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I bought an 06 in 09 and have owned it ever since. (125K miles) I still do a lot of my own work and brakes is one of the jobs I still do. Even when the car was new to me I got a click in the front with the pads shifting going from forward to reverse and back. No problem there. About 6 years ago I started getting a very slight clunk when turning right only. I had the suspension checked a number of times and it was always good. I just learned to tolerate it. There didn't seem to be a problem. When I needed pads and rotors this time I decided to replace the 8 clips in the pad carrier and the 4 V springs for the pads themselves. I bought a kit from AC Delco. The first thing I noticed is the new clips were much stiffer than the old ones. The pads took a bit more effort to get into the carrier than the other times I did the job. I have driven it about two weeks now without one click forward or back and it eliminated the slight clunk turning right.
I just thought I would pass this on as it may be of some help to someone else. I would be surprised if I am the only one that has experienced this.
The AC Delco clips had small pads already installed. I did not check to see if they were rubber. Most likely they were. The new clips were much tighter in the pad carrier than the OEM.
The kit I bought just had the bag to the left of the pads. Not a bad idea to replace the pin boots also. Mine were in good shape. I'm not sure why you thought those OEM pads are in bad shape for 30K. I changed my OEM at about 42K and they were down to the squeal tab. Yours had a way to go. I have never gotten much more than 40K on front pads on any car. I do live in the mountains.
The kit I bought just had the bag to the left of the pads. Not a bad idea to replace the pin boots also. Mine were in good shape. I'm not sure why you thought those OEM pads are in bad shape for 30K. I changed my OEM at about 42K and they were down to the squeal tab. Yours had a way to go. I have never gotten much more than 40K on front pads on any car. I do live in the mountains.
i changed them because my 2002 SC430 has much better stopping power vs the OEM pads on the 2007. I will soon know if these Power Stop Z23 pads are the key...
now on to the rear brakes.
the whole job was my time and about $70.
BTW, I didn’t replace the pin boots...will save them for another day. The pins moved very easy.
And the rear brakes...I broke them in...let them cool and tried them out...yes, the car definitely has more stopping power! These are awesome pads. Carbon fiber and ceramic pads. They also stay cooler than full ceramic pads.
Brake pad kit comes with new clips and springs.
Pads slight right out...no bolts to remove.
I think these are the OEM shocks made by KYB...i did know KYB was the OEM.
Bgw70,
I have to take issue with your statements regarding brakes.
First, how would you know that a brake pad is either hotter or cooler than another? Without sophisticated equipment that would be very hard to quantify. All brake pads generate the same amount of heat. And I mean exactly the same. One of the fundamental laws of physics is the law of conservation of energy. I quote " In physics, the law of Conservation of Energy states that the total energy of an isolated system remains constant, it is said to be conserved over time.[1] This law means that energy can neither be created nor destroyed; rather, it can only be transformed from one form to another." When you stop a car from 60 MPH you change kinetic energy to heat. It does not matter what type of pad material you have it generates the same amount of heat. Most of that heat is absorbed by the rotor and passed to the backing plate etc. The pad material is a good insulator and little (in comparison) is passed to the caliper. If the pad material is a better insulator then the metal part of the pad would in fact stay cooler. However, the pad generates the same amount of heat as any other.
Second, you make the claim of better braking. Once again I am not sure how you come to that conclusion without sophisticated testing. With modern power brakes the only real coefficient of friction that matters is between the road and the tires. Once the ABS takes over it doesn't matter what pad material you have. Also, out of curiosity, I called customer service at Powerstop and the women had me speak to a tech. They do not make the claim that their pads will stop the car in a shorter distance. The claim of better "increased braking power" is very vague and is not to be interpreted as a claim that the pad will stop the car in a shorter distance. It is advertising only.
Bgw70,
I have to take issue with your statements regarding brakes.
First, how would you know that a brake pad is either hotter or cooler than another? Without sophisticated equipment that would be very hard to quantify. All brake pads generate the same amount of heat. And I mean exactly the same. One of the fundamental laws of physics is the law of conservation of energy. I quote " In physics, the law of Conservation of Energy states that the total energy of an isolated system remains constant, it is said to be conserved over time.[1] This law means that energy can neither be created nor destroyed; rather, it can only be transformed from one form to another." When you stop a car from 60 MPH you change kinetic energy to heat. It does not matter what type of pad material you have it generates the same amount of heat. Most of that heat is absorbed by the rotor and passed to the backing plate etc. The pad material is a good insulator and little (in comparison) is passed to the caliper. If the pad material is a better insulator then the metal part of the pad would in fact stay cooler. However, the pad generates the same amount of heat as any other.
Second, you make the claim of better braking. Once again I am not sure how you come to that conclusion without sophisticated testing. With modern power brakes the only real coefficient of friction that matters is between the road and the tires. Once the ABS takes over it doesn't matter what pad material you have. Also, out of curiosity, I called customer service at Powerstop and the women had me speak to a tech. They do not make the claim that their pads will stop the car in a shorter distance. The claim of better "increased braking power" is very vague and is not to be interpreted as a claim that the pad will stop the car in a shorter distance. It is advertising only.
nothing scientific, I can touch the rotor with my bare hand after driving and would not burn my hand compared to the full ceramic pads.
i didn’t measure any distance but could tell a difference when the pad touches the rotor. It has more “grab”.
you sound smarter than me and know more about the scientific side of this...I am going from feeling and experience. Having two SC430s and noting the differences between them. Along with installing these pads on several cars.
I have been around the block a time or two and usually know the difference between a good and bad product.
it sounds like you are saying there is no difference between brake pads.
also, if you would like me to remove my posts in your thread please let me know and I will. I just added to your thread because it was a good subject and I didn’t see any reason to start another brake thread.
i didn’t measure any distance but could tell a difference when the pad touches the rotor. It has more “grab”.
you sound smarter than me and know more about the scientific side of this...I am going from feeling and experience. Having two SC430s and noting the differences between them. Along with installing these pads on several cars.
I have been around the block a time or two and usually know the difference between a good and bad product.
it sounds like you are saying there is no difference between brake pads.
also, if you would like me to remove my posts in your thread please let me know and I will. I just added to your thread because it was a good subject and I didn’t see any reason to start another brake thread.
Certainly not asking you to delete your posts. You have to understand that putting your hand on the rotor is not an indication of much of anything. You have to dissipate the kinetic energy and it is done through the brakes pads. The kinetic energy is transformed into heat. It does not matter what the pad is made of. The rotor will be the same temperature given all the other parameters being the same.
I am not saying that all pads are alike. What I am saying is you can't change the laws of physics. All pads generate the same amount of heat given the same circumstance. That is the law of physics.
Here is what I will say...the new pads give the car the feeling of better braking...like the pads have more grip on the rotor.
i had some rapid traffic stops with the old pads and then the new pads,
there is clearly a difference to me...I have had the same experience in my other SC430, the Trans Am and Accord.
04-17-18, 07:13 AM
Brake Job FYI
