Switched To Ceramic Brake Pads
03-12-2011, 01:10 PM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
Switched To Ceramic Brake Pads
Just finished upgrading my 2011 GS to Hawk Ceramic Pads. Got tired of cleaning the wheels and 2 miles later looked like I hadn't touched them.
Took about an hour to do the left front....and about 5 minutes to do the right. Rears took a little less time. If it hadn't been for a battery powered impact wrench I never would have got the caliper bolts off. When removed, I noticed they had been Loctited on. Just got back from the bedding process and waiting for the brakes to cool. Getting ready to head out and enjoy the beautiful weather here in Charlotte today. Sunny and 68 degrees!
Took about an hour to do the left front....and about 5 minutes to do the right. Rears took a little less time. If it hadn't been for a battery powered impact wrench I never would have got the caliper bolts off. When removed, I noticed they had been Loctited on. Just got back from the bedding process and waiting for the brakes to cool. Getting ready to head out and enjoy the beautiful weather here in Charlotte today. Sunny and 68 degrees!
03-12-2011, 02:14 PM
#3
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St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13, '16-'17-'18
I changed to ceramics a year ago, in an attempt to stop squealing.
Worked for about a month then the squeal came back. On the other hand, there IS less dust
Worked for about a month then the squeal came back. On the other hand, there IS less dust
03-12-2011, 03:11 PM
#8
Instructor
Thread Starter
03-12-2011, 03:47 PM
#9
Le Mans Master
Good thing you mentioned this, as you can't run these pad's on the track, unless you're just putzing around. A guy in our track group tried this once, and barely made one lap before all braking was gone. His next day consisted of pulling everything apart and sanding all the glazed pad's/rotor's, so he could at least return it to the street. Hawk make's some nice track pad's, but the performance ceramic's are street duty only. Better you find this out now.
03-12-2011, 04:04 PM
#11
Burning Brakes
Good thing you mentioned this, as you can't run these pad's on the track, unless you're just putzing around. A guy in our track group tried this once, and barely made one lap before all braking was gone. His next day consisted of pulling everything apart and sanding all the glazed pad's/rotor's, so he could at least return it to the street. Hawk make's some nice track pad's, but the performance ceramic's are street duty only. Better you find this out now.
03-12-2011, 05:21 PM
#12
Le Mans Master
The stock pad's should be fine if not overly agressive on them. Maybe a little off base here, as my car's a ZO6 with a little more factory pad, and track's fine for my skill level. Your C6 having a little less brake, maybe worth considering a step up in the front pad compound. The guy I mentioned earlier on ceramic's knew better, but his track car broke, and tried salvaging some track time in his street C5. Guess we know how that turned out, and best none of us repeating it.
03-12-2011, 06:02 PM
#13
Burning Brakes
The stock pad's should be fine if not overly agressive on them. Maybe a little off base here, as my car's a ZO6 with a little more factory pad, and track's fine for my skill level. Your C6 having a little less brake, maybe worth considering a step up in the front pad compound. The guy I mentioned earlier on ceramic's knew better, but his track car broke, and tried salvaging some track time in his street C5. Guess we know how that turned out, and best none of us repeating it.
03-13-2011, 10:32 AM
#16
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I switched to the Hawk Ceramic's... I still get quite a bit of brake dust - I've only got about 400 miles on the pads so far - so maybe it will get better, but I doubt it.
03-13-2011, 03:47 PM
#17
the way to get rid of brake squeal can only happen a couple of ways. Best way is to put on new pads and rotors at the same time and coat both sides of the shims with ultra brake noise reducer from auto zone. You have to pop the shims off to get both sides. I don't care what pads you put on, if you don't prepare them the right way chances are you will have noise sooner or later.
03-13-2011, 03:50 PM
#18
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St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13, '16-'17-'18
the way to get rid of brake squeal can only happen a couple of ways. Best way is to put on new pads and rotors at the same time and coat both sides of the shims with ultra brake noise reducer from auto zone. You have to pop the shims off to get both sides. I don't care what pads you put on, if you don't prepare them the right way chances are you will have noise sooner or later.
Brakes still squeal more than Wisconsin public employees...
03-13-2011, 05:47 PM
#19
did you use new rotors? If not you will probably get squeal no matter how new or unused you think your rotors are. You could drive 50 miles and if you tried to put new pads on chances they will squeal. It's that touchy as far as brakes go.
03-13-2011, 06:00 PM
#20
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St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13, '16-'17-'18
(drilled rotors, BTW)