track days, but don’t want to pay the price of ceramic brakes, then metallic brakes are a great option for you. For instance, a Brembo steel brake kit is a third of the price of a Brembo carbon brake kit. Price is definitely worth considering.
As with anything else on a vehicle, brake maintenance and performance is really important to be aware of. If you’re still unsure about which brakes you should go for or how to best maintain them, chat to us at Foreign Affairs Motorsport. We’ll be able to give you the best advice about which brakes are best for your vehicle and driving style.