I am getting the dirtiest front wheels from the Factory pads, Only got 3 thousand miles on truck 150 scab, Has anyone had any luck changing the front pads to stop all the dust or am I just gonna have to wash the wheels more than I want ??

Steve.

 

either wash or spend the cash to get better pads. it's an either/or situation and it sucks.

 

Carquest Blue Semi-Metallic Pads! The best thing I have done to my truck. Trust me I did alot of research on this.

 

Go to Advance Auto and buy ceramic pads they range from $49 to 55 plus. Not only will the dusting be negligible but stopping will be much better. They outperform the Ford semi-metallics that are on your vehicle now.
I will not buy semi metallics anymore, they leave very visible dust, have a tendancy to squeal more and don't stop like the ceramics.

 

+1

but just so you know, the ceramics aren't as forgiving on the rotors like semi-metallic pads are. they cause the rotors to wear out quicker. you should still get a long life out of the rotors, but it'll be a thousand miles less than normal

 

Actually the way I understand it it's just the opposite less brake rotor wear, since semi metallic use steel compounds and ceramic uses ceramic and copper.

"Since they were first used on a few original equipment applications in 1985, friction materials that contain ceramic formulations have become recognized for their desirable blend of traits. These pads use ceramic compounds and copper fibers in place of the semi-metallic pad's steel fibers. This allows the ceramic pads to handle high brake temperatures with less heat fade, provide faster recovery after the stop, and generate less dust and wear on both the pads and rotors. And from a comfort standpoint, ceramic compounds provide much quieter braking because the ceramic compound helps dampen noise by generating a frequency beyond the human hearing range."

"THE CERAMIC AGE
Back in the 1980s most automakers were using semi-metallic pads on their front-wheel drive cars. Semi-metallic friction materials containing chopped steel fibers were, and still are, a popular choice for high-temperature, hard-use braking applications. But, because of their high steel content, semi-metallic compounds tend to be harsh, noisy and hard on rotors. Brake suppliers also developed a variety of nonasbestos organic (NAO) compounds, but NAOs are better suited for low-temperature applications and drum brakes. Something else was needed as an alternative to semi-mets."

Here is the full article


http://www.aa1car.com/library/2003/bf30322.htm

 

ceramic is harder than steel in certain applications...while they are designed to wear down with use, the byproduct will be the rotors wearing as well.

like I said, you won't lose alot of useable life, but the rotors will wear sooner than if normal metallic pads are used...on the flip side, the ceramic pads will last longer than normal pads...

oh well, either way the ceramics work better than OEM...alot and they don't dust your wheels like OEM does either.

 

That's exactly why I didn't opt for ceramics.

 

Well all evidence points to rotor longevity not wear! As per what I posted!

Ceramic: These are composed of ceramic fibers, nonferrous filler materials, bonding agents, and possibly small amounts of metal. Lighter in color and more expensive than other brake pads, ceramic pads are cleaner and quieter, and offer excellent braking characteristics without wearing down the rotors.
Semimetallic: This formula, containing about 30 to 65 percent metal, typically includes chopped steel wool or wire, iron powder, copper or graphite mixed with inorganic fillers, and friction modifiers that bond all the ingredients together. These pads are more durable and have excellent heat transfer, but also wear down rotors faster, have intrusive noise characteristics, and may not perform as well under low-temperature conditions

Here is great article on Ceramics, backs up less rotor wear!
http://www.akebonobrakes.com/company...ramic_tech.pdf

I think someone created a myth!

 

Another option is the dust covers that go on behind the wheels. I put them on 3 months ago and love them. The back wheels get dirtier now!

 

I don't think all ceramics can be lumped into the same category.

Companies like Akebono like to tout how much research they've done to produce a superior ceramic pad. I have no reason to doubt them, but I think it's entirely possible that another me-too company would throw together a "ceramic" compound just to jump on the ceramic band wagon and end up with a rotor eating hunk 'o dung that leads to the "ceramics are bad" opinions.

As for the dust covers, you're going to get a pile of people who say they reduce the cooling of the rotors/pads and cause a different set of problems.

 

I think we need to get "Mythbusters" involved, to get to the bottom of this!

 

FWIW, I ran ceramics on my 03 and never had rotor issues. However, I did not find them to offer good braking performance. Always felt like I needed to apply much more pressure to get them to slow the truck down.

So, what makes the Carquest Blue's so good? Carquest, what chain are they sold at? Not familiar with them here in central NH.

Thanks

 

The dust covers do seem to work and I have not seen any evidense that they are causing heating problems.

 

I've put ceramics on my '01 Expy and my '02 Mustang GT. Both times they ate through the rotors, quickly. On my Mustang the braking characteristics were terrible, there was no "bite" and it required a great deal more pressure to bring the car to a stop. No dusting though!

Anybody tried the Carbon Metallic ones?