Several Brake Questions?

Sup Guys,

I currently have Brembo cross drilled/slotted rotors (ebay) and noticed light squeeking lately when applying the breaks signifying that I might need to replace my pads soon. I have several questions, which to go with? Ceramic? Semi-Metallic? Metallic? Also as far as brands should I go with EBC's (some say they're overated) Axxis or Hawk?

Additionally I have rear drums, should I replace those brakes pads also?
Question: When exactly are the rear brakes applied? I mean I always thought that rear brakes (especially drums) only worked when the emergency brake is applied. Please correct me if Im wrong.

BTW, I have a 99 GS Spyder, not sure if that makes a difference.

Thanks

The rear brakes are applied whenever you a step on the brakes, but they brake bias is shifted forward. IIRC, the backs only do something like 25%-30% of the braking.

You don't have rear brake pads, you have brake shoes. Drums run a completely different setup than discs. The only way you'll know if you need to replace them is if you take them off and look at them, they don't start to squeak like disc pads do. And I would go with some EBC's, they're pretty good.

As for the rear brakes, Thor is right. They are applied with the front brakes, but they aren't always applied at the same pressures, the fronts do more of the braking than the back. The parking brake is simply a lever connected to a cable that applies the rear brakes when the lever is pulled.

ceramic is what you should get also. semi met and metalliac will squeel and have alot of dust

Yeah but ceramics eat rotors, i have axxis semi metalics with cross/slotted brembos and i love them. I don't have any problems with squeaking.

yub, ceramic eat rotor, my rotor worm out before my brake pad is.

I thought the semi-metallic ones were the ones that werent noisey or dusty... I think I would get semimetallics. Even if they do make a lot of dust, I would rather have lots of dust than eat rotors all the time.