Ceramic Brakes

smr · 18 Mar 2025 at 08:50

In need of new brake pads and I am wondering whether to stay with the semi-metallic Pagid brake pads I've just bought or buy some Ceramic pads instead.

I'm pretty sure the current pads are the original ones which came with my car and they produce a lot of brake dust, which I think is one of the things ceramic pads do well - next to no brake dust.

ezekial · 18 Mar 2025 at 10:28

What car would it be on? I would be curious to see other peoples feedback. I have never tried ceramic pads.

smr · 18 Mar 2025 at 11:05

ezekial said:
What car would it be on? I would be curious to see other peoples feedback. I have never tried ceramic pads.

Focus ST Line X

Nasher · 18 Mar 2025 at 11:50

I had some ceramic pads on a real Focus ST years back. They were fine.

Housey · 18 Mar 2025 at 12:02

If brake dust is an issue as you suggest then ceramic pads can help reduce that and might be worth a look. They can wear disks a bit more but I don't think that they have a significant impact on wear rates.

smr · 18 Mar 2025 at 13:19

Nasher said:
I had some ceramic pads on a real Focus ST years back. They were fine.

That's the strangest Ford Focus comment I've ever read. The ST Line X doesn't claim to be a Focus ST, which is pretty obvious with the word Line.

smr · 18 Mar 2025 at 13:21

Housey said:
If brake dust is an issue as you suggest then ceramic pads can help reduce that and might be worth a look. They can wear disks a bit more but I don't think that they have a significant impact on wear rates.

Yeah I think I'll go with them. The only thing I have heard is that the initial bite isn't as snappy compared to the regular semi-metallic pads, but unless you're hooning it around a track the difference is probably negligible. Cleaner alloys sound nice.

Nasher · 18 Mar 2025 at 14:01

smr said:
That's the strangest Ford Focus comment I've ever read. The ST Line X doesn't claim to be a Focus ST, which is pretty obvious with the word Line.

Well if the performance version is fine with it. A regular Focus is going to be ok too.

smr · 18 Mar 2025 at 16:34

Nasher said:
Well if the performance version is fine with it. A regular Focus is going to be ok too.

Well this is the point I was trying to understand. The ST Line isn't a regular Focus and is more a blend of fun, economic and sensible driving with the option to utilise a lowered sports suspension mode as part of the the make up. So for me it's trying to understand which would make more sense in terms of braking material.

Nasher · 18 Mar 2025 at 18:47

smr said:
Well this is the point I was trying to understand. The ST Line isn't a regular Focus and is more a blend of fun, economic and sensible driving with the option to utilise a lowered sports suspension mode as part of the the make up. So for me it's trying to understand which would make more sense in terms of braking material.

The "ST-line" brakes are the same as the normal Focus, the only difference on them is slightly different damping and a bodykit, everything else is the same as the standard car. The ST has different fittings all over and much bigger brakes.

Braking material isn't really going to make a noticeable difference at road speeds tbh. Just don't fit any track/race labelled stuff or you'll end up in a hedge as you won't be able to keep heat in them.