Semi-Metallic Vs Ceramic Brake Pads

Ceramic brake pad linings are a relatively new compound in the automotive industry. Cars first started coming equipped with ceramic brake pads in the early 90's. The ceramic compounds have changed significantly since the first introduction into the marketplace. Initial concerns with the original ceramic compounds focused on the reduced stopping power with cold brakes, and premature wear of the rotors. This was because the original compound was adapted from automotive racing, and when you are racing a vehicle the brakes are being treated in a very different way than during every day driving situations. Tires, brakes and the engine reach a significantly higher operating temperature in race vehicles and this is the temperature that the ceramic components were designed to operate in. The ceramic materials are now more suitable for every day driving and are considered an upgrade regardless of whether the vehicle was originally equipped with semi-metallic, ceramic, or organic pads.

All brake pads perform as required, meaning they stop your vehicle when you put your foot on the brake pedal. That said, while there are advantages with all brake lining compounds the only advantage that the semi-metallic pad offers is an incredibly low price. Alternatively, Ceramic Brake Pads offer some notable advantages. First and foremost, the ceramic pad does not create a visible brake dust that blackens your wheels. If you have wheels that you are proud of, i.e. chrome or wheels that cost more than your vehicle; you will be a big fan of the ceramic brake pad. The second advantage is the reduced tendency to squeal. The ceramic compound does not contain steel fibers; the metal content in some semi-metallic pads was found to be the source of brake squeal for some manufacturers. The ceramic compound also typically lasts longer than a semi-metallic compound, and this is seen as an advantage with most vehicles, because pads normally wear out quicker than the rotors. Finding a perfect balance of wear between rotors and pads, so that rotors need to be replaced at the same time as the pads do, is the ideal situation. Ceramics typically help make this happen, but most vehicles' brake designs are quite different and this is not always the case.

How To Replace Brake Pads

Once you are aware of the differences between the two primary brake pads on the market the choice becomes clear. If you are replacing the brake pads on your daily driver pay the incrementally higher price and purchase the clearly superior ceramic brake pads. If you are only trying to keep that old beater alive for another year then maybe you will find the semi-metallic's to be the a very suitable and certainly more economical choice.

Semi-Metallic Vs Ceramic Brake Pads

Semi-Metallic Vs Ceramic Brake Pads

Asbestos and Car Components

Asbestos is a deadly fiber that seems to have been used in pretty much every industry since its fire retardant, insulating, and strengthening properties were discovered. One of those industries that used the fiber to a more limited degree is the automobile industry. The automobile industry is known to have included asbestos in the clutches, brake pads, and brake linings of their vehicles for years. For this reason, anyone working on a car should be exceptionally careful.

The clutch, regardless of whether the car has an automatic or standard transmission, is the part of the car that allows the car to shift between its gears. This allows the car to work at higher efficiency in the higher gears. The clutch is a very important piece of a car that is used almost constantly when the car is in use. It needs to be strong and able to withstand the engine's heat. For these reasons, the clutches of many cars contain asbestos.

How To Replace Brake Pads

Any individual that has ever had a clutch replaced on a car knows that it is possible for the clutch to wear out with time and miles. Any item that is subjected to friction will become worn out. The clutch on a car is not an exception. When the friction starts causing the item to break down, dust commonly forms in the area around the clutch. This dust contains asbestos fibers. When the clutch area is opened up for repairs or to check everything out if there's any sort of problem, the dust can be stirred up and released into the surrounding area. Once released, the fibers can be inhaled or swallowed and can contaminate the entire car garage.

Asbestos and Car Components

Brakes are another huge asbestos problem for mechanics. There is even more wear and tear on brakes that causes the asbestos fibers to be broken down. These fibers are then contained in the brake housing on each wheel. Because the brake pads and the brake linings can both have asbestos in them, there is potentially much more asbestos present in brake repairs than in a clutch.

One thing that mechanics commonly do to clean off the brake housing is apply compressed air to remove all of the dirt and dust. This is the worst thing they could possibly do for their own health when dealing with asbestos fibers. The compressed air expels the dust from the brakes, this is true, but it also sprays it into the air of the car repair garage.

No mechanic, regardless of experience, is able to tell which brake pad or lining or clutch contains asbestos just by looking at the item. Because of this, any mechanic should treat every brake or clutch as containing asbestos and take all necessary precautions.

For more information on the hazards of asbestos, please visit http://www.mesolawsuit.com.

Asbestos and Car Components
Call: 714-248-8042 | Used Car Repair Irvine | Trucks | RV Video Clips. Duration : 1.90 Mins.

www.franciscosautorepair.com Call 714-248-8042 | Used Car Repair | Trucks | RV www.franciscosautorepair.com Francisco'sAuto Repair 7662 Slater Avenue Huntington Beach, CA 92647 (714) 375-2661 (714) 375-2662 Hours Of Operation: 6:30AM - 6:00PM Monday - Friday Saturday By Appointment We serve the communities of: Huntington Beach Fountain Valley Costa Mesa Seal Beach Newport Beach Westminster Irvine & Surrounding areas. Welcome to Francisco's Auto Repair in Huntington Beach We welcome you to Francisco's Automotive located in Huntington Beach. We have been reliably servicing and repairing automobiles for over 20 years. Most domestic, Asian and European automobiles are worked on a daily basis from minor to major repairs. We accomplish needed auto repairs and service using all necessary tools and equipment. This includes factory scan tools, aftermarket scanners, lab scopes and all related tooling necessary. Along with the tooling up to date training is implemented to keep current on today's automobile systems. 3 Year/36000 Mile Warranty on Auto Repairs We offer a 3 year/36000 mile warranty on our auto repairs for our loyal customers who get all their repair and service work done with us. For new customers, a 2 year, 24000 mile warranty is given. Areas of auto repair services include the following: •Automobile Air Conditioning repair and service - Basic service includes recharging, dye/electronic leak checks to component replacement as needed for proper air conditioning ...

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A Women’s Point of View: The Rush Has Begun

by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager

It’s official. The Holidays that we all know and love are in full swing. The cooking, the cleaning for all the company, the shopping, the chauffeuring, the decorating, etc., etc., etc. You are Woman! We hear you roar!

I notice every year at Cars For Keeps that we see fewer women this time of year. We do get to meet their husbands, their teenagers, even their fathers and brothers. Good recruiting and delegating ladies. Our hats are off to you for knowing that your car’s mechanical health is very important this time of year when you are running here and there and everywhere. You think and plan ahead to have that oil change, those brakes checked and fixed and those inspections done to head off any potential trouble. There is nothing worse than getting up at 3AM to get to that store for those great bargains and then finding out your battery is dead. You get ten points for stress reduction.

Winter driving tip for the day: steering wheel covers. Get the kind that have material and bumps on them. The material keeps your steering wheel from getting so cold that your hands ache and the bumps give you a good grip when turning corners. How many times have your hands slipped, especially if you are wearing mittens? Oddly enough, the bumpy parts do not get that cold, so you can take off those bulky mittens with the hand warmers and stay comfortably in control of that steering wheel. The only bad part is getting the cover onto the steering wheel, but it is worth the trouble. Oh, and be sure to color coordinate.!

Some Main Tools for Car Maintenance

There are some basic car maintenance tasks you can do by yourself. You only need to equip yourself with some main tools. With these tools, you don't need to call a road service for a simple maintenance task such as fixing tire or replacing the fluids. It will be able to help you save money in a long run.

Jack, Wrench and Tire Iron

How To Replace Brake Pads

You have to always remember to keep the car jack, wrench, and tire iron while on the go. It will be very beneficial if you get flat tire. Place the jack under the car close to the flat tire for lifting the car up so that you can easily remove the tire. Wrench will help you remove wheel lugs or bolt while the tire iron can help you secure the wheel lugs back to the spare tire while on the wheel. In addition, wrench is useful to remove oil tank bolt. You will use it in case you perform oil change.

Some Main Tools for Car Maintenance

Funnel for Fluids

Funnel will help you perform the maintenance task such as replacing fluids like transmission fluid, oil, and brake fluid. This is one of the most important parts of car maintenance. With this tool, you will be able to avoid the spillage while filling up the fluid reserves.

Tire Pressure Gauge

Tire pressure gauge will help you keep air in the tire at the appropriate level. Driving the car with low pressure air will reduce the efficiency of the fuel since under-inflated tire can make the engine work harder. Later, it can affect the steering. Therefore, before driving, you have to make sure that the tire pressure is at the appropriate level. To measure the tire pressure, you only need to place it over the nozzle of your tire. This tool shows you the reading on the tire pressure through the small poles which looks like a thermometer.

Battery Charger and Air Machine

Car battery charger is beneficial in case you are running out of the power since you accidentally leave the lights on. To solve your problem, you only need to attach the handles of charger to the according red and black connections and then switch the device on to charge it. Instead, you can also get the jumper cables and connect the handles to another car. In addition, you can also have an air machine for filling up the flattened tire.

Some Main Tools for Car Maintenance
2007 TOYOTA COROLLA Video Clips. Duration : 0.88 Mins.

2007 TOYOTA COROLLA Madison WI (608) 807-0468 www.zimbrick.com Formore information on this vehicle and our full inventory, call Internet Team at (608) 807-0468. Zimbrick Fish Hatchery Rd 1601 W Beltline Hwy Madison, WI 53713 ONE OWNER,LOCALLY OWNED TRADE,REMAINING FACTORY WARRANTY,AM CD PLAYER,AIR CONDITIONING,CRUISE CONTROL,POWER MIRRORS,POWER LOCKS,4 CYLINDER MOTOR,AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION,REPLACE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS,REPLACE FRONT BRAKE PADS,INSTALL 4 NEW TIRES,BALANCE NEW TIRES,ALIGN ALL WHEELS,REPLACE TRNSMISSION PAN/GASKET,CHANGE OIL AND FILTER,SAFETY INSPECTION COMPLETED

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Winter Snow Tires: Two Tires or Four?

by Marjorie, Cars for Keeps Social Media Manager

Well, as anyone who was traveling in West Michigan over the Thanksgiving holiday knows, winter weather driving is officially here! We may not all love the snow, but it's here to stay, and our vehicles need to be prepared.

Some drivers may opt to only put snow tires on two wheels - front or back, depending on where the drivetrain is located - in an attempt to save money. While this may seem like a good idea from a non-mechanic's point of view, the truth is that only using two snow tires instead of four may barely improve your vehicle's handling in inclement positions. In rear wheel drive vehicles, using snow tires only on the back end may actually cause less control than no snow tires at all.


But don't take our word for it. Take a look at these two winter tire demonstration videos put out by the Automobile Protection Association:

Rear Wheel Drive Snow Tires


Front Wheel Drive Snow Tires


So which brand of snow tires is best for your vehicle? We carry many brands winter tires which fit a range of budgets. Of course, we prefer the performance of some brands and models more than others, but the important thing is to HAVE snow tires on all four of your vehicle's wheels. To price out snow tires for your car, give us a call at 616-846-1989 or stop by the shop.

Safe driving!