Ceramic vs Organic Brake Pads (How Do They Compare?)
The brake pads of an automobile are what grip the disc brake rotor in order to allow the driver to slow down and stop the vehicle. While semi-metallic brake pads are the most popular brake pad type, they aren’t necessarily the best brake pads.
Two common, and arguably better, brake pad types are organic brake pads and ceramic brake pads. Here’s a comparison including pros and cons of each.
See Also: Brake Pad Comparison Chart
Comparing Ceramic vs Organic Brake Pads
Ceramic and organic brake pads can be judged by several different metrics when compared to one another. Comparing these two popular types of brake pads based on a host of criteria allows consumers to choose the pad that best suits their driving style and specific needs.
Composition
Ceramic
Ceramic brake pads are composed of a mix of ceramic, mineral, and aramid fibers, chosen to provide the ideal blend of heat-dissipative qualities, structural rigidity, and longevity.
Organic
Organic brake pads are generally composed of rubber, silica, carbon, fiberglass, and Kevlar, or a mix thereof. These individual materials are incised in a resin compound, intended to increase structural integrity.
Stopping Power
Ceramic
Ceramic brake pads are known to provide exceptional stopping power under a wide array of typical driving conditions. Though debated, many claim that ceramic pads offer more consistent stopping power across the board than organic pads.
Organic
Organic brake pads offer quality stopping power under most circumstances, though they are subject to increased brake fade under extreme heat. Nonetheless, many drivers find organic pads to be favorable in extreme cold.
Rotor Wear
Ceramic
Ceramic brake pads tend to be somewhat less aggressive, in terms of wear applied to individual brake rotors. This stems from the pad’s hardness profile, in relation to that of the rotor to which it is applied.
Organic
Organic brake pads are also relatively gentle on a vehicle’s brake rotors, when compared to more aggressive offerings, such as those of a semi-metallic composition. Under normal driving conditions, rotor wear is relatively similar between ceramic and organic pads.
Noise and Vibration
Ceramic
Ceramic brake pads are widely known for their whisper-quiet operation, and lack of irritating noise production. In fact, ceramics are considered the brake pad of choice when trying to keep operational noise to a minimum.
Organic
Organic brake pads, while not overly loud, tend to produce slightly more noise than pads of a ceramic composition. This tends to come as a natural byproduct of the individual compounds included in the composition of organic pads.
Lifespan
Ceramic
Ceramic brake pads are often selected by car owners for their unparalleled longevity. Pads of this composition are often heralded for experiencing a 1/3 longer service life than most organic brake pads, with an average lifespan of 30,000-60,000 miles.
Organic
Organic pads tend to offer an average service life of slightly less than ceramic pads, averaging 20,000-40,000 miles. Nonetheless, for their price, organic pads still remain a top seller today.
Brake Dust
Ceramic
Ceramic pads are known to produce little, if any, noticeable brake dust while in use. This is yet another reason why pads of this composition are renowned for their lack of noise production while in use.
Organic
On the contrary, organic brake pads are known for their production of moderate amounts of brake dust, especially under spirited driving conditions. This can lead to the production of additional brake noise with time.
Cost
Ceramic
Ceramic brake pads are noticeably more expensive than their organic counterparts. Consumers can expect to pay nearly double the cost for a set of ceramic pads, than they would otherwise pay for organic alternatives.
Organic
From a cost perspective, it is difficult to find faults in organic pads. In fact, most sets of organic pads can be purchased for less than $50, making them the overwhelming choice in terms of economy.
Cold Weather
Ceramic
Ceramic brake pads are seldom a favorite of those who live in extremely cold environments. Pads of this type are known to provide underwhelming performance until they have reached typical braking temperatures.
Organic
Organic brake pads provide far more consistent performance at freezing temperatures, making them consistent favorites of those who live in areas that feature harsh or lengthy winters.
Driving Style
Both ceramic and organic brake pads have a valid place in today’s automotive market. However, one of the best things you can do before choosing brake pads is to first consider your driving style.
Standard Daily Driving (Winner: Organic Pads)
For the bulk of American motorists simply commuting back and forth to work or school, organic brake pads are relatively ideal, especially when keeping overall cost in consideration.
Pads of this type wear reasonably and tend to provide consistent performance across the board. After all, there is a reason that brake pads of an organic composition are still in production decades after their introduction.
Spirited or Heavy Driving (Winner: Ceramic Pads)
Those who are a little bit more spirited in their driving, or who drive extensively, would likely prefer brake pads of a ceramic composition.
These pads offer excellent stopping power, are forgiving to rotors, and feature an exceedingly lengthy service life. This allows one to spend more time on the road, and less time sidelined with repeated brake pad replacement.
Advantages/Disadvantages of Each Type
Ceramic Pad Pros:
- Lengthy service life
- Minimal noise production
- Reduced brake dust
- Minimal rotor wear/fatigue
Ceramic Pad Cons:
- More expensive than organic alternatives
- Poor performance in extreme cold
Organic Pad Pros:
- Effective performance for most types of driving
- Economical price-point
- Not overly abrasive to rotors
- Reasonable cold-weather performance
Organic Pad Cons:
- Shorter overall service life
- Greater production of noise and brake dust
Can Ceramic and Organic Pads Be Used Together On the Same Vehicle?
While it is certainly possible to equip a single vehicle with brake pads of varying composition, attempting to do so is not advised. This stems primarily from the noteworthy difference in stopping forces that apply between brake pads of differing make.
For example, ceramic brake pads offer slightly different friction qualities than pads of organic composition, meaning that braking effort is likely to be mismatched to some degree from one wheel end to the next, in the case of mismatched pads.
Even when uniform pad composition is maintained across a single axle, yet differs in comparison to that of the opposing axle, breaking forces can be skewed. A vehicle’s proportioning valve dictates the manner in which braking force is divided across two opposing axles, via fluid control.
In most cases, this proportioning valve prioritizes pressurization of a vehicle’s front brakes, thereby maintaining adequate brake control. A certain degree of these efforts can be negated when different brake pad materials are mismatched between axles.
Additionally, when mismatching brake pads of varying composition, you might also notice that uneven brake wear becomes far more apparent. This stems from the difference in longevity between ceramic and organic brake pads under typical conditions.
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