Ask the Editors: Wouldn’t Metal Brake Pads Destroy Rotors?
What’s in a name?
It is true that brake pads are often sold under two banners: Sintered and organic though the labels can be slightly misleading.
Organic pads are made from a mix of fibers and fillers bound together with a resin. These are more than adequate for a majority of us; especially for trail or recreational use.
Sintered on the other hand actually refers to the process of fusing metallic particles together through heat and high pressure.
Amazingly, a lot of pads under either label use metallic fragments in their blends. That’s the reason it’s important to remember that sintering is referring to the process itself and not the materials used.
Because sintered pads do contain a higher concentration of metal fragments, they tend to activate with more authority initially, work better in wet conditions but are also louder in action.
The reason metal in pads doesn’t tear the rotor into a sparking mess of shredded metal is that copper is material of choice usually; a metal softer than the hardened steel of the rotor it’s attempting to stop.
