Brake Service: Ceramic Pads and Fluid Replacement

I have a 2003 Malibu with front disc brakes and rear drum brakes equipped with ABS. My front brake pads are definitely worn and need replacing (I'm hoping my rotors are ok - the wear went from OK to OH SH#T in like 2 weeks) and I was looking at getting a set of Ceramic pads. The two main brands I've come across that are available for my vehicle are Raybestos and Bendix. I like that fact that ceramics last longer and produce less brake dust. I am curious to what your thoughts and experiences are on ceramic pads and their manufacturers. Do they offer better braking and fade resistance than OEM pads ? Do they produce noticeably less dust?


Also, my vehicle has 22k miles on it and I was wondering whether it is recommended/necessary to have all the brake fluid replaced. It uses DOT 3 brake fluid and the hayes manual recommends it be changed at 30k. Since I dont think that I'll have to service them again within the next 10k miles - is it a good idea to go ahead and change the fluid ? Is there any advantage to using any fluid other than DOT 3 - say DOT 4 (still polyglycol - not silicone based like DOT 5) ?

The majority (~75% of the mileage) of my driving is done on the highway cruising @ 75mph. I do however doq quite a bit of city driving - especially in the summer - and I do enjoy taking the car out canyon carving on a nice weekend day.

ceramic pads are meant for situations where you brake alot such as racing. the only real difference Ive noticed was that it takes alot more heat to make the pads glaze over. Yes they do last a little longer. As for the brake fluid definatly change it! Brake fluid is hydoscopic(water soluable) so after time it absorbs moisture and will begin to start rusting the brake lines from the inside. Use the dot 4 fluid on some brake systems silicone based lubricants can cause the seals to swell so much that they actually leak(definatly a bad thing when you need to stop fast!)

Brake fluid should be replaced once every two years.
Check what type of brake fluid you system can handle and buy a good fluid, Motul, Castrol and so on. The wet and dry boingpoints are important, you never want your brake fluid to boil.

If you want better brake pads you can take a look at for example Pagid or Performance Friction, both known to produce good pads.

In general a pad wears itself and cause dust or it wears the brake disc. A brake pad can also work well in high temperatures or in low temperatures. To find a pad material that can do all is usually impossible.