Originally posted by morbid:
Isn't there a triangle that the pads typically fall into? Being "Quiet", "Perfomance", "Low dust"? So performance pads would typically be more dusty and noisy, where OEM's might be on the quiet side?



Not really that simple. OEM pads are only as quiet as they are (and usually, but not always, low dust) because of extensive work on component natural frequencies, and stopping vibration transmission through components. Aftermarket companies, whether performance oriented or not, simply don't have that luxury of making design changes to anything but the pads themselves.

I will say that more aggressive linings (pad material) will virtually always be higher dusting, either actual pad dust, or rotor dust.

Honestly, brake pad material compounding is almost a black art, even still. There is all sorts of different materials that can be used for different things, and each one interacts with different materials differently, and then they all react differently depending on the mixing process for the compound.

Another aspect is the variation of the material properties from pad to pad from the same manufacturer. The variation in aftermarket pads is HUGE, because there is no watchdog that ensures how tightly each pad meets the original design intent. Where OEM has to worry about the NHTSA coming and picking any car at random off a dealer lot and running the Federal brake tests (FMVSS135 or FMVSS105 depending ont he vehicle) and if it got a bad batch of pads, that automaker is in a HUGE world of hurt. So, OEMs keep pad material properties under pretty tight control from thier suppliers.

ok, enough of the brake pad lessons, lol.

Balance is the Key. rarasvt@comcast.net