Ceramic Front Pads w/ OEM Rear a Problem?
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 10,516
Likes: 2
From: Virginia Bch VA
Cruise-In VI Veteran
Cruise-In VII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06
Ceramic Front Pads w/ OEM Rear a Problem?
What are your thoughts of installing Ceramic Pads, for dust reduction, on the front and leaving the OEM pads on the rear? Will that create handling problems? I’m not an aggressive driver. Thanks in advance.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 26,714
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From: Houston, TX
Originally Posted by JFTaylor
What are your thoughts of installing Ceramic Pads, for dust reduction, on the front and leaving the OEM pads on the rear? Will that create handling problems? I’m not an aggressive driver. Thanks in advance.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 43,084
Likes: 33
From: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
Ceramic pads are fine for street use and normal braking conditions. I would change all four wheels.
In an emergancy situation your may experience greater rear brake bias, or more stopping ability on the rear wheels then on the front. Normally the front brakes do the most work for stopping.
Straight line stopping is the ideal situaltion, however, ideal almost never happens. when brake bias is not in the proper preportions the car may weave uncontolabley. To much front brake bias may cause the rear of the car to swing around. To much rear brake bias my flat spot rear tires, or with ABS put three flat spots on rear tires. and or cause the front of the car to swing from one side to another.
Brakes are designed as a whole system, not piece meal. Brake pads are also designed as a whole system, front and rears to work together.
In an emergancy situation your may experience greater rear brake bias, or more stopping ability on the rear wheels then on the front. Normally the front brakes do the most work for stopping.
Straight line stopping is the ideal situaltion, however, ideal almost never happens. when brake bias is not in the proper preportions the car may weave uncontolabley. To much front brake bias may cause the rear of the car to swing around. To much rear brake bias my flat spot rear tires, or with ABS put three flat spots on rear tires. and or cause the front of the car to swing from one side to another.
Brakes are designed as a whole system, not piece meal. Brake pads are also designed as a whole system, front and rears to work together.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 366
Likes: 0
From: Sunnyvale CA
Correction....too much rear bias will cause the rear to spin around...too much front bias just overloads the front...the race car is adjustable front to rear...I get to run this experiment all the time...
JFT: Your average street driver will be fine with what you propose...even in an emergency...the C6 has so much electronics monitoring the braking the worst thing that will happen to you is some loss of efficiency...
JFT: Your average street driver will be fine with what you propose...even in an emergency...the C6 has so much electronics monitoring the braking the worst thing that will happen to you is some loss of efficiency...
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 10,516
Likes: 2
From: Virginia Bch VA
Cruise-In VI Veteran
Cruise-In VII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06
Thanks
Thanks for the input folks. Y'all are making me more dangerous 
with my limited knowledge every day. Appreciate it.
with my limited knowledge every day. Appreciate it.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,015
Likes: 52
From: Largo,Fl fl
The GTO guys are putting C5 ceramic brakes on the front and are leaving the GTO rears on. The C5 fronts are double the size of the GTO's fronts. I have read posts that some of the z06 guys are putting ceramic on the front and are leaving factory rears. Who knows the answer?
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 1999
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From: Imperial Beach CA
Originally Posted by JFTaylor
What are your thoughts of installing Ceramic Pads, for dust reduction, on the front and leaving the OEM pads on the rear? Will that create handling problems? I’m not an aggressive driver. Thanks in advance.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 43,084
Likes: 33
From: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
Ceramics are for dust reduction not better stopping. may have 5% less stopping ability with ceramics. That is ok for normal street driving. so there is a trade off.
When the carbon-ceramic pads have great stopping but are very dusty too.
I prefer the dust and better stopping abilty and just wash the car and wheels more.
When the carbon-ceramic pads have great stopping but are very dusty too.
I prefer the dust and better stopping abilty and just wash the car and wheels more.
