Performance Front & Rear Brake Pads

A Guide to Car Brake Pads

How do brake pads work?

Brake pads, in essence, are strategically designed blocks with a friction-generating surface. They're held in place by a caliper and then pressed against the spinning brake rotor (which is connected to the vehicle's axles) to generate friction and slow the car down. It's simple in theory, but as with anything automotive, there's plenty of nuance to consider.

Are front and rear brake pads interchangeable?

No. Front brake pads are usually bigger and designed to fit different caliper mounts than rear pads. When ordering replacement brake pads for only one end of the car, you should always take care to order the correct ones. We recommend replacing all brake pads in one go, however, because if the front or rear pads are worn out, the others likely don't have much life left.

What's different about performance brake pads?

The material, mostly. Performance brake pads for sale are made using more specialized friction-generating materials, as the demands of performance driving are much more intensive. The other key benefit is that they resist high heat more effectively. With unsuitable brake pads, this heat can cause "brake fade," a significant reduction in braking effectiveness.

What are the best brake pads?

Carbon-ceramic brake pads are often considered the best brake pads. They're incredibly effective at managing heat and providing performance-driving confidence, and they also last longer than the typical semi-metallic brake pads. Ceramic-based pads are also quieter, minimizing the annoying brake squeals you hear in traffic daily. They also produce less brake dust, keeping your wheels cleaner. The downsides are that they cost more, and as heat insulators, they place more of the burden of heat on the brake rotors.

However, many of our performance brake pads and rotor kits come with high-end ceramic or carbon-ceramic brake pads for a deal and include heat-dispersing drilled and slotted rotors to complete the upgrade.

What are the different types of brake pads?

Brake pads can be made using ceramic, semi-metallic, or organic materials. We don't often stock organic pads, as they tend to be the lowest-performance option.

Instead, our options include semi-metallic and ceramic (usually in the form of carbon ceramic) brake pads. Semi-metallic pads are a great blend of price and performance. They "bite" harder than ceramic pads when driving in colder weather, but they can be a bit noisier and create more dust. Carbon-ceramic pads are better for performance and reduce the cold-weather drawback of pure-ceramic pads; they also "bite" even harder than traditional semi-metallic pads.

Plus, with their long-lasting, heat-resisting, cold-performing, and rotor-biting properties, carbon-ceramic brake pads are the perfect option for drivers upgrading to drilled and slotted rotors.

Shop Brake Pads for Sale Today

For brake pads designed to fit as a replacement or upgrade to any car, except exotic machines like Ferraris, we have you covered. Simply enter your vehicle's information on the search bar at the top of this page and discover high-quality options that won't brake the bank.