Ceramic pads will get your the clean look you desire as the dust is minimal and a lighter color, however, you will experience a drastic decrease in brake performance as far as stopping power.

 

Yea
Thats what i understood from the spec sheets.
Pad and disc wear is supposed to be less also ? Guess that's because less friction/ performance.
Not that it will affect me but i think the stopping performance gets a lot better if you get them nice and hot.
Well the clean look is what im after and i can always replace the pads if i dont like them.

Regards
Drag

 

It won't matter whether your wheels are clean or not if you've piled into the back of somthing or someone because you hadn't got your new, but inefficient brakes up to temperature.

 

The brakes are designed to provide safe stopping performance under max load + max towed load + high initial speed AND the rotor and pad wear at or near the minimum limits. They may only perform once under those conditions but that once is vital. If the OP rarely runs under heavy loads, doesn't tow, avoids high speeds and makes sure the pad/rotor wear isn't anywhere near spec minimums --- --- THEN he shouldn't have too much to worry about as far as getting the car stopped [that once!] is concerned.
Now, if he wants to stop a lot of times... that is another story yet to be written.
Your choice.
The comparison is like a 747 under aborted max gross load takeoff conditions - The brakes WILL turn red hot, half the tires WILL blow and the brake system will have to be replaced but if you are riding on that plane you will be REALLY GLAD the brakes were maintained correctly and with the correct parts.

 

Its great tp see everyone is so passionate /clear about their comments on the ceramic pads.
You do have me thinking why do EBC,Hawk,Bendix etc make and sell ceramic pads if they are not up to the job?
Yet they all claim to meet or exceed OEM performance.
Yes stopping is very very important lol.
Just to keep things in perspective can any one comment from actual personnal use of current ceramic pads.
I will do some more thinking and research and keep you informed.

regards
Drag

 

I wouldn't recommend ceramic pads on our cars, especially if you care about safety. As a matter of fact, I'd hardly recommend ceramic pads for any car, I don't know why it's become such a big fad. Brake pads are supposed to dust, that's part of their inherent design. I don't see why rinsing your wheels every few days is so important, or having clean wheels?

Might just be me though. I'm running Brakeperformance rotors with semi-metallic pads and love the performance and pedal feedback. I wouldn't want to give up any performance just to have cleaner wheels.

 

I wouldn't recommend ceramic pads on our cars, especially if you care about safety. As a matter of fact, I'd hardly recommend ceramic pads for any car, I don't know why it's become such a big fad. Brake pads are supposed to dust, that's part of their inherent design. I don't see why rinsing your wheels every few days is so important, or having clean wheels?

Might just be me though. I'm running Brakeperformance rotors with semi-metallic pads and love the performance and pedal feedback. I wouldn't want to give up any performance just to have cleaner wheels.

Thanks for your thoughts
Im still looking but if the washing of the wheels was just a hose off it would be ok.
But the semi matallic pads leave a very tough shadow that has to be manually cleaned every 2-3 days.
As i asked before have you had personal experience with the ceramic pads or is it from discussions with others?

regards
Drag

 

I have not personally replaced the pads on the Touareg with ceramic, but I have on a few other vehicles.
I had a 2005 LS that got a set of Akebonos, very little dusting and it was light colored, very little performance hot or cold. That vehicle already has crappy brakes and I upgraded brake lines to SS and rotors to slotted with no difference until I went back to semi metallic.

My 1995 f150, pretty much same as Lincoln. Although it only has front discs.

As the vehicle fleet maintenance Officer for my Agency, I was in charge of our 2007 Dodge Chargers. I tried a few different sets of ceramics from different manufacturers to no avail. Cold stops were terrible and the hotter they got, they worse they got. We had painted wheel covers on our units so the reduced dust was nice as was the elimination of brake squeal while patrolling the subdivisions. The stopping power was nonexistent, It was common to have the rotors glowing after just a few miles to a hot call with metallics, not so with the ceramics so my guys wouldn't warp a rotor as easily but I'd rather replaced rotors and wheel covers than a grille, radiator, bumper, and medical costs. I had to remove them and go back to metallics, semi-metallic.

Based on this, I would never attempt to install a ceramic pad on my 5200 lb Touareg.

If you were in a parade full time with it, sure, but it only takes that one quick stop to change everything.

 

Thanks! Finally someone that can see eye to eye with me. I don't understand the hype for ceramic pads and keeping your wheels clean. They are wheels!? I mean, if you don't touch them, brake dust settles into a fairly uniform coat of gunmetal anyway.

I'd only recommend ceramics to light cars 3 tons or less, even then, why give up brake performance for a few more days of "clean" wheels?? I hope you are showing up some 24 karat gold plated wheels.

 

I have about 3,000 miles on hawk ceramic front pads. They dust much less than the OEM pads. The initial bite is less and rotor wear seems minimal.

Overall stopping power is about 85% of the OEM pads. I won't be buying them again. Just feel too vague for me

 

Moved to Running Gear.

 

Dark grey? They should be BLACK. You've not been driving your Treg hard enough!!

 

Oh master it is your grass hopper here i will attempt to drive my stead as it deserves to lol
yea going away this weekend will give it its head over some mountain roads.

regards
drag

 

That's it - go give it some welly!

 

Nothing wrong with clean wheels, I also prefer my wheels clean. But at the end of the day, I prioritize brake performance over wheels, just my personal priority.

And I do agree, at the end of the day, it ultimately comes down to your driving style. No race pads can deter a bad driver from crashing.

 

My Hawk ceramics have been on about 4,000 miles and I have no complaints whatsoever. I did have to get used to them for the first few weeks as I was used to the really grabby (annoyingly so, I thought) OEM pads. I've had to mash down on them a few times and they brought things to a halt just as quickly as I expected. Definitely a lot less fade too on curvy mountain roads where downshifting and constant brake application are neccessary.

I have a one year old and one on the way so I too prioritize my brake performance over clean wheels. I feel I have both despite the admittedly uneasy feeling I had at first when my mechanic suggested I go with ceramics to alleviate my complaints with the Pagids. Reading forums like this will do that to you. You'd think that ceramic pads had killed a close family member the way some people speak ill of them. ;-)

My wheels look great and my truck stops just fine. Maybe I should have just said this and left the rest out?

A simple explanation of the differences in pad material and the benefits of each (because they all have them) is all that you really need to look at and then go from there to make your decision. If you would have stopped a foot shorter from 60 mph to a grinding halt had you stayed OEM, then as dragline pointed out, you have some driving habits that may be more to blame.

 

I agree, it really boils down to personal preference at some point. I just don't like the idea of losing a few feet of braking distance and some sensitivity over clean wheels. Again, not saying either option is better, it all comes down to what fits and feels right for you. That's why there is a market for ceramic brake pads.

 

Brake companies spend millions for R&D, VW has spent millions to get the right feel, size, cost ratio, braking performance, etc... just so it is right for the average consumer. Remember, we (the consumer) is asking the Touareg to stop at all times, have no fade, no squeeks or sqeuls, no fade, work at max efficiency when they are cold, warm, hot and red hot! All you are doing is speculating about feel and brake dust. Come on...! Doesn't a Touareg demand a better driver than your average driver or have I thought wrong! Semi-metalic pads are slightly better in braking performance but the down side is that it is more abrasive on the disks. Cold performance is not as good. Ceramic pads have less dust, I agree, but we are missing the point. If the disk temp is very high (racing) then ceramic will work very well. Why do F1 cars use ceramic brakes, and... if you see them brake hard, then there is a lot of brake dust. It is all a question of using the correct materials for a given application. I can go on and on... but I will stop there! (no pun intended)

 

All the F1 cars are using carbon fibre composite now and you should see the dust!!

 

Getting brakes this week. Do we all still agree in 2019 to not get Ceramic Brakes? Shop has mentioned he likes Akebono's and he has them on his Q7, but will use whatever I want him too.

 

All the F1 cars are using carbon fibre composite now and you should see the dust!!

I hope that the F1 crowd are issued with face masks.

 

I have fitted Akebonos to a Disco 3 and my current golf TDi 2.0 all round and they’re great with respect to low dust, they also have good pedal bite and no apparent reduction in braking performance to seat of the pants measurement. If you need to stop quicker than you currently are, then press harder. Until you run out of the ability to press harder then you’re still have margin. The Akebono’s are sympathetic to the discs and minimal disc wear occurred in the 2 years since all new discs/pads fitted. For the R50, Akebono don’t do ceramic but Pedders do (maybe they’re branded differently as I haven’t actually fitted these). I will be looking high and low for ceramic when the time comes, the clean wheels is great BUT I wouldn’t be supporting ceramic if the braking performance was compromised - for me it’s not. They’re out there so if you like, then go for it. If you want the soft pads (hence dusty) for belief that braking performance is significantly improved, then go there.

Pete

 

I put on the Akebono's. They seem to work great.

 

Great Colorartist, did you get Akebono for front and rear? You will really appreciate it in a month and you still don't have to wash the car due to black wheels.

Pete

 

Im getting close to needing new pads, disc's and brake fluid flush.
Will be putting DBA T3 4000 Series slotted rotors
front 350mm and rear 330mm.
With new spring clips, pins and wear sensors.

Now it's time to change i want pads with as little dust as possible.
Im sick of cleaning the alloys only to have to do them the next week.
I think i will try hawk ceramic pads and just wondering if any one else has comments about these or ceramic pads in general.

regards
Drag

Read my post on slotted rotors. I do not recommend them at all. They wore down pads very quickly and rotors really did not last any longer than stock solid rotors, in-fact I think they also wore quicker. The rotors were also cryogenically frozen for longer life and slotted. It took a year for both to be done.

Just stick with OEM rotors or ATE coated. Brembo Ceramic. or ATE ceramic. ($177, my cost is $154.00)

Slotted rotors will make more dust too, like nuts with standard pads. Ceramic is the way to go but much more expensive. I had no issues with dirty wheels with stock rotors and pads.

 

One other thing I’d like to point out if some people are concerned with brake dust. I use this all the time, even on my competition cars.
I use Autoglym “Clean Wheels”

and water to clean the brake dust of the ali wheels
Spray on “wheel Protector”

and let dry.

It reduces the time the brake dust sticks to the wheels. it works very well. Give it a try

 

Are Textar or Zimmerman brand brake pads good? My 2014 Lux model is due for a change.

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Both are German companies. Textar appears to more for the large truck market and trying to move into the car market.
Zimmerman have more of a racing pedigree.
Your question is a bit vague “are they any good?” How long is a piece of string!?!? It depends what you want. Some are better than others at working at a lower temp, initial bite, fading temp, co-effient of friction depending on the properties of the disc, brake dust, squeal, noise, cost, enviro friendly, etc... the list goes on and on.
If you are wanting to stop, they all stop. If you want less dust, then you will get many different comments and are very very subjective depending who is telling you.
If you not interested in all the why for’s and conjecture then stick to what the manufacture installs and find out who sells it either than the dealer who usually has a high markup

 

Both are German companies. Textar appears to more for the large truck market and trying to move into the car market.
Zimmerman have more of a racing pedigree.
Your question is a bit vague “are they any good?” How long is a piece of string!?!? It depends what you want. Some are better than others at working at a lower temp, initial bite, fading temp, co-effient of friction depending on the properties of the disc, brake dust, squeal, noise, cost, enviro friendly, etc... the list goes on and on.
If you are wanting to stop, they all stop. If you want less dust, then you will get many different comments and are very very subjective depending who is telling you.
If you not interested in all the why for’s and conjecture then stick to what the manufacture installs and find out who sells it either than the dealer who usually has a high markup

Thanks. Was asking because of brake dust and if they are reputable brands. I went for the Textar brand.
When the '06 V8 is due I'll go for the Pagid brands.

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Brembo is a supplier to VAG, Zimmerman is good but not OEM supplier.
The VW Pads from dealer parts department offer a good compromise of braking and low dust with long life, made by Nisshinbo in USA and not available aftermarket
Our 11 VR6 went 100K on original pads/Rotors

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Good to know. Surprised it can last up to 100k miles. Wow.

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I reached 113,000 kms before I replaced my first set of pads/discs. Pagid on the front, Brembo on the rear