I've got a 04 sedan that gets driven a lot, often loaded up with heavy loads in it. I've got about 43k miles on the car and I'm pretty sure the pads and rotors probably need to be replaced.

I called the dealer and spoke with my usual service advisor. He said the the pads/rotors from 03 to 05 were problematic and generated a lot of dust. I said I didn't want this again and he said he could install the newer equipment, and he said the rotors would probably need to be replaced as well..

However, as much as I like the dealer, the prices are on the high side, not terribly but they are higher than my independent mechanic. My independent mechanic also has no problem with installing parts that I buy on my own. I've found most dealers won't do this, or won't atleast without bitching a lot.

Since the car is almost out of warranty, I don't really care who does it. I just don't want the OEM parts because I can't stand the ridiculous brake dust.

What parts do you guys recommend? Keep in mind that I don't really ever drive the car hard, it's basically a mobile office for me, not a race car. Longevity is preferred over performance. Any suggestions?

 

u could get hawk pads.. they have low dust, or get 05+ oem pads.. as for rotors im not sure

 

The service advisor said he didn't recommend ceramic pads as they eat up the rotors really fast. I hadn't heard this before, but I guess it could make sense.

 

I got this when mine wore out, soooooooooooo much better than oem and less expensive than dealer prices.

http://www.z1motorsports.com/350_g35...oducts_id=2240

 

I picked up a similar set for 550 through gruppe-s.. they have everything in stock and ship fast
https://g35driver.com/forums/brakes-vendor/215359-brake-combos-239-slotted-rotors-225-free-brake-fluid-hawk-pads.html

 

Do the brake lines improve brake feel? The pedal feels a bit soft in this car.

 

^^wow those look awesome. I gotta give those a try! Thanks for tip! Is the braking performance MUCH better then OEM pad/rotors? Got any pics of em on ur car?

 

Here is a pic of them not actually on the car, I'll go take some of my car later today or something.

 

Don't make fun of my stockers... I have 19's they're just not on the car at the moment lol.

 

^how does it perform compared to OEM? I've read a longtime ago that crossdrilled wont be as good due to the reduced surface area. They look great though.

 

i was recommended to go for blank rotors their better, slotted and drilled more on looks than performance https://g35driver.com/forums/brakes-suspension/224082-slotted-drilled-rotors-less-surface-area-less-braking.html

 

^^ Well it depends on what you mean by performance. If you are thinking of doing auto-x or track events you will see the benefits of the X/D + slotted rotors. If you drive 100% on the streets and don't push it you would never see the benefits other than looks. I do occasional autocross and just the upgraded fluid and ss brake lines makes a huge difference, the new rotors and pads is a bonus

 

what if i dont autocross but i do drive hard on streets, not 24/7 but most of the time i drive like a mad man, would it be better to go slotted and drilled or blank?

 

I have drilled & slotted rotors from r1 concepts and hawk hps pads from riverside infiniti, best combo and braking ive experienced

 

I had Centric Posi Quiet Extended Wear pads 106 series with standard Centric front rotors installed a year ago for under $600 parts and labor. The installation was done at a Chicago area service shop Casey Automotive (they have 4 shops in the Northwest Suburbs). Included lifetime (of car ownership) warranty replacement of pad components.

These pads are recommended by Zeckhausen and Brakewarehouse for street driving, with low dust, low noise, good cold temp response, and little fade, all of which I have confirmed. Centric recommends these pads over their Ceramic pads (105 series). Only difference from OEM is the need for a bit more pedal pressure at start of braking.

These pads did not need to be bedded.

One year on (7500) miles and brakes grab like new.
http://www.centricparts.com/prod01-3.htm

See this post from a BMW 335i driver: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76418