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C6 C7 Corvette: Ceramic Brake Pad Reviews

A strong car needs quality brakes. Here's a review of some of the most common and popular ceramic brake pads.

By Pizzaman711 - January 22, 2015

This article applies to the Corvette C6 (2005-2013) and C7 (2014-2015).

When searching for new brake pads, it's important to go with a set that are high quality, especially for a sports car. Cheap brake pads will not stop nearly as well, which could cause you to get into an accident. Ceramic pads are some of the best you can get due to their stopping power, low noise, and low dust generation. Other pad materials create a dark, sticky dust that will cling to your wheels and can make your car look pretty bad. Ceramic pads generate dust that is not only lighter in color, but also less clingy, so the dust that does stick is hardly noticeable.

Ceramic Brake Pads
Hawk Ceramic Performance
AC Delco Ceramic
GM OEM
CarboTech 1521
Price
 $200 Front, $140 Rear $90 Front, $50 Rear $340 Front, $250 Rear $280 Front, $240 Rear
Dust Amount
 Low Low Moderate Low
Noise Amount
 Moderate Low Low Low
Braking Power
 Great Good Great Great
Best Quality: CarboTech 1521

Best Value: AC Delco Ceramic

Hawk Ceramic Performance

Price - $200 Front, $140 Rear

Dust Amount - Low

Noise Amount - Moderate

Braking Power - Great

There are a lot of mixed reviews on the Hawk ceramic brake pads, which is due to the squealing noise they have. While most ceramic pads are relatively quiet, these don't mate well with the OEM rotors and have a pretty high chance of producing a squealing sound. The harsh break-in process is another downer for these pads; it's extensive and not the best thing to do to your rotors. However, brake dust is minimal and the stopping power is pretty similar to the factory brake pads. Recommended if you are looking for minimal dust.

AC Delco

Price - $90 Front, $50 Rear

Dust Amount - Low

Noise Amount - Low

Braking Power - Good

AC Delco pads are very close in quality to OEM, but generally a good bit cheaper. Depending on how hard you drive, you'll notice these pads don't have the same stopping power as the OEM pads, but other than that any difference will be hardly noticeable. Due to the low price of these, they're perfect for anyone who does mainly leisure driving where extreme braking conditions, such as on a track, aren't ever present. These pads won't last as long as OEM, but depending on how much and how you drive, you could get a decent amount of time out of them. Recommended for road use.

GM OEM

Price - $340 Front, $250 Rear

Dust Amount - Moderate

Noise Amount - Low

Braking Power - Great

These are the same pads that came on your car from the factory, so they'll perform exactly the same given that you break them in properly. They generate a bit more dust than the other ceramics on this list, but they are also some of the quietest. Even though the price tag is a bit steep, you definitely get what you pay for. These pads would suit anyone who prefers only using OEM parts on their vehicle and for those who were perfectly satisfied with the stock brake pads. Recommended for stock feel and quiet brakes.

CarboTech 1521

Price - $280 Front, $240 Rear

Dust Amount - Low

Noise Amount - Low

Braking Power - Great

CarboTech 1521's are an upgrade over the OEM brakes in all ways. Generally, forum consensus is these are some of the best ceramic pads you can buy. Brake dust is minimal, and noise is almost non-existent given that you break in the pads properly. The best part about these pads is that they're cheaper than the GM ones, which are ranked second as the best quality on this list. Recommended for harder driving styles.

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