Brake pad question- Ceramic in front, OEM in back?

[Neilk]

Hi,

I need the replace the brake pads on my SO's Infiniti FX35. Infinitipartsusa sells ceramic pads that they say are better and cheaper than the OEM pads. Does it matter if the pads in front are ceramic but still OEM in the back, or do I need to replace the rear ones too with ceramic pads?

Thanks,
Neil

[porsche4life]

I would give more front brake bias I would assume. Don't know if you would notice on the street...

[javadog]

You don't know if the ceramic pads have a higher or lower coefficient of friction than the stock ones. You also don't know how this coeficient of friction changes with temperature. So, you may change your basic brake bias and it may be different when the brakes are cold, versus when they are hot. You also don't know how these new pads would affect the wear rate of the rotor, which is the more expensive part of the setup. There are other issues but we'd be getting a little esoteric to bring them up.

Granted, I'd assume that the car probably has ABS, so that would mitigate the problems to an extent. Still, why screw with it, just to save a few bucks? I always use stock pads on a street car.

JR

[gr8fl4porsche]

I stopped using ceramic pads - they are rotor killers. Never noticed any stopping power difference on the ones I have used over multiple vehicles.

Less brake dust was about the only benefit.

[Z-man]

I've heard that asbestos pads are really good....

If that Infinity is only a street car, then stick with the stock pads. Just because a pad is made of exotic sounding materials, that doesn't necessarily mean it is better. Besides, a differnt compound front to rear will change the braking bias, which can lead to unpredictable braking on the street.

-Z-man.