brakes update 03/14/2012

[irish91983]

Hi all

So I replaced my front pads and rotors yesterday and my drivers side was so bad there was legit no pad left on the inside and barly any left on the outside. But my. Passenger side still had a lot of pad/life left. I'm think my caliper is hanging up but it compressed like it should. Would my alignment being off cause that?

Thanks, Keith

[00Beast]

No, your alignment has very little to do with it. Did you clean and grease the pins well before re-installing? I'd keep a close eye on it. There's nothing worse than locking up a caliper and having it ruin a set of pads and rotors.

[HurstGN]

Alignment shouldn't have anything to do with braking wear, but will show in tire wear.

Any uneven wear on brakes could have to do with the calipers not sliding properly. Per some very wise guru's here on the list, always lube the slides when servicing the brakes, if not just outright replacing the pins as well. The pins and rubber boots are cheap insurance when working on the brakes.

If the system isn't properly bled, you could have uneven braking from side to side. You may also have a cliper that is beginning to freeze up (just sticking a bit now) and just not totally frozen yet.

One easy way to see if you're getting pretty even brake application is to measure the temp of the rotors after a mild drive. Use one of the infrared thermometers like they carry for cheap at Harbor freight. Check the rotors and if they aren't really close in temp after the drive, you have a problem. If one rotor is way too hot, that caliper may be frozed and not releasing. If one caliper is much colder, you may have a cliper frozen and not applying.

[irish91983]

I did grease the pins and cleaned up everything from all the brake dust and metal flakes from the rotor. After the test drive I felt like the drivers side rotor was alot hotter then the passenger side but I was super tired and already had it in my head theres something wrong with the rotor. I'm gonna feel it after I get home from class.

[00Beast]

Did you replace the rotors? What kind of condition were they in? It might be time to replace the calipers...

[yonkerse]

If the system isn't properly bled

Do our cars have bleeder valves at each wheel to do this??

[00Beast]

Yes. Any car with hydraulic brakes does...

[irish91983]

My drivers side rotor was pretty much destroyed. Passenger wasn't to bad normal wear. I replaced both of them. I actually have one of those thermometers I didn't even think of that. I feel that I do need to bleed the system again I already replaced my rear calipers and been meaning to bleed them again.

[00Beast]

Yeah, replace the calipers.

[irish91983]

Ahhh dam!! I was so close to just getting the gxp calipers I just didn't have the cash right now for them so I decided to wait.. looks like I just wasted money on ssei pads and rotors

[irish91983]

So I just put a order in for new front calipers (GXP) :-) I'm gonna returnmy pads and rotors I jus bought and get the GXP pads and rotors. So my question is my buddy from class has drilled and slotted rotors from and 04 cobra would those be able to fit? Front GXP rotors 12.72" , front cobra rotors 12.99". Rear GXP rotors 11.72" rear cobra rotors 11.65". I'm thinking about just taking the fronts if they will fit.

[00Beast]

No, those rotors would not fit, they would be too big they wouldn't clear the caliper. Just get GXP rotors. That's plenty of an upgrade as it is.

Also, don't get drilled rotors. I have been happy with my EBC Ultimax Rotors, but they aren't cheap.

[irish91983]

Why so unhappy with the drilled?? I was looking at Brake performance.com its only $150ish for 2 from them.

[00Beast]

Because true drilled rotors crack. Rotors with the holes cast into the blanks are fine, but you don't really gain anything from the holes anyways, unless you're running the 24 hours at Daytona, and they use carbon-fiber brakes. There isn't that much to gain from them, and a lot to lose.