Dumb question here but Im curious what type of brake pads come with the 2006 h3, I still have yet to change the brake pads and some places say they only come in semi metallic so I was wondering if that was correct or do I go with ceramic. Please let me know what comes with the car?

Thanks

 

the hummer comes from the factory with metallic, i have a 06 and 45,000 miles on it and when it was in for oil change was told my rear would need brakes soon, the dealer sells mettalic and ceramic. i asked what was better and he said that ceramic has not been arround long enough to really no how good they are but he said that was the popular choice of people and its probally due to the fact they are about $90 cheaper then metallic all though he told me if i have gotten arround 45,000 miles with my current set i can assume i will get that again. so it basically comes down to u, is money a issue or do u wana get new break pads sooner. i have decided to get the mettalic because i had no issues with them and can expect another 45,000 miles instead of going back at maybe 20,000 - 25,000. good luk and hopefully the info i was told can help. i actually posted some thing on this a little way back trying to see what others thought and no 1 decided to respond so i was not able to get any info here on the diffrence between the 2 and sice the dealer was not pushing either on me i figured the only diffrence is the lenght they will last.they came out with the ceramic just so people would have another option cause thats what people want. its just like buying a tire some get 15,000 miles and some get 25,000 and so on. it is what u wana spend

 

Hmm I think I will stay with the metallic as well if thats what it came with and seems to have done a good job I guess. Money is not a problem but I just wanna keep it the way it was.

 

Funny the ceramics are more expensive in some brands. Only problem I have heard of is the rotors can wear faster if they are not made for ceramic pads. Makes sense considering ceramic pads wear longer.... something has to give. I say stick with semi-metalic. I have replaced the brakes on every car I have ever owned (over 15 now) and never had an issue when I went with semi-metalic pads.

Just be sure the rotors are not overly grooved or too thin. If so you will need to have them turned or replaced. If this is your first set and you replaced them before you got down to metal on metal then you should be okay.

(Disclaimer: I am not a professional mechanic.)

 

so i just did my first brake job ever and super easy, i went with ceramic and they were more then the semi-metallic. i don't think there is a issue with the rotors. i asked my guy at the dealer who i only deal with and he said u can go either way and it is just a personal preference and he said nothing about that one can work with the rotor and the other wont and i have a 06. i have not heard of rotor's made for just 1 specific pad type but if u are that concerned ask first.

 

Reposted from F-150 forum

My experience after installing tens of thousand of brakes....organic...semi-met....met....carbon-met and ceramic composite.

In my experience most noise is caused not by the pad but by poor practices when serviceing the brake system. For example: Not lubing sliders or contact points. Incorrect finish on rotors or not washing them after turning. Not beveling leading and trailing edges of brake lining surface.

Dust is caused by the pad...some do...some don't. Usually the more carbon the lining has...the more dust it will create. This carbon dust will also usually indicate a long lasting lining. Enough said.

Semi-met vs. Ceramic
Each has it's own pros and cons.

The major difference between the 2 pads is that ceramic is an insulator and as such pushes the heat generated when braking into the rotor making the rotor take the brunt of the effort. When extended or heavy braking is required such as in a performance application or towing regularly this is a bad thing as it can cause the rotors to over-heat...warp or fail. Ceramic benifits are that dust is almost non-existenet as well as initial and sustained braking pressure is usually more efficient than other forms of linings. Additionally lining life in non-performance/towing applications usually far outlasts traditional lining materials as well.

I think I've covered most of the pro's and cons of ceramics, semi-mets are pretty understood and I don't think need to be covered.

For daily drivers and light towing applications I belive ceramics are an excellent choice. For heavy towing or performance applications there are better options.

Keep in mind that application has a lot to do with it. For example '88-'98 Chevy C/K1500 and light 2500 trucks were poorly designed with a 10" rear drum and inappropriate propotioning due to the ABS design. This meant that by design the front brakes are supposed to do 90% of the braking...with poor proportioning the rear was doing less than 2% causing premature break wear and needing front lining and rotor replacement every 8-14,000 miles. Because most owners would not completely replace their brake system with a different master cylinder and disconnect their ABS systems, as well as installing larger rear brakes....a longer lasting more aggressive pad was the answer....bringing carbon-metallic to the masses. Most replacement pads for these vehicles are now only available as carbon-metallic.

My point is that if you know automotive parts people...ask them what is working for your application...most will know more than your average joe.
I'm not referring to your discount auto parts places. Most of these folks are not as knowledgeable as the guys who deliver parts to the auto repair industry such as NAPA or CARQUEST.