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Ceramic Pads -- performance in cold temps??

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Old Apr 10, 2004 | 11:51 PM
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Default Ceramic Pads -- performance in cold temps??

Hi All,

I'm going to be due for front brakes soon and I wanted to know what your thoughts were on ceramic pads in cold weather. I know that ceramic pads eat stock rotors for lunch so I'm going to go with a set of Powerslot rotors which appear to be fully cast. In light of that, I was hoping to upgrade the performance of the braking system a bit by going with ceramic pads.

However I seem to remember reading somewhere that the performance of ceramic pads was not great in cold weather. Is this the case or am I wrong? (Hopefully I'm wrong! )

Any thoughts from you guys would be appreciated....
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Old Apr 11, 2004 | 12:16 AM
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brakes warm up pretty easily (friction)
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Old Apr 11, 2004 | 12:38 AM
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I had great performance with ceramic pads and PowerSlot rotors on my GTP - I highly recommend them!

Cheers,
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Old Apr 11, 2004 | 02:41 AM
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The ceramic Pads work well in a Canadian winter as long as you have the upgraded rotors
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Old Apr 11, 2004 | 03:43 AM
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I agree. No differences to notice between hot and cold weather.
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Old Apr 11, 2004 | 04:02 AM
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My ceramics sqeek a little when they are cold. Dead cold, a couple of stops and no more sqeeky until they have about an hour to cool.
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Old Apr 11, 2004 | 11:12 AM
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I put ceramics on just before Christmas and it was fine all winter. I drive just over 5,000 kms a month so I had lots of time to test them. PLUS I was also driving in -40 weather for just about most of Jan and all was fine.

NOW for the rotors

About a month or so ago I installed SLOTTED rotors from RSM racing. After break in period ( they told me about 150 kms) I tested them. They "claim" that it will reduce your stopping distance by about 10 feet, I have to disagree I think they decrease your stopping distance by more than 10 FT, these things are AMAZING. I put them to the test once again last night.
I was clipping around a few really sharp corners faster than I should have been, then out of the corner of my eye I see something on the side of the road. It was a wolf, I hit those brakes and it felt like the car stopped in it'* place. Gave new meaning to the term "Stop On A Dime".


So if you are looking at changing the rotors also I would seriously look at those slotted ons from RSM racing, Ty From www.domesticperformance.com sells them along with allot of other companies out there. I picked mine up right from RSM since I was around that area when my rotors died. They told me that they have a higher Kevlar content in them to resists heat better than most rotors.

Sorry for the long post but just letting you know personal experience.
( btw, these brakes are installed on my 2003 Malibu, I wouldn't' put my Bonneville through that much mileage a month for work, lol).
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Old Apr 11, 2004 | 11:35 AM
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Thanks to all for the responses. I'm glad we put the performance issue in cold weather to bed. I'll order 'em this week.
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