Manufacturers use brake hardware to help with component fitment, reduce noise and vibration and also help reduce component movement friction. Precise dimensions and smooth edge surfaces free of rust and well lubricated will allow the moving surfaces to glide across the slipper, hardware, backing plate and caliper, thus eliminating noise. Brake hardware is subjected to the same environment as the brake pads and rotors and should be replaced with every brake service.

Friction materials are not universal and Bosch Engineers follow platform specific specifications. Each vehicle is designed to meet specific targets and designs are constantly changing. For example, If a ceramic material is used on a vehicle that is designed to operate with a semi-metallic, the most common failure is rapid wear with high levels of wheel dust. Likewise, if a ceramic material is replaced with a semi-metallic, the likely failure will be due to brake noise and excessive rotor wear. The best practice is to replace “like with like.”

Brake pad glazing is the crystallization of friction material resulting from the brake pad reaching temperatures above the specified heat range (overheating) or improper “bedding in” of the brake pads. Such crystallization can result in poor stopping performance, additional brake vibrations, or cracking in the brake pad material. Glazing is a misnomer and has not technically been observed since the elimination of asbestos. Many of the ingredients in the older asbestos linings would fuse during braking because of the intense heat generated at the interface of the drum lining and drum. The fusion of the materials would form an amorphous (i.e. glass-like) layer with poor stopping ability. Today’s highly engineered friction materials are designed to quickly form a smooth polished surface that coats both the disc and the pad surface with a microscopic layer of material known as the transfer layer (or third body layer.) This layer is essential to consistent friction level, long life, low dust and quiet performance.

The best way to improve brake performance is to purchase high quality brake components such as Bosch QuietCast™ Premium Brake Pads and Bosch QuietCast™ Premium Disc Brake Rotors. Additionally, a thorough brake job that restores a vehicle’s brake system to its original operating condition can also improve a vehicle’s braking performance.