The new generation of Performance Friction Z-Rated® pads are an extension of the Performance Friction Carbon Metallic® brand, specifically engineered for high-performance and/or severe-duty usage. Not your mother's Z Rated pads in the past that were an incredibly effective pad manufactured originally for truck fleets from the local parts store! With relatively low dust levels (much lower than stock pads), these pads have excellent bite, torque, and modulation characteristics. Excellent for auto-X and light track use as well. Elevate your BMW's braking system to the best!
Longer life - multi-layer bonded brakes pick up less road dirt, so you get longer pad and rotor life. This means you will spend more time on the road, and less time in the shop changing your brakes.
What is Carbon Metallic®?
Carbon Metallic®, sometimes called CM in the industry, is the brand name of PFC's most well known brake pads and will be the brand best suited for the majority of people. Carbon Metallic® offers superior braking, pedal feel, and longer life without fade at high temperatures There are over a dozen varieties of Carbon Metallic®, each custom manufactured for a specific vehicle application. Carbon Metallic® is completely different from an organic or semi-metallic pads, which often use clay as fillers to reduce costs. Fillers also diminish performance - something PFC takes very seriously and will not compromise. Carbon Metallic®'s unique friction formula contains no fillers - no asbestos, no lead, and no kevlar.
The phrase Carbon Metallic® is now used in the industry for brake pads - much like Kleenex® is for tissue paper. Stated another way - PFC are the Kleenex® of the brake industry. The branding power that PFC's name commands is synonymous with performance in all categories.
What is Carbon Metallic Z-Rated®?
Carbon Metallic Z-Rated® is the brand name given to a newer set of PFC compounds specifically designed for high-performance vehicles such as BMW, Corvette, and Mustang, SUV's, as well as for severe-duty applications and tow vehicles. An ultra high performance, integrally molded disc pad, Carbon Metallic Z-Rated® is the most advanced carbon based pad available. Delivers unrivaled pedal feel, stopping power, rotor compatibility, and quiet braking - offers the longest rotor and pad life at a lower cost-per-mile in it's class.
Can I really tell a difference if I use Carbon Metallic®?
Different brake pads have different characteristics. Two performance attributes that change among pad compounds is the friction coefficient and their temperature capability before they fade. Numerous studies have been done at the Bosch Proving Grounds comparing other brands to PFC's Carbon Metallic® - and all have shown there is a lot of performance to be gained by investing in a premium, high-performance compound like CM. Carbon Metallic® pads keep fade in check by tolerating up to 50-80% higher rotor temperatures.
PFC Carbon Metallic® are extremely strong which, in addition to safety, offers superior brake pedal feel. This strength also makes Carbon Metallic® more compatible with ABS. Less strong organic/organic based or semi-metallic pads can actually compress, especially when hot. Carbon Metallic® pads continue to grip even when hot, offering safety and consistent braking and pedal feel.
Why doesn't PFC use rivets in its Carbon Metallic® pads?
PFC believes that having an integrally molded pad offers the highest shear strength. Through our unique Ionic Fusion process, we have achieved the highest shear strength in the market - the bond between the pad and the backing plate was deemed "phenomenally strong" by testing engineers. Riveted pads also pick up sand and other contaminants that can destroy rotors.
How safe are Carbon Metallic® pads compared to other manufacturers?
Carbon Metallic® pads are very safe. They meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 105 and 135. Not all brake pads sold in the aftermarket meet these stringent standards. Carbon Metallic® are also Original Equipment on over 3,000,000 Ford and GM vehicles. Carbon Metallic® is the safest brake you can buy, with the highest shear strength in the brake industry.
Many manufacturers put a good, better best ranking to their brakes, and market them according to sales price. At PFC, there is no good, better, best - they are all the best - and there is only one Carbon Metallic®.
Why are Fleets so big on PFC's Carbon Metallic® and Carbon Metallic Z-Rated® pads?
Many fleets including FedEx, Ryder, Penske Truck, and the U.S.P.S. have found that switching to PFC's Carbon Metallic® or Carbon Metallic Z-Rated® has greatly reduced the number of needed rotor replacements, lowering their cost per mile dramatically. Anyone who chooses Carbon Metallic® brands should benefit by longer pad and rotor life, a higher degree of safety, and a reduction in cost-per-mile.
