I have a 04 G35 Coupe (brembo equiped). It's been a hard 13K and I believe my rear right rotor is glazed- making awful sqweeking noises. Startly shortly after my outing with an M3- hah. I really don't want to take it to the dealer.. as i hear they have to replace the rotors with the pads and I don't want to shell out $2500 or so. I hate the dealer anyways

1) Have anyone tried different pads? Stillen Metal Matrix? Hawk?

2) How long do the stock brembo pads last?

3) How long do the strock brembo rotors last?

4) Will I void any warranties by upgrading the pads?

5) Has anyone tried the Stillen Slotted and X-drilled rotors?

6) How do I cure the noise? (Flip/Rotate the rotors? Scuff the pads?)

Also, I also have some chassis/suspension sqweek coming from the drivers front wheel area.. has anyone caught this from Sway bar upgrades.. or are my bushings, etc just in need of lube?

I've recently put in the Injen CAI (omg, I love this thing) and the UR Pulleys (this was fun I did it in my driveway with my neighbors...bleh) and the Stillen Rear Strut tower brace and Stillen front/rear sways and I really like what they did. Future upgrades include the stillen engine damper brace and stillen dual cat-back exhaust, eibach springs and tokico d-spec shocks.

BTW, I've been told mixed things about the Camber/Toe adjusters from Stillen. Do I need them?

I'm new to the site, looks go so far! Hopefully someone can answer my questions =) hehe.

 

Check out the Hawk HPS brake pads. That's what i'm going with. Better bite less dust.

 

"Stillen Rear Strut tower brace" for a G?

 

Your warranties should not be voided by buying other pads. Obviously if you buy very aggressive pads and they wear your rotors prematurely compared to stock pads, you're liable to replace the rotors...

I'm experiencing a squeak since my front sway install too. I traced it to one of the bushings - I didn't lube it enough when I installed - pretty normal, just get it lubed when you get a chance.

I'd like to see some pictures of your rear strut tower brace. How much cutting did you have to do to get that thing in there?

 

You can try removing the pad and scuffing it lightly with some sandpaper. You might also want to take rotor off and rub it with garnet paper to get rid of some of the pad material. Then, lightly sand the rotor with some 130 grit sandpaper and then wash it with soap and water. Put the rotor and pad back on and go through the proper bedding procedure again. I would also measure your rotors for proper thickness and see how much pad you actually have left. If they're still well within spec, you shouldn't need to replace them yet, although if the rotors are really roughed up with deep grooves, you may want to have them resurfaced. In the future, to avoid glazing and pad material transfer, properly bed in the pads right after you get them installed. Also, don't leave your foot on the brakes right after you've use the brakes hard because it tends to cause pad material transfer to the rotor, which makes the rotors "feel" warped (even though they aren't really warped).

As for pad choice, it really depends on your driving style. The Brembo pads are great for cold stops and street driving. Lots of hard, high performance driving and use on the track is more than these pads and fluid can handle. If you do lots of high-performance driving, then you may want to consider something like the Hawk HPS which won't fade as easily, although to be honest the Hawk HPS' don't bite as hard in colder temps or for the first few stops in the morning in my experience. I would also replace the brake fluid since you've probably boiled it at this point, and once you've overheated the fluid it should be replaced. Ate' Super blue is a great DOT4 fluid that has a high boiling point and can be used on the track as well.

I would avoid cross-drilled rotors if you do a lot of hard braking because the holes make the rotor prone to cracks. Slotted can be good, although they can also be noisy.

See this article for more info:
http://www.stoptech.com/whitepapers/...otors_myth.htm

 

Thanks for the replies!

I'm not running track but I'm really working the brakes in the canyons. I'll get a picture of the rear strut tower brace in a bit. There wasn't much cutting, I had to drill a hole (for some G models) for the mount.

Hawk HPS brake pads it is. I'll go scuff the pads for sure.

How long should the OEM pads last? I think the front ones are okay but I feel some fade. I guess it's time for SS lines? I put some on my R6 sportbike and it made a huge difference.. should be the same for the car, yes?

 

My Rear strut tower brace from stillen

 

The fade is probably due to boiled fluid, not your brake lines. Brake lines can help with a firmer pedal feel and less compliance to the system, but reall don't have anything to do with fade. Try flushing the brake system first with new fluid and bleeding out all the air. That should make a big difference. With your style of driving, I'm guessing the pads won't last much longer than 20-25K.

Again, also check the rotors for pad material and for deep scoring.

 

No scoring in the rotors as of yet. I'll throw in some motul RBF600 racing fluid and bleed them and maybe try new pads. The stock ones have SOO MUCH dust anyways.

Thanks!

 

I have EBC Red Stuff Ceramic pads on my car and they have been excellent so far. I have yet to take it for a real drive but around town and on the highway no problems, they work great when cold and have not squeked at all.