Anyone running semi-metallic brake pads? Please provide your experience

[doughboy17]

Will switching to semi-metallic pads with brand new Zimmerman rotors cause more brake squeal / scraping than OE pad formulation? I cannot have squealing brakes and always use CRC Disc Brake Quiet, which has worked well but am concerned about switching to semi-metallic. Do I need to return the pads and purchase "organic"? Please share your experiences. Thanks.

My S4 needs new brakes, and I thought that OE formulation was semi-metallic. I ordered them from FCP Euro ... but am wrong. I believe the OE pads are "organic". To my knowledge this is the first time brakes are being changed on this car (93K miles).

[BucDan]

There's no way the car got to 93K miles on the original pads! You and the other owner must've been braking like you're trying to conserve the original eraser on a pencil for the life of the pencil.

I'm quite confident the original pads were semi-metallic. The Textar branded pads from FCP are correct and they're semi's.

As long as you grease the back of the pads and pins properly, you shouldn't get any squeal. If your rims were always dirty from brake dust, odds are they had semi-metallics.

[doughboy17]

There's no way the car got to 93K miles on the original pads! You and the other owner must've been braking like you're trying to conserve the original eraser on a pencil for the life of the pencil.

I'm quite confident the original pads were semi-metallic. The Textar branded pads from FCP are correct and they're semi's.

As long as you grease the back of the pads and pins properly, you shouldn't get any squeal. If your rims were always dirty from brake dust, odds are they had semi-metallics.

Thanks. It is certainly the first time I am replacing the brakes after purchasing the car CPO with around 38K miles on it. Those Textars are the ones arriving tomorrow. The rims are certainly always brake dusted.

[tomsgtr]

I switched from Semi-metallic brake pads to ceramic brake pads, zero noise but I lost the "bite" feeling using semi metallic brake pads. No dust and no brake squeal using ceramic brake pads.

[Midnight_Rider]

why not get some Hawk or Ferodo pads if you're going that route?

[doughboy17]

I switched from Semi-metallic brake pads to ceramic brake pads, zero noise but I lost the "bite" feeling using semi metallic brake pads. No dust and no brake squeal using ceramic brake pads.

Right. That is why I am not interested in ceramic. Do you know whether the stock brake pads are semi-metallic or something else?

[doughboy17]

Just following up: FCP Euro claims the B8.5 S4 stock pads are semi-metallic.

[blackfunk]

Stock pads are semi metallic. Great initial bite but they dust like crazy, works great but if you really beat on them they can fade but that's honestly with most any street pads. Outside of the dust I'd have no issues running them. I'm pretty certain that ALL brake pads are either semi or ceramic in nature with the semi being variable with the compound being used more or less aggressive on the rotors.

[B18b1ex]

I use ebc yellows, lots of dust but they stop. It’s all a compromise low dust, loss of initial bite and for me less stopping, semi metallic, a lot of dust but better braking.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bartlett]

I tried both ceramics and semi-metallics. They have their pros and cons. If you're looking for performance, semi-metallics are a given. But, some ceramics can be solid contenders, like the Endless MX72. And to make up for some of the lost initial bite, get stainless steel brake lines. Currently, I run Ferodo DS2500s in the front and Hawk HPS 5.0 in the rear.