OEM Brake Pads

Everybody knows what brakes do. They stop your vehicle. How do they work, though? By clamping brake calipers to brake rotors. This is what creates the resistance that does the stopping. However, calipers and rotors can't press together without a brake pad, or else they'll get damaged. Depending on its body style, your vehicle has one of four types of brake pads. One is organic, the kind for normal driving. They're dependable, easy on rotors, and they don't produce much dust. Best of all, they're inexpensive. Ceramic brake pads do better in bad weather, they don't make much noise, and their dust doesn't stick as badly. Metallic brake pads, however, withstand high heat, feel firmer, and resist brake fade. Carbon fiber brake pads are the toughest and best performers. They deliver the most stopping power and tolerate extremely high temperatures. Most cars use either organic or metallic pads. However, many performance vehicles use either ceramic or carbon fiber pads. They do the best job getting rid of heat. However, no brake pad lasts forever.

When Do You Replace Brake Pads?

You can figure out the answer by looking for symptoms of brakes going bad. They range from warning lights and worn-out pad surfaces to damaged pads, whining brakes, and taking longer to slow down and stop. The worst signs, however, are vibration and grinding. They tell you that your rotors are warped and likely incurring damage because your brake pads have degraded. Otherwise, you should change the pads about every 40,000 to 50,000 miles. If you need to get new ones, be sure to order genuine. Brake pads made by your OEM come guaranteed to fit what you drive, after all. Our auto parts store has a wide selection, and you can buy a set online today.