Which brake material is used stock? Ceramic/Semi-Metallic?

[tOnyYNoT]

38,000 miles, and about to conduct Versa's first brake job.

Which brake pad material is used stock? Ceramic/Semi-Metallic? Which is considered best, and why is it the case?Does getting brake work done outside the dealer void warranty? What tools are needed to change brake pads?


Modified by tOnyYNoT at 2:36 PM 1/31/2010

[superskunk]

first off welcome to the forums! and getting to the question... im pretty sure the stock pads are a semi metallic compound... getting work done does not void warranty, if it had to do anything with warranty they would have to prove that said part caused failure or malfunction... changing brake pads is easy, all you need is a Jack to jack up the car, a Jackstand to support the weight, remove rim, and i think the nut is a 17mm if i remember correctly, someone chime in if im wrong... after words remove caiper from rotor and change out brake pads... be sure to use new shims that come with the new pads... hope this helps...

[tOnyYNoT]

Does going from Semi-Metallic to Ceramic cause issues? I keep reading that Ceramic's are better.Would this be the type of thing that voids warranty (just want to understand warranties better)?

[CodeRed]

Ceramics won't void warranty nor will they cause any problems...

The only problem I had when changing to ceramics was a lot more squeaking...

[tOnyYNoT]

What brand of brakes are recommended? Should I simply purchase the ones sold by Nissan? And if so, what would be runner up?

I looked closely at the rotors, and noticed dark rings around them. But they aren't engraved (after feeling them with my thumb). The surface feels smooth. Is this normal, or are the brakes beginning to eat at the rotors?

When front brakes are changed, does this mean the rear drum brakes should also be changed simultaneously (They aren't as worn)?


Modified by tOnyYNoT at 2:01 PM 1/31/2010

[Promise Land]

You can buy new pads from your local dealer or one online. I will probably go with a set from a local auto parts store when it's my time.

If you don't feel any deep gouges that catch your finger nail, you can probably just swap the pads. You don't need to replace the rear shoes unless they also need replacing because they are worn out.

[tOnyYNoT]

I just came across these NAPA Adoptive 1 brake pads: they use two different materials for the inner and outer pads in each wheel.

http://www.adaptive-1.com/ao_inside.html

Any thoughts?

[Shad0wXCalibur]

I checked my front pads at 40k and they still had a lot more meat left on them than I thought they would. Either the stock pads have a long wear life or I don't use the brakes nearly as much as I think I do.