Mild but great brake upgrade
#1
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Mild but great brake upgrade
I've had the StopTech front big brake package on my car for a while with the stock rear brakes. Great setup, but the Axxis Ultimate brake pads that came with the StopTechs were driving me nuts for 2 reasons: 1) They would squeak when coming to a slow stop after the brakes had warmed up, i.e., after 2 minutes of driving!, and 2) they put off MASSIVE amounts of dust and made my nice HREs FILTHY within a couple of days of the light amount of driving I do.
So today I had the Ultimate front pads replaced with the milder Axxis MetalMasters, and I also had the rear stock components except the caliper replaced, including new Brembo drilled (stock size) rotors, MetalMaster pads, and steel brake lines.
So far I'm THRILLED with the results. Braking is still VERY potent but more smoothly controllable. The setup before with the front Ultimates and stock rear pads was rather 'grabby', PLUS, the Ultimates have a disconcerting quality in rain where they 'slide' over the rotors (lessening braking capability) until warmed up.
Hopefully these pads will be less dusty than the old Ultimates too!
On a negative note I will say I'm underwhelmed by the cosmetic improvement of the drilled Brembo rear rotors which I got to look better with the drilled front StopTechs. The rears don't have many holes plus being stock sized they still look too small. Oh well, still marginally better than stock.
So today I had the Ultimate front pads replaced with the milder Axxis MetalMasters, and I also had the rear stock components except the caliper replaced, including new Brembo drilled (stock size) rotors, MetalMaster pads, and steel brake lines.
So far I'm THRILLED with the results. Braking is still VERY potent but more smoothly controllable. The setup before with the front Ultimates and stock rear pads was rather 'grabby', PLUS, the Ultimates have a disconcerting quality in rain where they 'slide' over the rotors (lessening braking capability) until warmed up.
Hopefully these pads will be less dusty than the old Ultimates too!
On a negative note I will say I'm underwhelmed by the cosmetic improvement of the drilled Brembo rear rotors which I got to look better with the drilled front StopTechs. The rears don't have many holes plus being stock sized they still look too small. Oh well, still marginally better than stock.
#2
Lexus Champion
The metal masters are a big improvement over the ultimates, IMO. Way, way, way, way less dust and just a little squeaking/screeching.
I think your brembo rotors looks pretty good. Don't quite fill out those nice HRE's, though. I guess size does matter.
I think your brembo rotors looks pretty good. Don't quite fill out those nice HRE's, though. I guess size does matter.
#4
EV ftw!!!
About time you installed those parts that were sitting in your garage for about a year!
When I did my brake upgrade in April this year to the StopTech BBK, I did everything else at the same time - steel braided brake lines at the rear as well as the StopTech OEM size drilled rotors at the rear. I also did the Axxis MetalMasters pads in the front and I am still VERY HAPPY with them! No sqeaking at all and virtually zero brake dust.
What is driving me nuts though is the band of rust on the inner edge of the rotor surface - on both the front and rear rotors. It just kills the overall look of the HRE's and big brakes in the front.
When I did my brake upgrade in April this year to the StopTech BBK, I did everything else at the same time - steel braided brake lines at the rear as well as the StopTech OEM size drilled rotors at the rear. I also did the Axxis MetalMasters pads in the front and I am still VERY HAPPY with them! No sqeaking at all and virtually zero brake dust.
What is driving me nuts though is the band of rust on the inner edge of the rotor surface - on both the front and rear rotors. It just kills the overall look of the HRE's and big brakes in the front.
Last edited by Hameed; 12-12-04 at 05:13 AM.
#5
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Originally posted by Neo
Nice Bit. Any reason why you did not go with the rotors from StopTech?
Nice Bit. Any reason why you did not go with the rotors from StopTech?
Hameed - I still honestly haven't seen that rust band on mine that you speak of, even when my wheels are clean. That must be near the center black part right, where the pads don't touch?
#6
EV ftw!!!
Originally posted by bitkahuna
Hameed - I still honestly haven't seen that rust band on mine that you speak of, even when my wheels are clean. That must be near the center black part right, where the pads don't touch?
Hameed - I still honestly haven't seen that rust band on mine that you speak of, even when my wheels are clean. That must be near the center black part right, where the pads don't touch?
#7
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Originally posted by Hameed
Yes, exactly. Your rotors cannot be the same type I have if no rust is showing on yours.
Yes, exactly. Your rotors cannot be the same type I have if no rust is showing on yours.
Why don't you just paint the band black with a rustproofing type of paint like Rustoleum?
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#9
EV ftw!!!
Originally posted by rominl
haha man, i can never notice that rust.... come on guys, don't be picky!
haha man, i can never notice that rust.... come on guys, don't be picky!
#10
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Thanks for the writeup! Bit, just curious.... did you do any bedding on the rear brakes?
I've never really thought about how to approach it when you do just rear.
I've never really thought about how to approach it when you do just rear.
#11
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I wanted to get the basic non-drilled, non-slotted brembo rotors when I have a brake-job done in a year... I was told that they may squeek or squeel because the OEM rotors are softer and quieter, is there much truth to this?
I would love to keep the OEM setup, but dropping over 500 bucks on rotors is NOT on my list of priorities.
I would love to keep the OEM setup, but dropping over 500 bucks on rotors is NOT on my list of priorities.
#12
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Originally posted by DaveGS4
Thanks for the writeup! Bit, just curious.... did you do any bedding on the rear brakes?
I've never really thought about how to approach it when you do just rear.
Thanks for the writeup! Bit, just curious.... did you do any bedding on the rear brakes?
I've never really thought about how to approach it when you do just rear.
#13
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Originally posted by Hameed
Of course you can't! You have the same "less open look" wheels that Bit has! If your wheels were like mine which are "very open", trust me, it would bother you a lot! I intend to do something about it pretty soon.
Of course you can't! You have the same "less open look" wheels that Bit has! If your wheels were like mine which are "very open", trust me, it would bother you a lot! I intend to do something about it pretty soon.
#14
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Originally posted by SC400-V8
I wanted to get the basic non-drilled, non-slotted brembo rotors when I have a brake-job done in a year... I was told that they may squeek or squeel because the OEM rotors are softer and quieter, is there much truth to this?
I would love to keep the OEM setup, but dropping over 500 bucks on rotors is NOT on my list of priorities.
I wanted to get the basic non-drilled, non-slotted brembo rotors when I have a brake-job done in a year... I was told that they may squeek or squeel because the OEM rotors are softer and quieter, is there much truth to this?
I would love to keep the OEM setup, but dropping over 500 bucks on rotors is NOT on my list of priorities.
#15
EV ftw!!!
Originally posted by rominl
hahhaa, well, that might be the reason why you should just get some other hre wheels? *cough bob cough*
hahhaa, well, that might be the reason why you should just get some other hre wheels? *cough bob cough*