Brake rotors - experience?

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Mad Scientist
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#1819572 11-Jul-2017 13:53

MikeB4:

Buy new. My father was a motor engineer, when we were growing up he always said never buy second hand safety equipment such as Brake components, Steering components, shock absorbers, seat belts etc

Fred99

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#1819574 11-Jul-2017 13:55

Batman:

Ok sure thing guys thanks!

One more question - if you had a sportier car, and want to "upgrade" the brakes, to say larger rotor and more brake pistons ... is it as simple has plug and play, or is there more to it - eg changes ABS/ESP, some physics thing that I didn't consider on how the car handles (when braking), etc?

I suspect that the best first option would be to fit better(than OEM) high performance pads and perhaps better ventilated and or drilled/slotted rotors etc.

High performance pads do tend to eat brake rotors much faster than standard pads - there's no free lunch.

A larger rotor is probably going to cause issues with position of existing caliper mounts then possibly clearances with wheel rims etc.

Depends what you mean "sportier car" though, if that means a Porsche or Ferrari, chances are you can buy OEM brake upgrades with ceramic rotors which might last the life of the car, but the upgrade could cost you a seriously large sum - tens of thousands of $$$. If the idea is just to impress people, paint the existing calipers red or yellow with high-temp paint to suit the special colour to show everyone on the road that you need F1 brakes because you're a racing car driver. Down the pecking order, upgrades for cars like Toyota 86 etc perhaps much more affordable.

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#1819577 11-Jul-2017 13:59

My subaru legacy turbo comes with facotry 18" wheels, and it the factory rotors look like some kid's toy car rotor. So yes I have considered clearance. But I'm not a boy racer and I don't upgrade stuff for the sake of it. Not anymore! But one day its rotors might break or I might find something online that's tempting - thought I'd better know the science before even thinking about it in the future.

And OK i won't get some used STI rotors and calipers, promise!

Fred99

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#1819588 11-Jul-2017 14:09

Batman:

My subaru legacy turbo comes with facotry 18" wheels, and it the factory rotors look like some kid's toy car rotor. So yes I have considered clearance. But I'm not a boy racer and I don't upgrade stuff for the sake of it. Not anymore! But one day its rotors might break or I might find something online that's tempting - thought I'd better know the science before even thinking about it in the future.

And OK i won't get some used STI rotors and calipers, promise!

So why would you need better brakes?

Under normal conditions they probably won't help you stop faster. Under extreme conditions where standard brakes overheat and fade, that's another story.
That said, we did have a mid '90s auto trans Nissan Pulsar with totally inadequate front disks. We live up a hill, and if you used the brakes to slow down without engine braking, with a few passengers in the car, they'd be smoking and fading by the time you got to the bottom. Potentially dangerous.

Batman

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#1819590 11-Jul-2017 14:13

Not sure why.

I owned a Subaru STI once, with the giant STI rotor and red Brembo calipers. The pedal was like moving a concrete block. But when it bites your spleen would hurt. This one is just "normal", ie the deceleration doesn't balance the acceleration the turbo produces.

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#1819602 11-Jul-2017 14:45

I recently replaced the rotors on a VW Touareg. I was offered the choice of genuine VW OEM rotors or 3rd party at about half the price. I asked if there was any reason not to and the guy said not really so went with that.

Well for some reason these rotors squeal like banshees when braking in reverse. Nothing when forwards. But in the morning I always reverse out a carport down a slope before turning forwards and my god, the noise!

Done it from brand new rotors (and pads) and still doing it 5k later. No issues or noises in forward motion braking.

What's with that?

Inphinity

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#1819605 11-Jul-2017 14:49

Batman:

My subaru legacy turbo comes with facotry 18" wheels, and it the factory rotors look like some kid's toy car rotor. So yes I have considered clearance. But I'm not a boy racer and I don't upgrade stuff for the sake of it. Not anymore! But one day its rotors might break or I might find something online that's tempting - thought I'd better know the science before even thinking about it in the future.

And OK i won't get some used STI rotors and calipers, promise!

There are a number of brake upgrade kits available suitable for Legacy GT's for most model years, typically to go to a 4-pot front 2-pot rear, sometimes they actually reduce the disc size (designed to suit vehicles with smaller wheels for rally / autocross / snowtyres etc). I am not a big fan of the older Legacy factory brakes, the ones on my B4 faded something chronic, and was especially perturbing coming from an STi or Evo with big Brembos that bite forever.

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trig42

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#1819606 11-Jul-2017 14:52

Can you buy the rotors and pads and take them to a Pit Stop etc to get them fitted?

I ask because I have a friend in the Auto Parts industry, and don't have the skills/tools/garage to do it myself.

I have a Mazda3 MPS, and it needs new front rotors and pads.

tripper1000

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#1819621 11-Jul-2017 15:22

trig42:

Can you buy the rotors and pads and take them to a Pit Stop etc to get them fitted?

I ask because I have a friend in the Auto Parts industry, and don't have the skills/tools/garage to do it myself.

I have a Mazda3 MPS, and it needs new front rotors and pads.

Yes, you can, however it is a good idea to talk to the guys in the workshop first so as not to surprise them, and not get any surprises yourself. If you book it in for a rotor and pad change they may needlessly pre-order replacements etc and generally get screwed around. Also, they may be able to match the price for the same parts, which is good for you as the customer because it dramatically simplified things if there is a later warranty claim. If you supply the parts and there is an issue, it will be up to you to deal with the parts supplier and the workshop will charge you to fit the replacement parts.

Edit: spelling.

ubergeeknz

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#1819628 11-Jul-2017 15:28

kryptonjohn:

I recently replaced the rotors on a VW Touareg. I was offered the choice of genuine VW OEM rotors or 3rd party at about half the price. I asked if there was any reason not to and the guy said not really so went with that.

Well for some reason these rotors squeal like banshees when braking in reverse. Nothing when forwards. But in the morning I always reverse out a carport down a slope before turning forwards and my god, the noise!

Done it from brand new rotors (and pads) and still doing it 5k later. No issues or noises in forward motion braking.

What's with that?

Take it back to the shop, possibly they didn't properly clean and lube the brackets and the pads aren't lining up correctly always

Bung

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#1819630 11-Jul-2017 15:31

kryptonjohn:
I recently replaced the rotors on a VW Touareg. I was offered the choice of genuine VW OEM rotors or 3rd party at about half the price. I asked if there was any reason not to and the guy said not really so went with that.

Well for some reason these rotors squeal like banshees when braking in reverse. Nothing when forwards. But in the morning I always reverse out a carport down a slope before turning forwards and my god, the noise!

Done it from brand new rotors (and pads) and still doing it 5k later. No issues or noises in forward motion braking.

What's with that?

It appears that it happens so often on those and other VAG cars that some owners regard it as their reversing alarm. Make it a feature rather than a fault :-)

kryptonjohn

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#1819636 11-Jul-2017 15:42

Yep Bung I have heard that - didn't realise it was a 'feature' of the 3rd party rotors though! I don't recall it doing that before the change.

ubergeeknz - that wouldn't explain the squeaking only being in reverse motion would it?

I wondered if the pads or rotors have grain in their structure that leads to this phenomenon... but realised if that was the case one side would squeak in forwards and the other in reverse!

ubergeeknz

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#1819646 11-Jul-2017 16:00

kryptonjohn:

ubergeeknz - that wouldn't explain the squeaking only being in reverse motion would it?

Brakes can do all sort of funny things

richms

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#1819649 11-Jul-2017 16:04

Fred99:

So why would you need better brakes?

Under normal conditions they probably won't help you stop faster. Under extreme conditions where standard brakes overheat and fade, that's another story.
That said, we did have a mid '90s auto trans Nissan Pulsar with totally inadequate front disks. We live up a hill, and if you used the brakes to slow down without engine braking, with a few passengers in the car, they'd be smoking and fading by the time you got to the bottom. Potentially dangerous.

I had a sentra like that. Terrible brakes on it.

Richard rich.ms

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#1819700 11-Jul-2017 17:16

Bung:
kryptonjohn:

I recently replaced the rotors on a VW Touareg. I was offered the choice of genuine VW OEM rotors or 3rd party at about half the price. I asked if there was any reason not to and the guy said not really so went with that.

Well for some reason these rotors squeal like banshees when braking in reverse. Nothing when forwards. But in the morning I always reverse out a carport down a slope before turning forwards and my god, the noise!

Done it from brand new rotors (and pads) and still doing it 5k later. No issues or noises in forward motion braking.

What's with that?

It appears that it happens so often on those and other VAG cars that some owners regard it as their reversing alarm. Make it a feature rather than a fault :-)

The rears on the Mrs' X5 do that when it's cold too... Only the rears, only when cold, and only in reverse. Meh, at least the neighbours kids will get out of the way.

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