Howdy folks, first post here. Before you say "use the search feature", I gotta let you know that I have looked around on google and here, and just sort of dont really understand what I'm reading. I'm basically mechanically illiterate. Anyhow...

I just bought a 2003 Infiniti G35 with 34,000 miles on it. No, that isnt a typo. It's in pristine condition. However, the day of purchase, I took it into my local Infiniti dealer (before I bought it) for an inspection, just to make sure it was in good shape. The service manager informed me that the front brakes and rotors need to be replaced. Now, I've looked around on various forums and found that the 03 OEM rotors and pads basically are worthless and end up needing replacement every year or so. Of course the service mgr suggested I stick to OEM. Well, I know better than to trust anyone at a dealership.

My question for you fine folks here, is how do I know what rotors and pads to get, and if I get aftermarket rotors and pads, will I need to get new calipers as well? I do not have the stock 03 rims, the previous owner replaced them with the Infiniti 19" rims. Not sure what year they are from, or if that even matters. Do the pads have to be matched with the rotors? Also, not sure if I'm allowed to link, but I was looking at this set ( http://www.autoanything.com/brakes/c...port-brake-kit ) and there's an option to select "With Standard Brakes" and "With Brembo Brakes". Are they referring to calipers, or what?

Also, if anyone has any recommendation for a set that would be good for daily driving (I dont plan on racing or tracking my brand new car) I'd be very grateful. Looking to stay under $400, which I think shouldnt be a problem.

Thank you! And remember, I'm basically car illiterate, so sort of try to talk to me like I'm an idiot. I speak english, but I dont speak car.

Very happy to be part of the G35 club!

 

Congrats on your new car sounds like a hell of a find. I'm using the app so I can no longer see your questions but I will do my best from memory.

1. Infiniti will recommend OE everything. I would suggest a set of Stop-Tech rotors (you can even get pretty drilled/slotted kinds if you're feeling fancy). Stop-tech is a very reputable high performance brake company. I have their rotors all around and they have served me exceptionally well.

2. Pads do not need to match your rotor brand (or anything for that matter). I would go with a set of Hawk HPS "street performance" pads. They are really bitey when need be and don't have much brake dust. They aren't terribly expensive for a high-end pad but they will cost you more than you're cheap autozone pads. Make SURE whatever shop you take your car to can properly bed in the pads!

3. Brembo brakes refer to performance brakes on early g35 models. They were a factory option and an easy way to tell if you have them is to look at your caliper. If it is gold and says Brembo, then you have them and they require different style pads than the base option.

Can't remember if you had other questions but there you go! Also if you're concerned with stopping capabilities a quality tire is the most important factor.

 

Which brake setup do you have? The smaller standard 11" single piston setup, or the 13" Brembo setup?

Dealers always recommend OE just because it's what they have. It's not "crap" but it depends on your use. Driving around town to get a coffee on a Sunday morning putting 1000 miles a year on the car? Sure, go ahead and get OEM parts. Your car will stop just fine.

Now, the issue with the standard 03-04 brake was the Infiniti used an aggressive pad with the setup that causes a great deal of dusting and the pads wear out fast. The replacement pads that were issued in the TSB produce less dust, but braking performance isn't as great. It's a trade-off really.

In 2005, they went to an 11.6" rotor and dual piston caliper with a pad that wears and better and produces less dust, but offers pretty much the same performance as the standard 03-04 brake.

So you have a few options really.

Install OEM parts, live with the excess dust and fast pad wear

Install aftermarket parts. Braking performance may or may not be better or worse than OE depending on pad/rotor material selection. (Just because you slap on aftermarket rotors and pads doesn't mean you'll stop better)

Upgrade to 2005+ rotors, calipers and pads. Added benefit of filling your 19" wheels out better, as well as lower dusting and better wear than the standard 03-04 setup.

 

This is a wake up call, we refer to the Infiniti dealership as "Stealerships" for a reason! They told me it would cost me $300= to drain/fill my AT which is twice what Nissan charges. Other than recalls they never saw my coupe again! Find an independent brake/alignment shop in your area, have them check your brakes. All they do is suspension work, they'll know what to look for. Since you admit not knowing a lot about what you drive I also recommend staying away from places like Sears/Goodyear/Firestone and most of all PepBoys...good mechanics don't work at those shops...fact! If your 19" rims are from the '06 coupe they should look great! Oh, "Welcome to Driver!"
Gary

 

I doubt you need rotors at 34000 miles unless your car has been sitting outside a lot and they are rusted and pitted or the previous owner warped them.

If the car brakes smoothly, you can probably just slap a set of new pads on and call it a day.

As mentioned above, you should specify if you have a 6MT (Brembo brakes) or auto (non-Brembo). The Brembo brakes will have big bright orange calipers with the word "BREMBO" written on them in a maroonish/red color.

 

If you are mechanically able, I highly recommend an 05-07 oem brake setup. For daily driving I have had 0 issues using akebono pads and dba slotted rotors (previous OEM setup was good too). My parents have an 03 sedan, it's abysmal. I drive semi aggressively.

I think there's some DIYs on a 03->05 brake swap on the forum.

 

There are a lot of good choices to choose from. Check these guys out.

http://www.nedautoparts.com/search?page=3&q=g35+brakes

 

I just replaced my front brakes and pads with premium centric rotors and project mu ns pads. Overall, I spent around ~$320 which excluded changing the other set of rotors. This was with a brembo set up. I doubt you will have to change calipers as the car has very low milage. If you do the install yourself you'll be able to tell in what condition the calipers when you push in the pistons. Good luck

 

Hey, sorry. I would have updated sooner but just got a full time job and I run my own biz on top of that. Turns out the brakes are fine, I took it to a Valvoline to get inspected and it passed. Gonna upgrade the brakes another day, but Ive decided to go with Stop Tech rotors and Hawk pads. Maybe someday I'd think about the Akebono calipers, but the current stopping power suits me fine.

 

your car has been sitting outside a lot and they are rusted and pitted or the previous owner warped them.

 

Most Dealerships are 'Stealerships' but that's the nature of the business. Avoid them if possible, but sometimes it can't be avoided.

What auto shops do you recommend then???

Because most of the shops that people go to are those that you mentioned (Goodyear/Firestone/Midas/Pepboys, etc). Its very hard to find a shop that has knowledgeable and experienced/mature mechanics who know what they're doing and most importantly, won't rip you off. Sometimes, if you find a place that treats you ok, (even if its those that were mentioned) stick to them so that you get to know them and they get to know you.