I warped the first set of rotors right after i purchase my car used, front and back were toast after a spirited canyon run. Installed new sets front and back, the front started developing a shudder after only 20k miles. I used Centric Rotors and Stoptech Street performance pads, the shudder comes and goes so I thought it was pad deposits. I rebedded the rotors and it made it worse. Going to take it apart and inspect the parts, probably have the front rotors turned.

 

"Does the rotors warp quickly on these cars?"

Not if you know how to properly drive them!

Telcoman

 

Rotors warp for two reasons, they are not allowed to cool long enough after they're forged and the main reason is that guy installing your tires goes nuts with his impact gun over tightening your lug nuts! Always have your tires/wheels installed using a torque wrench!
Here's an answer we can LOL at! Properly drive? You could drive from coast to coast with OE rotors and pads and if installed correctly won't be warped once you park your G! Correctly installed means they weren't over tightened by some with an impact gun!
Gary

 

I put 4 different sets of rotors on my G over the course of 180K miles. Never once used an impact gun to torque the lugs on, always used a torque wrench. I managed to warp all 4 sets.

The OEM ones warped the easiest. Seemed just backing out of the driveway would warp those rotors. I tried two sets of them before going to Centric rotors.

The centrics were much better, although I managed to warp one set eventually. Car currently has a set of centric rotors on it now and I get some light pulsation with it.

This is a car that sees daily driving duty and no track use. I even try to be proactive to try and stop the brake deposits from forming by not resting my foot on the brake after a hard stop.

But at least in my case, warping the rotors had nothing to do with an impact gun. For some reason my G35 has been terrible at it. I've been also driving other cars during the same time period...not a single rotor warped on any of those.

 

Another cause of brake shudder is the upper control arm bushings going bad. I had slight pulsing that went away when I replaced the upper A-arms.

I use Centric high-carbon rotors and have used Carbotech and now Centric posi-quiet pads on the same rotors without issue. Probably have over 50K miles on them.

 

I discovered the issue with using an impact gun and warping rotors on my '92 300ZXTT within 10K miles. Had Nissan true them, ended up with 125K miles on this Z never replaced the rotors. That was when Nissan made high quality parts. With my G35 coupe I never had an issue with warped rotors from the OE or the DBA slotted/drilled rotors I've been running for close to 40K miles using Hawk HPS pads. Only time an impact gun ever used is removal...that's my story/opinion and I'm stick'in to it!
Gary

 

Warping rotors is generally caused by overheating them.
Sticky calipers can do that.

I don't know what the op meant by a "spirited canyon run" but I suspect whatever he was doing caused the rotors to overheat and warp.

I'm on my second Infiniti. The first 06 G35 had 171796 miles when I traded it in with the original rotors.

My current 2012 G37S has just over 70k miles with the original rotors and pads.

IMHO driving style most likely has a lot do do with early failures of pads,rotors, tires and perhaps a few other parts

Telcoman

 

When i say spirited driving in the canyons I mean a 5 miles drive taking turns a little faster but I dont hit my brakes that much either. I used to hard break alot on my Saturn Astra and sold that car with 90k miles with the original rotors and pads with a ton of life left on them. My G has 201k so I will have to look at the control arms bushings as well as the rest of the suspension parts.

 

I highly doubt your rotors were/are warped at all, it is just pad deposits. The 2nd gen brakes are highly prone to it. The best thing you can do is start from scratch with a new set of decent (non-stock) rotors and pads, and then after a proper bed-in procedure, "relearn" how to brake without coming to a complete stop while pressing the brake pedal, ESPECIALLY when the brakes are hot.

Read this for some background on what's really happening: http://www.stoptech.com/technical-su...nd-other-myths

 

There has to be a pad/rotor set up where it shouldnt matter. Most drivers press their brake at a stop light especially with an auto.

 

trust me, I've spent plenty of time shooting an IR temp gun at my rotors and replacing calipers (mostly rears, fronts were fine) and shifting into Nuetral at stop lights. No matter what I did, the pulsation would come back at some point (quicker with the OEM rotors)

Over the course of 180K miles, I spent more time messing with my brakes then any other car I own (have owned). My Ford Mustang that I autocross and abuse the brakes with doesn't even warp the rotors and I've gotten those brakes so hot to the point paint was blistering off the hats and calipers.


The one common denominator was that I used OEM pads for the entire lifespan of the car. Perhaps they are prone toward pad material fusing with a lower threshold of heat than other types of pads.



(BTW, I realize the term warp really means uneven pad deposits)

 

Of course it "shouldn't matter", but there it is just the same.
If you frequently brake aggressively, or routinely encounter high speed exits immediately followed by a stop light, or steep downhill grades followed by a stop, then it is all too likely that you will develop judder with the brake system on your G. The brake system on these cars just sucks. Thanks Nissan.

I have probably owned/shared 25+ cars over my 40 years of driving and I have never once had one with a greater propensity for pad deposits than my G. If you just put along like a little old lady, on level ground, and never basically heat them up, then maybe you can get away without issues. If you drive the car at all how it was otherwise intended, you're going to encounter judder sooner or later.

The best way I have found to avoid it is to always be mindful of their temps (based on whatever driving I have just done), and then never completing the stop with my foot still on the brake. It takes forethought, and practice, and it often requires shifting to neutral. I use the E-brake to hold position if I'm on a slope once I'm stopped. Granted, I have a manual transmission, but you can basically accomplish the same with an auto.

.02

 

+1 here.

I'd say I drove the later half of my car's life babying the brakes to avoid such judder and it still comes back. Same tactics shifting into neutral, or stopping and then doing a slow roll with foot lightly on pedal, or trying to avoid and an all hard brakings. You can only putt around so much before you get your first panic stop on a hot day, or come off the exit of a highway and find you have to stop a little sooner than expected...and then sit at a stop for an extended period time.

I haven't had to be as delicate with other cars I've owned/drive.

 

Yep, I have driven other car's like I stole 'em; same roads, same speeds, but never these kind of PITA judder issues.

 

UPDATE* took it to the shop today and there were hot spots on both front rotors, the mechanic assumes its from hold the brakes at stop lights and it just built up over the 25k miles. The rotors were a little warped when they shaved it, the first pass only shaved half of the rotor (outer section), had to do a second pass to get the whole rotor to become smooth. They also leveled the pads and lubed everything. Now the car stops smooth. Charged me 60 dollars which is the price of 1 new rotor so Im happy. Even if it happens every 20k miles not that big of a deal.