A carbon-ceramic brake disc.
Carbon-ceramic brakes are cool to look at and many of us have imagined fitting a set of these on our car.
The thought of all that stopping power beneath our right foot is certainly enticing.
But even if you could afford them, perhaps you should hold back.
Especially if all your driving is done on-road and almost never on a racetrack.
Here are three reasons why you should reconsider getting a set of carbon-ceramic brakes.
1) They only work best at very high temperatures.
This is why only racecars or ultra high-performance cars (whose owners like taking them to the track) have carbon-ceramic brakes on their cars.
We’re talking repeated hard braking from very high speeds.
The kind of velocities that make these things glow red-hot.
It is highly unlikely that anyone will manage to get them this hot from regular road conditions.
Even our broiling weather isn’t enough to cook these!
2) They may not work well at low to moderate speeds.
If you have fitted brakes meant for heavy-duty racing applications, you may be in trouble.
This is because without the requisite high temperatures, these things may not work very well.
That means ironically, your stopping distances may actually increase, even in dry conditions.
Now imagine what it would be like in rainy weather.
That’s an unnecessary risk no driver should take.
3) You’ll be spending a lot more money than needed.
Getting a set of carbon-ceramic discs isn’t the end of the story.
You still need bigger (and hopefully lightweight) wheels in order for them to fit.
Bigger rims require larger and more expensive tyres, too.
To get maximise the potential of carbon-ceramic brakes, you’ll need braided brake cables and better brake fluid.
Perhaps the type meant for racing applications.
Suspension components may need to be upgraded, too.
If you do all your driving on the road, it may be better to invest in a big brake kit instead.
