20K+ Mile Road Test/Product Analyses on Carbotech Ceramic Brake Pads
03-27-2013, 01:57 PM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
20K+ Mile Road Test/Product Analyses on Carbotech Ceramic Brake Pads
First of all, I do not work for, hole stock in or am I connected with the manufacture of Carbotech products.
I picked up my 2012 GS Centennial from the NCM on September 7, 2011 and by the time I drove it back to Fort Worth I could see the OEM pads had to go……they were way too much of a dust maker. I started doing a search for a dust free pad or one that didn’t dust nearly as much. This is when I ran across “Carbotech Adam” on the CF selling Ceramic pads. After some reading and emailing to Adam, the Carbotech “CT 1185R-S” Ceramic pads sounded like a good choice. Here are my results;
All findings are based on 2012 GS OEM pads with 2K miles Vs. Carbotech 1185R-S Ceramic (one piece) pads with 20K+ miles (both pads have mostly Hwy miles, no track use).
The Wear Factor; interestingly, both pads had the same amount of wear, about .030 average. BUT the Ceramic pads have over 10 time more miles than the OEM’s, that figures out to a concretive life expectancy of 200K+ miles for the Ceramic’s….way more than I will ever put on the car.
The Rotors have about .010 wear with a few lines developing because of the “holey rotor” design. Personally, I am not a fan of holes in the rotors, just because of the this. When the time comes, they will be replaced with slotted rotors.
Peddle/Brake/Stopping; when I first installed the pads I thought I could feel a difference in the peddle but didn’t want to jump to any conclusions influenced by what I had read or been told. This past weekend I did a track day(s) with my club at Motorsports Ranch (first time with this car). Knowing that the Ceramic’s would not hold up to the heat induced by continuous hard track braking, I change them out for the OEM pads. This confirmed what my right foot was feeling within a few stops. The ceramic pads have a higher initial grip or bite, resulting a bit less foot/peddle pressure….this I like! As far as stopping distance; I do not have the equipment to accurately measure the difference between the pads but the ceramic pads tend to give the allusion that they do stop quicker.
Dust; I would guess the dust is about 80 to 90 percent less than the OEM pads. I clean my wheels about every 3 weeks now instead of every 3 days.
Breaking them in; FOLLOW the directions!!!! Clean the rotor off with a Scotch-bright pad or seal wool, then bed the pads as directed. This will cut down or eliminate any brake squeal. I had one wheel that took a little extra effort to make it shut up but after a few hundred miles all was quiet.
PRO’s
Great peddle feel, I give an A+; I love the light touch of the Carbotech Ceramic pads, even after heavy canyon carving, the peddle feel never changes.
Wear factor; I give an A+ here too, probably the last set of pads you will ever buy for your car.
A whole lot less brake dust, I give’m an A- I was hoping for zero, but I think we all know that is next to impossible in a performance street pad.
CON’s
Price; $500 for all 4 corners BUT considering how long they will last I have to admit they are very cost effective. Remember, you get what you pay for!
Not able to hold up to track day use; BUT I’m not willing to trade off any street performance or peddle feel to gain track use.
Bottom line; would I buy them again…..You Betchum Red Ryder, in a New York second!!!
I picked up my 2012 GS Centennial from the NCM on September 7, 2011 and by the time I drove it back to Fort Worth I could see the OEM pads had to go……they were way too much of a dust maker. I started doing a search for a dust free pad or one that didn’t dust nearly as much. This is when I ran across “Carbotech Adam” on the CF selling Ceramic pads. After some reading and emailing to Adam, the Carbotech “CT 1185R-S” Ceramic pads sounded like a good choice. Here are my results;
All findings are based on 2012 GS OEM pads with 2K miles Vs. Carbotech 1185R-S Ceramic (one piece) pads with 20K+ miles (both pads have mostly Hwy miles, no track use).
The Wear Factor; interestingly, both pads had the same amount of wear, about .030 average. BUT the Ceramic pads have over 10 time more miles than the OEM’s, that figures out to a concretive life expectancy of 200K+ miles for the Ceramic’s….way more than I will ever put on the car.
The Rotors have about .010 wear with a few lines developing because of the “holey rotor” design. Personally, I am not a fan of holes in the rotors, just because of the this. When the time comes, they will be replaced with slotted rotors.
Peddle/Brake/Stopping; when I first installed the pads I thought I could feel a difference in the peddle but didn’t want to jump to any conclusions influenced by what I had read or been told. This past weekend I did a track day(s) with my club at Motorsports Ranch (first time with this car). Knowing that the Ceramic’s would not hold up to the heat induced by continuous hard track braking, I change them out for the OEM pads. This confirmed what my right foot was feeling within a few stops. The ceramic pads have a higher initial grip or bite, resulting a bit less foot/peddle pressure….this I like! As far as stopping distance; I do not have the equipment to accurately measure the difference between the pads but the ceramic pads tend to give the allusion that they do stop quicker.
Dust; I would guess the dust is about 80 to 90 percent less than the OEM pads. I clean my wheels about every 3 weeks now instead of every 3 days.
Breaking them in; FOLLOW the directions!!!! Clean the rotor off with a Scotch-bright pad or seal wool, then bed the pads as directed. This will cut down or eliminate any brake squeal. I had one wheel that took a little extra effort to make it shut up but after a few hundred miles all was quiet.
PRO’s
Great peddle feel, I give an A+; I love the light touch of the Carbotech Ceramic pads, even after heavy canyon carving, the peddle feel never changes.
Wear factor; I give an A+ here too, probably the last set of pads you will ever buy for your car.
A whole lot less brake dust, I give’m an A- I was hoping for zero, but I think we all know that is next to impossible in a performance street pad.
CON’s
Price; $500 for all 4 corners BUT considering how long they will last I have to admit they are very cost effective. Remember, you get what you pay for!
Not able to hold up to track day use; BUT I’m not willing to trade off any street performance or peddle feel to gain track use.
Bottom line; would I buy them again…..You Betchum Red Ryder, in a New York second!!!
geez, $500 for pads??
03-27-2013, 02:21 PM
#3
Race Director
03-27-2013, 02:33 PM
#4
Team Owner
Member Since: Jun 2005
Location: Northern, VA
Posts: 46,100
Received 2,478 Likes
on
1,941 Posts
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
03-27-2013, 03:19 PM
#6
Supporting Vendor
Member Since: Oct 2002
Location: Cleveland OH
Posts: 50,209
Received 490 Likes
on
417 Posts
St. Jude Donor '11,'13
We may not be cheapest brake pad on the market but when you see most of my post they usually start with for a QUALITY brake pad take a look at the Carbotech 1521. I hear all the time about price but we can't keep them on the shelf so, we must be doing something right. Also, this is not a corvette tax of some kind look at how big the pad is. You have labor cost, steel cost, friction material cost and other little cost that add up.I doubt AC Delco has all of this technology in there pad.
It was over eight years ago that Carbotech started building brake pads out of Ceramic, Kevlar, and Carbon for street, autocross and racing applications. Carbotech is the only brake pad manufacturer in the world with a complete line of Ceramic compounds for street, autocross, and track use. Carbotech-Ceramic™ compounds are known for their unsurpassed release & modulation, while maintaining very consistent torque control characteristics. Carbotech brake pads are extremely rotor friendly and contain 100% non-corrosive brake dust, that’s something that has been unmatched by any other brake pad in the industry.
__________________
Adam Adelstein
Amp’D Autosport.com
Internet's largest retailer of Carbotech Performance Brake Pads.
PH:216-780-8825.
Email: sales@ampdautosport.com
Web Site & Direct ordering http://ampdautosport.com/
All major CC and Pay Pal accepted.
Check out Promo code:z28
Adam Adelstein
Amp’D Autosport.com
Internet's largest retailer of Carbotech Performance Brake Pads.
PH:216-780-8825.
Email: sales@ampdautosport.com
Web Site & Direct ordering http://ampdautosport.com/
All major CC and Pay Pal accepted.
Check out Promo code:z28
Last edited by Adam@Amp'dAutosport.com; 03-27-2013 at 03:24 PM.
03-27-2013, 03:22 PM
#7
Supporting Vendor
Member Since: Oct 2002
Location: Cleveland OH
Posts: 50,209
Received 490 Likes
on
417 Posts
St. Jude Donor '11,'13
To the OP I appreciate the feed back it is good to know. When we sell to the government or municipalities are big selling point is longer life with the 1521 compared to OEM. Below is from our brochure.
Carbotech brakes deliver longer brake pad and rotor life - up to four times longer than competitive brakes. We use custom compounds to match specific cars, driving styles and applications.
From street use to the higher performance demands of track days, we'll help you achieve better brake modulation, torque and fade resistance. High-tech construction means better stopping power and a higher level of driver confidence every time you get behind the wheel.
Take your performance experience to the next level with Carbotech performance brakes. You'll really feel the difference.
We offer a number of solutions for both domestic and foreign vehicles including SUV's and trucks.
Carbotech brakes deliver longer brake pad and rotor life - up to four times longer than competitive brakes. We use custom compounds to match specific cars, driving styles and applications.
From street use to the higher performance demands of track days, we'll help you achieve better brake modulation, torque and fade resistance. High-tech construction means better stopping power and a higher level of driver confidence every time you get behind the wheel.
Take your performance experience to the next level with Carbotech performance brakes. You'll really feel the difference.
We offer a number of solutions for both domestic and foreign vehicles including SUV's and trucks.
03-27-2013, 03:39 PM
#8
Race Director
Pros - Great pedal feel, similar if not the same as the Z51 pads were. Very little dust and what is there can't be seen because it's so light in color. They stop great even in panic situations on the street. Zero brake noise. I've only got 1000 miles on them so I can't comment on wear factor since they still look new. Price shipped for me was $50 for all four wheels.
So far I have no cons.
03-27-2013, 03:47 PM
#9
Team Owner
Member Since: Jun 2005
Location: Northern, VA
Posts: 46,100
Received 2,478 Likes
on
1,941 Posts
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
Appreciate responses from EV and Carbot.
03-27-2013, 04:15 PM
#10
Race Director
And for the record, I'm not in any way saying Carbotech pads are bad. If I tracked my car and had the money I'd definitely invest in those over any other.
The following users liked this post:
mikeCsix (04-23-2016)
03-28-2013, 09:38 AM
#11
Supporting Vendor
Member Since: Oct 2002
Location: Cleveland OH
Posts: 50,209
Received 490 Likes
on
417 Posts
St. Jude Donor '11,'13
Sure I can.
Pros - Great pedal feel, similar if not the same as the Z51 pads were. Very little dust and what is there can't be seen because it's so light in color. They stop great even in panic situations on the street. Zero brake noise. I've only got 1000 miles on them so I can't comment on wear factor since they still look new. Price shipped for me was $50 for all four wheels.
So far I have no cons.
Pros - Great pedal feel, similar if not the same as the Z51 pads were. Very little dust and what is there can't be seen because it's so light in color. They stop great even in panic situations on the street. Zero brake noise. I've only got 1000 miles on them so I can't comment on wear factor since they still look new. Price shipped for me was $50 for all four wheels.
So far I have no cons.
The following users liked this post:
Dominic Sorresso (08-03-2021)
03-29-2013, 12:33 PM
#12
Racer
Member Since: Aug 2007
Location: Oklahoma City Oklahoma
Posts: 286
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks everyone for all your great information. I do appreciate it. We're taking the car in next week to do basically what most of you have said to do. Got to get her ready for the bash!!!
04-19-2013, 01:44 PM
#17
Team Owner
Member Since: Sep 2005
Location: Big Bend Country, TX
Posts: 29,114
Received 2,186 Likes
on
1,337 Posts
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15- '16-'17-‘18-‘19-'20-'21
NCM Lifetime Member
Sure I can.
Pros - Great pedal feel, similar if not the same as the Z51 pads were. Very little dust and what is there can't be seen because it's so light in color. They stop great even in panic situations on the street. Zero brake noise. I've only got 1000 miles on them so I can't comment on wear factor since they still look new. Price shipped for me was $50 for all four wheels.
So far I have no cons.
Pros - Great pedal feel, similar if not the same as the Z51 pads were. Very little dust and what is there can't be seen because it's so light in color. They stop great even in panic situations on the street. Zero brake noise. I've only got 1000 miles on them so I can't comment on wear factor since they still look new. Price shipped for me was $50 for all four wheels.
So far I have no cons.
06-12-2013, 11:24 AM
#20
Race Director
