Ceramic Brakes

The biggest complaint most drivers have about their current brake pads is dust. We've all been there before with the black, greasy looking build-up on our wheels. The build-up occurs most dramatically in the front as that's where the majority of a vehicle's stopping power is generated.
 

All brake pads will produce dust as they wear, however there are some pad materials that create a less noticeable mark on the wheel. A newer form of friction material, called ceramic composite, will create a light-colored dust that's much less noticeable and is less likely to stick to your wheels. Ceramic pads are also quieter and easier on the brake rotors and can extend brake life beyond a semi-metallic pad. If you would like to make a switch to ceramic composite pads some good choices would be the Hawk Performance Ceramic, Centric Posi Quiet Ceramic, Satisfied Pro Ceramic VS, Akebono Euro Ceramic and Akebono ProACT Ceramic. 
 

Hawk Performance Ceramic

Centric Posi Quiet Ceramic

Satisfied Pro Ceramic VS

 

Akebono Euro Ceramic

Akebono ProACT Ceramic

A ceramic pad meets or exceeds all Original Equipment standards for stopping distance, but isn't usually an upgrade in actual stopping power. If you have a track vehicle or are specifically looking to increase braking power, a semi-metallic pad would be a better choice. Semi-metallic pads will sacrifice the noise, durability and cosmetic improvements of the ceramic composite to increase stopping power.

To learn more about how ceramic pads can help with brake-generated noise and dust, read "Why Ceramic Brake Pads?"

In a global economy, shoppers have more options than ever at their fingertips. From toasters to tires, products can be manufactured and shipped all over the world at a competitive price. And, when it comes to tires, how can you choose the most reliable and cost-effective brands? Let us help. 

Over our 32-year history, Tire Rack has developed close relationships with well over a dozen different tire manufacturers, including globally-respected brands like Michelin and Bridgestone to high quality but smaller companies such as Kumho and Yokohama. With every delivery to our warehouse and all shipments to our customers, tires are closely inspected for potential issues. Also, if an issue develops after the sale, we can work with you to get the issue resolved over the phone with the help of one of our friendly customer service representatives, via email or with the help of one of our independent Recommended Installers.

Regardless if you're looking for a new set of performance SUV tires, suspension parts, ceramic disc brake pads or more, we are sure to have what you want at the price you desire.

No one likes having to get down on their knees to scrub brake dust off of their alloy wheels. To make the chore less difficult, take a look at Griot's Garage Wheel Cleaner. Made from premium, biodegradable ingredients, the product is safe for you and the environment, while cleaning all types of wheels.

However, many enthusiasts and drivers are discovering the joy of low-dust ceramic brake pads. While most ceramic pads have a less initial "bite" compared to higher performance brake pads, ceramic pads produce a light colored dust that is much less noticeable and less likely to stick to the wheel. Ultimately, this leads to wheels maintaining a cleaner appearance longer.  

• Very low dust
• Improved braking over many inexpensive pads
• Stable friction output
• Extremely quiet
• Extended pad life
• Increased rotor life 

Read "Why Ceramic Brake Pads" to learn more about the benefits of ceramic brake pads.

With all the talk about horsepower, torque, 0-60 times and top speed, what often gets overlooked is the performance of a vehicle's braking system. Let's face it, how important is 600 bhp and a 0-60 in 2.9 seconds if your car takes a country mile to stop? This may be obvious to some, but ask yourself when was the last time you saw a commercial for a car or truck bragging about engine performance without ever mentioning the brakes?
 
Brake pads, referred to in the industry as friction material, are the least expensive component of the braking system, yet they offer the most impact on performance. Like tires, not all brake pads provide the same performance characteristics and it's important to know which products best fit the vehicle and the driver's needs.

Ceramic pads are designed for very low dust and noise, but compromise on braking force. Ceramic pads are O.E. on most domestic and Japanese coupes and sedans.  

Semi-metallic pads provide maximum braking force or bite but are louder and leave heavier dust on a car's wheels. These pads are commonly O.E. for performance European vehicles and the most aggressive semi-metallic pads are used in specialty applications such as cars used in racing events.

Composite friction material offers a balance between braking force and low dust/noise. Think of these pads as a happy medium over ceramic and semi-metallic.

Akebono ProACT Ceramic Pads

Hawk Blue 9012 Track Only Pads

Satisfied GranSport 6 Pads

Shop by vehicle to find the brake components that work best for your vehicle.

Every day I receive calls from motorsport enthusiasts keen to get back out on the track this summer season. Although wheels, tires, horsepower and suspension components are very important (and often times more fun), it is important to remember what is stopping your vehicle.

Paying close attention to your brakes will not only improve your lap times but more importantly keep you out of the grass. 

Using the one of the most sophisticated manufacturing processes available, Hawk Performance produces some of the finest brake pads on the market. In addition to their very popular line of Performance Ceramic and HPS Street Pads, Hawk carries several different ranges of race pads for every race and skill level. Considering ceramic brake pads for your vehicle? Read "Why Ceramic Brake Pads" to learn important characteristics about ceramic pads and how they can improve your vehicle's stopping power.

Shop by vehicle to see which brake components are best for your vehicle.

Grinding, squealing, long stopping distances? It could be time for new brake pads. Tire Rack can help with a wide array of pads and rotors for most vehicles.

Ceramics give the lowest noise and dust, but won't increase stopping power. The Akebono Pro Act Ceramic Pads are a great option in the ceramic line-up.  Available for many applications and attractively priced.

Semi-metallics will shorten the stopping distances and increase the initial bite. There are varying degrees of stopping power available. You can get a nice increase in capability without a dramatic change in noise or dust with the Hawk HPS. If you really want to step up the power with no regard for dust levels, the HPS from Hawk really delivers the goods. They are close to a track pad, but don't need the warm up of a true track pad, so you can use them on the street.

Tire Rack also carries track applications that you can't reasonably use on the street, but will let you late-brake into the corners and really shed off the speed while at the track.

View available brake pad options for your vehicle.

Tire Rack offers aftermarket replacement brakes for many vehicles including Acuras. You can improve stopping power, dusting and noise with great pads from Akebono, Satisfied and Hawk Performance.

For low dust and noise options:

A great direct replacement. Akebono Ceramic Technology (ACT) helps reduce noise, harshness and vibration.









Using a special ceramic material creates a quiet and smooth braking experience.








Hawk Performance Ceramic Pads


A low dusting ceramic formula with higher friction for quicker stops.






Options for better stopping power:

Akebono Street Performance Pads


High quality and long-lasting while providing stopping power. If you push your vehicle to the limit or like having the safety net of extra stopping power, then these pads are for you.







Satisfied GranSport 6 Pads


Using Race Grid Technology, these pads provide superior stopping, while maintaining low noise.







Hawk Performance HPS Street Brake Pads


Made in the U.S.A. This premium braking pad provides fast stops, quick initial bite and low dust and noise levels.

Not stopping as well as you would like? Hawk Performance Brakes has a brake pad to help improve your braking performance. Hawk makes disc brake pads for sedans, SUVs, light trucks and sports cars. Let's take a look and see which of the Hawk brakes may work best for you.

• HPS Street Brake Pads
  
  • Designed for high speed driving or repetitive heavy braking, providing advanced braking characteristics to enhance the driving experience.
  • A Performance Street brake pad
• HP Plus Race Brake Pads
  
  • Designed for autocross and track days providing racecar-like stopping power.
  • Will show more dust, noise and wear to achieve this additional stopping power.
  • An Autocross/Track brake pad.
• Performance Ceramic Brake Pads
  
  • Designed for ultra-low dust and noise while providing high friction levels
  • A Premium brake pad.
• LTS Truck/SUV Brake Pads
  
  • Designed to provide superior stopping power for full-sized light trucks, SUVs and vans while generating low noise and dust
  • A Performance Street brake pad
• HP Super Duty Brake Pads
  
  • Designed for severe duty applications frequently towing max capacity loads, providing maximum stopping power and high heat dissipation.

Hawk brake pads are available for some race applications as well. Check to see which track pads work well on your vehicle.

Also read: All About Performance Brake Pad Categories

Hawk Performance offers several performance levels of brake pads for Honda Civics. If you are a casual driver and do not push your car to its limits then you should take a strong look at the Hawk Performance Ceramic Brake Pad.

This pad will offer improved stopping power over the factory brake pads and since they are ceramic they will not produce any dark brake dust.

Some three years in development, the new Michelin Pilot Super Sport is the long-awaited replacement for the class-leading Pilot Sport PS2 that has been a popular Max Performance Summer tire option for enthusiasts since 2004.

Michelin’s target for the Pilot Super Sport is to maintain the PS2’s good level of road manners and fuel efficiency, improve handling and braking in dry and wet conditions, while also stretching treadwear on the road and at the track. 

Like its predecessor, the new Pilot Super Sport features side-by-side tread compounds across its asymmetric tread pattern. In the outboard third of the tread, Michelin uses a compound mixed with a special carbon black elastomer taken directly from the endurance racing tires used to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, that helps provide high levels of long-lasting dry grip. A different compound is used on the inboard two thirds of the tread, which focuses on providing traction in wet conditions. 

Michelin has further developed the behavior of the tire’s contact patch, equalizing footprint pressure to aid handling and stretch treadwear. Part of this comes from the internal architecture of the tire which uses a layer of the unique aramid fiber Twaron to control the centrifugal forces as the tire rolls at high speed.

The Pilot Super Sport has already been homologated by Ferrari as the Original Equipment tire on the stunning Ferrari 599 GTO, earning the 2010 Ferrari Technology Award along the way.

Since only select Ferrari sizes are currently available today, Michelin gave us the opportunity to preview the Pilot Super Sport’s dry and wet performance at the Dubai Autodrome in the United Arab Emirates.

With the Pilot Super Sport already established with Ferrari as an O.E. fitment, Michelin is also working with Porsche, BMW M and prestigious tuners to homologate the Pilot Super Sport on some of the world’s most potent sports and super cars. Michelin brought along their lead test drivers, responsible for tuning tires to suit the distinctive performance characters of each O.E. fitment. Their team provided insight into what it takes to develop a tire for each unique fitment and provided us with some exciting hot laps to show off the fruit of their labor. Watch for the Pilot Super Sport to appear on several other top sports cars in the months to come.

Finally it was time for us to get behind the wheel and drive the Pilot Super Sport for ourselves. First up was wet cornering, where we drove Audi TTs around a 200' diameter skidpad, comparing the traction of the Pilot Super Sport with a competitor. The Pilot Super Sport felt as if it provided some additional cornering grip, as well as more predictable break away and recovery characteristics.

We followed this with an ABS-assisted panic stop in both dry and wet conditions, using different cars and a different competitor tire. Here, the Pilot Super Sport provided a slightly shorter stopping distance in the dry and an equivalent distance in the wet.

Our favorite test was dry handling, using a 1.1 mile section of the circuit. We drove two Porsche 911 Carrera S, fitted with Pilot Super Sport and a competitor’s tires. We didn’t compare lap times, but were able to feel a difference from behind the wheel.

The Pilot Super Sport felt more responsive, and used its cornering power to turn down to the apex with authority. The massive Porsche ceramic brakes made easy work of the stopping duties. While we could easily engage the ABS with both tires, the Pilot Super Sport allowed for a harder application before triggering the anti-lock system. Also impressive was the overall handling balance of the car fitted with the Pilot Super Sport tires, bolstering driver confidence during cornering and allowing for a harder application of the throttle on corner exit. 

We installed our RaceLogic DriftBox data acquisition system in the car with Pilot Super Sport tires, and found the tire + vehicle combination was pulling over 1.0 lateral g-forces in several of the corners (shown in red).


Michelin also brought along a few of their favorite toys to show off the capabilities of the Pilot Super Sport. Their test drivers provided hot lap rides in an AC Schnitzer-tuned BMW M3, Audi R8, Ferrari 458 Italia, Gumpert Apollo, Koenigsegg Agera, Lamborghini Gallardo, Mercedes-Benz SLS, a 1,000 horsepower MKB P1000 Mercedes-Benz SL65, Porsche 911 Turbo, and more. The Pilot Super Sport proved stable, predictable and very capable of harnessing the power of these amazing cars.


Scheduled to be released to North America in a wide range of sizes in the spring of 2011, we’re looking forward to the opportunity to evaluate the Pilot Super Sport back at our Indiana headquarters on our Real World Road Ride and Performance Track Drive.

Stay tuned for a full test report coming in 2011. Until then, take a look at more photos from our trip to Dubai on our Facebook page.

If you are like me, you're probably really tired of cleaning your wheels a day after washing your car. While the brakes on my BMW are very good, they just make a mess of the wheels. I have found two things that really make a difference.

Number one is changing to a ceramic brake pad like Hawk Performance Ceramic or Akebono Euro Ceramic.  They are still going to give you the braking you need but you can go between car washes before you have to clean the wheels.

Secondly, I use Griot's Garage Paint Sealant to coat the wheels. The sealant really keeps the brake dust from adhereing to the wheels and makes washing them so much easier.

Meet your stopping needs with brakes and brake rotors available for your Acura. Don't worry about picking the wrong products. We check every order before we ship it out and offer lots of user reviews on the brake system products we sell. And our search results by vehicle will only generate a list of products that are specifically a fit for your vehicle.

Use our brake performance rating system too, to help you pick brakes that meet your needs. Ratings are provided in three categories: stopping power, low dust and noise. The more red dots you see the better stopping power, lower noise level and lower dust. Original Equipment (O.E.) replacement brake pads all the way up to all-out track pads are available.

Some of the most popular Acura brake pads available are:

• Akebono ProACT Ceramic Pads: Better stopping power with much lower noise and much lower dust ratings than O.E. brake pads. Suggesedt for street use.
• Hawk HPS Street Brake Pads: Much better Stopping power with lower noise and more dust. Suggested for performance street use.
• Hawk Performance Ceramic Brake Pads: Better stopping power with lower noise and lower dust ratings. Suggested for street use.

The process of cryogenically treating brake rotors can drastically improve the way a brake system performs. Cryogenically treated metal is cooled well below a zero-degree temperature, slowly returned to room temperature, and treated with heat to complete the process. Although you can't see the results, the metal is significantly altered and is able to stand up to abrasive wear. It's also much more durable. That means cryogenically treated brake rotors are denser and extremely smooth, both of which reduce wear and tear. And we all know how much our brake systems have to deal with.

At Tire Rack, the cryogenically treated rotors in our inventory come from Cryo-Stop. In addition to the cryogenic treatment, the Cryo-Stop rotors feature the company's Electrocoating finish to further protect the rotors against rust and corrosion.

"I bought a four-pack of Cryo-Stop rotors and high-grade ceramic pads. My OEM brakes were shuddering and squealing under moderate and light braking, respectively. The shudder went away when I swapped the fronts, and the squeal disappeared after changing the rear. Since then, it's been a smooth, silent and safe ride. Looks great, too. The black paint on the Cryo-Stop rotors is a nice touch, and I haven't seen any rust anywhere yet." — Tire Rack Consumer Review, Honda Accord, IL

Shop by vehicle to see if Cryo-Stop rotors are right for you.

Are your brakes a little tired? Looking for high performance pads for your sports car? Try the brake pads that I always use: Hawk Performance Ceramic Pads.

Hawk Performance is the Original Equipment recommended performance brake pad upgrade for Chevrolet Corvettes and is an accessory performance brake pad supplier for Mazda, Nissan and Hyundai. They also provide brake pads for NASCAR, SCCA and NHRA.

Let’s take a look at a couple solutions for the driving enthusiast.

Hawk Performance Ceramic Pads (Premium)

Hawk Performance HPS Street Brake Pads (Performance Street)

I have used both of these brake pads on my cars. The ceramic pads have improved stopping power, create low dust and are very quiet. This pad is very easy to live with. The HPS pad will offer improved stopping power over the ceramic, but will have a little more dust. I also noticed that both of these pad compounds had longer life than my stock pads; that was a nice surprise.

If you are looking to upgrade your Original Equipment semi-metallic or organic brake pads with a pad that offers smooth, quiet, braking with lower dust output, ceramic pads may just be the answer! Unless your vehicle was equipped with ceramic pads from the factory, you likely notice your wheels are covered with dust within a day or two after washing them - a complaint I hear all too often!

Ceramic pads are designed to deliver the same stopping power and pedal feel as Original Equipment pads, with less dust, lower noise, less vibration and less rotor wear. In addition, ceramic pads dissipate heat better for less brake fade and faster recovery during heavy braking. 

Tire Rack  offers ceramic pads from the following manufacturers:
 

Last weekend’s project was to replace the brakes on my Pontiac. The O.E. brake rotors and pads had served us well but it was time for something a little better. Over the winters, the rotors had rusted and didn't look as good with the new Elbrus wheels on the car.

The nice thing about brake systems (brake pad and brake rotor combination) at Tire Rack is that there is usually more than one option for your vehicle. For example, for my 2000 Pontiac there are nine different choices of front and rear brakes and seven different brake rotors available. That may seem overwhelming, but actually it is pretty easy to make a selection. Decide ahead of time what is important to you: low noise, stopping power, or low dust. Then select a performance category and use the red bubble brake pad grading scale nnext to the brake pads to pick the best pad. Whether they end up being ceramic disc brake pads or composite disc brake pads, pick the custom brake set-up that works best for your needs and driving style.

My goal for the brake system on the Pontiac was to achieve good, predictable stopping power with minimal noise and lower levels of dust. I selected the ATE PremiumOne Rotors with Hawk Performance Ceramic Pads front and rear. They look and stop much better with the new wheels!

As with any modification, there are always going to be changes in the performance of the vehicle.

While the Dick Cepek wheels and BFGoodrich tires look and perform great, the braking system on the Jeep is now a little slow to stop the extra rotating mass.

A simple upgrade on the front brake pads should be enough to bring it back to the stock or better stopping distance. Jeep recommends and equips the Wrangler with ceramic brake pads from the factory so we will stay with ceramic pads and go with either the Hawk Performance Ceramic Brake Pads that offer the best stopping power in our lineup or the Akebono ProACT Ceramic Brake Pads and ATE PremiumOne Brake Pads that have a little less dust for the front.  

                                                                                 

Ceramic disc brake pads tend to lessen excess brake noise and dust, which is a common side effect of semi-metallic brake pads. In addition, ceramic pads handle high brake temperatures with less heat fade while promoting a speedy recovery after harsh stopping. Ceramic disc brake pads certainly are among the best of the best brake components out there, which is why Tire Rack stocks a number of options from reputable brands like Akebono, Hawk and Satisfied. We could go on and on about how much we like them, but we'll let our happy customers speak for themselves:

Akebono ProACT Ceramic Pads
"Installed these about 3 weeks ago. Absolutely no dust, and stopping power seems to be the same as the OEM dust-makers. No noise. Changing the pads was a snap, everything fit." — Tire Rack Consumer Review, Chevrolet Trailblazer, LA


Hawk Performance Ceramic Pads
"I was a little hesitant about purchasing a brake pad that promised less dust yet was quieter than OE. I'm hard on brakes and have extremely high expectations. These ceramic Hawk pads combined with the PowerSlot rotors have great responsiveness, stopping power, but have great control especially for such a heavy vehicle. 100% better than OE." — Tire Rack Consumer Review, Ford Expedition, CA

Satisfied Pro Ceramic VS Pads
"These pads do just what they say. No noise, dust is very minimum, and the pads perform very good stopping from 160 mph to 0. The 300c SRT8 425 HP has no mercy on tires or break pads. Bottom line these pads are great. Thanks to Tire Rack for the great price." — Tire Rack Consumer Review, Chrysler 300C, AR


Shop Tire Rack's inventory of brake components by vehicle to see if these fit yours.

Are you looking for better stopping power, lower noise and dust, less pad and rotor wear? Then you need to get "Hawkish" about your brakes.

Hawk Performance brake pads have been successful in motorsports for almost 20 years. SCCA, NASA, CART and NASCAR are just a few of the many professional and amateur racing organizations worldwide whose participants use Hawk pads. This success helps Hawk Performance enjoy the benefits of the “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday,” philosophy. Hawk is one of few brake pad manufacturers that can deliver on the promise, “Race Proven – Street Legal.”

Hawk Performance’s brake pads provide maximum stopping power without excess dust, noise and rotor overheating or uniformity issues. Superior stopping power coupled with low dust and noise is why I recommend Hawk Performance by name. 

If you want a great performance pad with more initial "bite" for street or occasional autocross use, but don't want to take a bite out of your rotors, look no further.

The High Performance Street / HPS compound offers a higher coefficient of friction over stock brake pads and can provide you 20-40% more stopping power and higher resistance to brake fade than standard replacement pads. Less fade means you’ll have a highly durable brake pad with less brake dust.

HPS Street Features:

• Increased stopping power
• High friction/torque hot or cold
• Gentle on rotors
• Extended pad life
• Low dust
• Virtually noise-free

Do you consider yourself a spirited driver with a performance car that gives you great pleasure to drive? You want to get the most out of your brakes but you don't want to spend all of your time cleaning those nice wheels? I have one word for you, "Ceramic."

Performance Ceramic is engineered to reduce brake NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness), creating a quieter performing brake pad. The ceramic brake pad formula has a linear friction profile that allows your ABS brake system to work more effectively. With Performance Ceramic you can expect reduced brake pad wear, lower dust output levels and a rotor-friendly brake pad, with better than O.E. stopping power.

• Increased stopping power
• Increased rotor life
• Extended pad life
• Ultra-low dust
• Extremely quiet
• Stable friction output

HP Plus utilizes a unique Ferro-Carbon, high-tech friction material that was developed and manufactured for sport driving in autocross, and “track day” applications. The pad formulation offers lower wear rates and higher torque values. Extremely high coefficient of friction makes HP Plus the perfect upgrade over stock for high performance cars used in autocross competition and applications that require or experience repetitive heavy braking.                                                    

HP Plus Features:

• Extremely high friction output
• Fade resistant
• Perfect for autocross & club racing events

It's time to get Hawkish about your brakes with the "Hawk Advantage"

• Quick warm-up with strong, balanced initial bite
• 20-40% more stopping power over stock pads
• Rotor friendly - will not shorten rotor life
• Outlast stock brake pads
• Superior fade resistance
• Low dust properties
• Whisper quiet performance