But I say DON"T buy ceramic pads at all. THEY SUCK. You will have brake fade with spirited driving.

 

w/ Brembo drilled and slotted rotors. Very quiet so far w/ some dust.

 

I don't have quite that many miles on my HPS pads but they have never made any noise. I also replaced my rotors when I installed them (I think I am seeing a trend here.) and put a dab of electic lube between the pads and the stainless steel pad covers.

 

The ACDelco pads work great with the new rotors i put on with the hawk pads. Broke them in today and they are quiet as a mouse. If any one wants new hawk pads for cheap send me an email and we'll work something out.
tigerm49@msn.com

 

Somewhere in this post someone suggested that you must decide what you want out of a brake pad then live with the consequences of that decision. The premise is correct however you can minimize the negative impact of your decision namely brake squeal. The objectionable noise, squeal, occurs when the pad first contacts the rotor. If there is excessive movement of the pad a harmonic situation sets up and the result is that you hear the squealing noise. To reduce the potential follow these several points. Do not "cut" the rotor unless there is excessive run out which is manifested by you feeling a pulsation in the brake pedal during mild to heavy braking. The fact is that the surface of a rotor is as smooth as it gets after being polished by friction material for thousands of miles. If the rotor does not have excessive run out and the surface is smooth and heat check free, you will be well advised to merely scuff the rotor surface with a 3M scotch brite pad then completely clean the surface. Soap and water works well. This "new surface" is well suited to break in the new pads. More on that later. Next address the caliper and bracket. Clean and remove all the rust from all the sliding surfaces. Lube these surfaces with a synthetic brake grease (molybdenum disulfate graphite grease) not a never seize product. Anti seize products tend to dry out and clump over time whereas the specific brake grease will not. Next inspect the caliper paying special attention the action of the pistons. If as you push in the pistons you notice any binding or resistance, you must rebuild or replace the caliper. Once this is done, install the pads. Nearly all high quality pad set will have a shim (isolator) imbedded into the back of the pad. If yours does not you should buy a shim then install it onto the pad. Apply a thin layer of brake grease to the back of the pad/shim and install. Tighten all fasteners (yes there is a torque sec) and prepare for the most important step in the process, break-in. Brake pads are for the most part supplied as "green" materials, not fully cured. Your job at this point is to cure the pads. Drive the car at 40-50 mph applying the brakes with moderate to heavy pressure until you slow to 20 mph. Do this 5-6 times then let the pads cool. You are done. Follow these procedures on every brake job you perform thereby eliminating nearly all objectionable brake noise.

 

awesome post, I couldn't agree more!