jcfavela

Did anyone buy LS400 rotors from NAPA or O'Reilly. I was going to try the dealership, but didn't really want to because I'm guessing that's $$$. I didn't want to try ebay neither because there's lots of complaints on here about them warping and/or cracking.

Feedback appreciated.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

please search

best bet for stock spec rotors are the Brembo OEM Blanks sold at Tirerack.com

jcrome04

yup yup. Whatever you decide to do, match the pads with the rotors.

If you go OEM, make sure you have OEM pads, if you go with let's say Raybestos, make sure you get Raybestos pads.

I've heard people have lots of problems with mismatched pads/rotors

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

excuse me but thats untrue, you NEVER have to match pads with rotors......

99LS4

I second that...

cpcc

Tirerack has a great deal on brembo rotors. I just picked up a pair for the front.

python

iTrader: (4)

i work for Napa and wouldnt recommend using their rotors as they are made in china....i bought cross drilled rotors 2 years ago off ebay that were made in canada, S&R is the name of them i believe, had great success, one thing u want is ones that have zinc in them, research before buying

JBrewster

I just bought a set of ATE rotors and pads from Tirerack. Were cheap and came fast.

HaryGahtoe

You most definitely WANT to match pads to rotors. **post edited**
Rotors/pads work on friction and most importantly... heat. So the HIGHER the rotors capacity to withstand heat (without warping, a factor of pads made with heat resistant material I.E. Ceramics, Kevlar & Carbon Fiber. The shorter & quicker it will stop you. Also rotors are now available that are Cryogenically treated that can withstand enormous heat/force without warping while outlasting identical rotors.
Brakes are something you never want to skimp on. Buy the best VALUE you can.
Whats next mismatched Tires?

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

example: if you must match pad+rotor manufacturers then why doesnt Brembo make pads for 95% of its non bbk applications? or are they on welfare as well?

or perhaps you didnt actually READ what i had responded to......

since when was brembo "cheap"? oh yea, and the ability of a rotor to dissipate heat has nothing to do with its ACTUAL stopping power, with a given mass, thickness, diameter, and composition rotors will cool and stop equally, when you start adding slots and cross drilling you increase the rotor's resistance to BRAKE FADE (which is different from brake bite), in fact, given the same above characteristics, slotted and/or drilled rotors actually have LESS surface area and therefore will minorly DECREASE the actual stopping distance (but as the area taken away is relatively small the actual impact isnt that big). cryogenic rotors as you tout do not actually have any PROVEN (mathematically or in practice) benefits in resistance to warpage.

the fact that you assume warpage is actually the metal of the rotor WARPING shows how little you know about brakes in general. the term "warped brakes" is a misnomer, the reason brakes "wobble" is because pad deposits glaze onto the surface of the pads.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

and just coz i can.
http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp...rakedisk.shtml
http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/Th...%20Systems.pdf

TJW98LS

iTrader: (1)

I wouldnt mix+ match brakes just because that is the way I am. I'll do the front and rear differently sometimes though as the front need replacing more often...

jcrome04

I have read AND heard of MANY people on here, LOC, and locally talk about non-stop warping of the rotors and excessive pad wear when they would JUST buy pads, or JUST install new rotors and have mismatched products.

Different companies use different materials to produce pads and rotors. So lets say a cheap NAPA special rotor is put on an LS with high-end OEM ceramic pads... rotors will much more easily warp.

I also say this from first hand experience on past vehicles and my current LS. The gentleman I purchased it from had replaced the front rotors but not the pads from a local Les Schwab. When I picked it up, there was a slight wobble when I applied the brakes. I had the rotors turned and it went away. A few days later the rotors developed a slight warp again. I had the front brakes replaced at my local Les Schwab so the pads would match the rotors.. And what do you know! THE ROTORS HAVE NEVER WARPED AGAIN. With +2k miles on them, and a few high-speed, heavy braking situations.

Different people have different experiences and opinions. It's a fact of life.

nickhere

I've read the thread and am wondering, to stay within or slightly better then
OE confines, whats the best shoice for rotors and pads? Beck Arnley? Perhaps the Brembos exceed OE? Anybody know where they are made and any experience with them?

Also, maybe some confusion in the thread. Rotors should be changed in no less then pairs (front or back) and likewise pads should be changed in no less then sets (front or back). Not having tried aftermarket performance sets, not sure it would be a good idea to put a crappy set of pads on a performance rotor. Just my .02

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

i asked for concrete, veritable evidence when you claimed that a certain rule should be followed, 1-2 isolated accounts dont mean much to me.

you say that you had the rotors turned and the wobble came back, did you put in new pads at the same time? because if you'd looked at the links i had posted you'd know the correlation between pads and "warped" rotors.

you didn't state that both rotors and pads should be replaced at the same time, which is perfectly true, you specifically stated that they should be of the same manufacturer (oem-oem pads, raybestos-raybestos pads). again, i put the Brembo example to you.