forester2002s Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 125 psi of air pressure on a caliper to move the piston? No thanks. My life's not worth it. What you have is a small bomb, ready to explode and launch the piston where you least expect. Air is compressible, and can store energy when pressurized. Be very careful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hohieu Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 (edited) Do ceramic pads generate less heat? Heat production is directly proportional to the coeffecient of friction. At a very general level, when you use your brakes, you're converting kinetic energy into thermal energy (heat). The main advantage of ceramic pads is not improved braking performance but lower NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) and less noticeable dusting, which are the main complaints of your average driver and, therefore, a major source of comebacks in the automotive repair business. Ceramics insulate heat (and noise), so your rotors actually run hotter with a ceramic pad vs. a semi-metallic one. Many manufacturers add copper to their ceramic friction compounds in order to improve heat dissipation. This is misconception about ceramics providing performance advantage is mainly due to the successful marketing campaigns of brake pad manufacturers. Ceramic pads tend to cost more and the profit margin is higher. I've tried several different ceramic pads and have concluded that I prefer high quality semi-metallic pads. I can live with the extra dusting. As for the brake lube question, I think piston boots and slide pins, particularly on Akebono calipers with the rubber bushing on the lock pin, require a dedicated lubricant. A solid lubricant such as Permatex Ceramic, Moly grease, or anti-seize is good for the pad contact points and backing plate, areas where washout is a concern. On the sealed areas of the caliper, washout is not a concern, and this is where I think you need a dedicated lubricant that will not swell rubber and compromise the sealing points and that will stand up to the heat of a braking system. Edited October 19, 2012 by hohieu clarity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1-3-2-4 Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 125 psi of air pressure on a caliper to move the piston?No thanks. My life's not worth it. What you have is a small bomb, ready to explode and launch the piston where you least expect. Air is compressible, and can store energy when pressurized. Be very careful! I'm not dumb I had a block of wood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efseiler Posted October 19, 2012 Author Share Posted October 19, 2012 That's probably another reason why mechanics are stubborn about it...they don't really want to discover how friendly nurses are! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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