DeeMaxx Brake Pads: Ceramic vs Semi-Metallic vs Stainless

Every DeeMaxx caliper takes one of two pad sets, and each set comes in three materials. That is the whole catalog: six pad part numbers. The choice is simpler than the car-pad aftermarket makes it sound, and most of what matters is documented by DeeMaxx. Here is what each pad is, what DeeMaxx says about the compounds, which pad your caliper shipped with, and how the warranty treats pads. The pads are in the DeeMaxx range.

Two sizes: D289 and D215

DeeMaxx's 3-6K caliper (CALP-3-6K, used on 3,500 and 6,000 lb axles) takes the D289 pad; the 7-8K caliper (CALP-7-8K) takes the D215. Both are slotted and chamfered and sold as one-axle sets. The size follows the caliper, not the finish or the axle brand: a stainless 3-6K caliper takes the same D289 as a MAXX one, and an 8K Dexter kit and an 8K Al-Ko kit take the same D215.

The six pads

Weights are per our listings. "Stainless steel" on a pad is about the pad's construction rather than its friction material: etrailer's DeeMaxx page describes them as stainless steel-backed ceramic pads, and DeeMaxx fits them to its stainless and MAXX-SS calipers, the ones we list for marine and salt exposure.

What ships in each caliper

• CALP-3-6K-MAXX and CALP-3-6K-MEC/HY-MAXX: yellow ceramic pads.
• CALP-3-6K-MAXX-SS, CALP-3-6K-SS and CALP-3-6K-MEC/HY-SS: stainless pads.
• CALP-7-8K-MAXX and CALP-7-8K-MEC/HY-MAXX: yellow pads, Kevlar per DeeMaxx.
• CALP-7-8K-MAXX-SS and CALP-7-8K-SS: stainless pads.

So every MAXX kit arrives on the yellow pad and every MAXX-SS or SS kit on the stainless pad. The semi-metallic set is a replacement option only; no DeeMaxx caliper ships with it.

What DeeMaxx says about compounds

DeeMaxx's "How brakes work" page gives rule-of-thumb friction coefficients by compound, cold and hot: organic 0.44 and 0.48, semi-metallic 0.38 and 0.40, metallic 0.25 and 0.35, ceramic 0.38 and 0.45. The higher the coefficient, the "softer" the pad: it bites harder and wears faster, and DeeMaxx names noise and wear as the other factors to weigh. DeeMaxx also explains the two-letter edge code printed on automotive pads, the cold and hot friction classes, but it does not publish edge codes or coefficients for its own six pads, so we cannot rank them against each other. The figures above describe compound families in general, not test data on DeeMaxx pads.

Two things DeeMaxx does state about pads in service: pad fade happens when the brake exceeds the pad material's temperature limit, the pedal feels normal but stopping power drops, and DeeMaxx lists inadequate cooling as its cause; and "pads too soft" and "pad fade (inadequate cooling)" are on its list of causes of rapid pad wear.

Choosing

• Replacing like for like is the documented default: the yellow pad for a MAXX caliper, the stainless pad for a stainless or MAXX-SS caliper.
• Salt water: the stainless pad is what DeeMaxx fits to its stainless and MAXX-SS calipers, the ones we list for marine and salt exposure, and DeeMaxx also sells the MAXX caliper with stainless pads already fitted, as CALP-3-6K-MAXX-SS and CALP-7-8K-MAXX-SS. Which finish suits which water is in DeeMaxx MAXX vs stainless for saltwater boat trailers.
• Semi-metallic: DeeMaxx lists it at both sizes without a stated application. By DeeMaxx's general figures a semi-metallic compound matches ceramic cold (0.38), sits below organic (0.44), is lower than both hot (0.40 against 0.45 and 0.48) and changes least from cold to hot. If you want it for a specific reason, contact us and we will put the question to DeeMaxx.

Warranty rules that involve pads

• "The use of DeeMaxx brake pads in a non-DeeMaxx caliper voids any and all warranty coverage."
• Brake pads, rotors, calipers and brackets "not installed by a licensed brake specialist" are not covered.
• Normal wear is not covered, and pads are a wear item.

Fitting and bedding in

New pads need DeeMaxx's break-in: ten moderate stops from 30 to 10 mph with about 30 seconds between them, a 15-minute cool-down, five stops from 50 to 10 mph, then 30 minutes of cooling, with full seating within about 1,000 miles. Grease the caliper slides with MAXX Glide (CALP-GREASE-10) while the caliper is off, check the rotor against its minimum thickness (0.815" on the 10.2" to 12" rotors, 0.957" on the 13.1" integral rotor/hubs and 8K slip-over rotors), and look for the causes of uneven wear on DeeMaxx's troubleshooting list: a caliper not sliding, a bent bracket, a scored rotor. The full procedure is in DeeMaxx bedding in, bleeding and maintenance.

Frequently asked questions

Is a pad set one wheel or one axle?

One axle: both calipers on that axle. A tandem trailer needs two sets.

Do stainless pads fit a MAXX caliper?

Yes. The pad size is D289 or D215 regardless of the caliper's finish, and DeeMaxx itself sells the MAXX caliper with stainless pads fitted (the MAXX-SS calipers).

Is the 7-8K yellow pad ceramic or Kevlar?

DeeMaxx's own listing calls it Kevlar; our listing title says ceramic. We are checking with DeeMaxx and will correct whichever is wrong. Either way it is the pad every 7-8K MAXX caliper ships with.

How do I know the pads are worn out?

DeeMaxx does not publish a minimum pad thickness. It does list badly worn, unevenly worn and tapered pads as causes of slow response, pulling and squeal, so inspect at every bearing service and replace at the first of those signs.

DeeMaxx pads ship from our warehouse in Upland, California. Found them cheaper? Under our Lowest Price Guarantee we'll beat it.

Sources: deemaxx.com pad and caliper listings, "How brakes work", "Technical" and the warranty statement; etrailer's DeeMaxx pages; our own listings.