Rotor and Front Pads recommendation
 

Hi guys:
Took the MDX in for inspection at local shop. They told me my front pads are at a 3 (need to be replaced at 2) and my rotors need to be replaced because they have a little bit of rust on them and they dont think they can cut them anymore Rotors are at 1.064. I only have 46k on the ODO. Sound right to you guys ? Its at a local Firestone so I am leary of the upsell. I wouldn't have them do the work before anyone cautions against it.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Cut them anymore??? Only 46 k and you have already had them resurfaced? You got ripped off and they are trying to do it again. Resurfacing rotors is one of the biggest rip off cash cow up sellers going. Are you getting any vibration or pulsation in the pedal when you brake?

Brake life is not dependent on mileage. Mostly how and where the car is driven. All highway and you'll have brakes that could last 100k mi. Lots of city...maybe 40-50k mi.

The rotors on my MDX were resurfaced at 27k because they were warped from the P.O. My dealer took care of this for me without issue. Pads started wearing thin around 50k mi (IIRC). I replaced all 4 corners, pads and rotors, with the excelerate brake pkg they have available. Could I have just replaced the pads? Sure. Would I rather have a clean slate to work with? Yes. That's just me. When the car needs pads again I'll just replace the pads and leave the rotors.

FB 2007-11 Acura MDX 14" 6 piston performance big brake kit

14" front brake pad, rotor, & caliper upgrade

No idea if they were ever cut to be honest, thats just what the "tech" said and I use the term loosely here being we are talking about firestone. I just got the car at 36k Certified.

For the price Firestone will sell you the brake job, it might be cheaper and better to purchase new rotors/pads on-line, if you wanted to upgrade. An independent shop can put them on and you will still save money. If you don't feel any symptoms of brake pulsing and have no problems with the MDX braking feel, you should be ok with putting on new OEM pads only (assuming there are OEM pads already).

Firestone might be suggesting "turning" the rotors to remove old OEM pad material so the new Firestone pads can embed properly on the rotors. It can take longer to embed if you don't turn the rotors first if you go to a different brake pad material. I once put new/different pads years ago without removing the old material and the brakes felt fine in normal stop/go traffic. I then had to do a panic stop and the car felt like I was braking on ice and it was the middle of summer.

Lol, Firestone is trying to upsell him rotors, period. Not a mechanic but have been done many, many brake/rotor replacements over the decades and read quite a bit about braking technology. Never heard of pad material incompatibility causing loss of braking on a panic stop. Not saying it did not happen, but are you sure it was brake pad material incompatibility or could it have been something else, eg the pads themselves or a bad MC?

I have put different pads on with the same rotors for auto x and when just the pads were done. No issue with brake material incompatibility. The brake materials are very similar anyway. Properly bedding brakes always helps.

Correct. If using replacement pads with different material caused brake failure during emergency stops, it would be a major liability issue, illegal and highly publicized.

Do I need to be concerned about the rust on the rotors ? I looked them over and there is some rust but its not on the actual surface of the rotor where the pad hits.

Rust on rotors and calipers is normal for vehicles with some miles on them. It can be from normal wear/tear. It could also be brake pad and/or rotor material build up (like residue from metallic pad). Even seeing rust on the actual rotors braking surface after they get wet is normal. The rust on the rotor braking surface will go away after your first stop. My 06 TSX calipers were showing more rust/build-up over the years and I purchase caliper paint from Amazon and painted them black. Like it so much, when ahead and re-painted my RDX and MDX calipers also.

Racing brake Slotted rotors with the factory pads are pretty good combo. The rotors on my MDX have barely worn over the last 40K. I have over 130K on my TL's racing Brake Rotors with 3 sets of Acura A-Spec pads.

I'll be getting a set for the 4G or MDX rotors and calipers to increase braking performance.

Also for the future I'm going to get Carbotech Brake Pads for the fronts first to see how they are. I want something a bit more aggressive than stock like the A-Specs. EBC is also another option.

I have had good luck with centric rotors. The ones with black coated centers. They are cheaper than oem.

+1! Have used on my Acura, Lexus and Toyota vehicles. Excellent quality and performance.

Its hard to imagine I even NEED rotors. After all, I am not sure about the previous owners(we bought at 36k miles), but the MDX is our family cruiser. It NEVER gets driven roughly. Unless something is defective, I don't see how I could need rotors at 45000 miles.

New rotors are at 1.1 inch. Min spec is 1.02 inches. Being at 1.06 you are around the 50% mark. You don't need to replace them, only if they are giving you a vibration when braking.

I am having minor vibrations stopping from 50-60mph, when I told my dealer they said wait until the pads to wear low then they can resurface the rotors and replace pads.

He said if you resurface rotors now, later down when the pads are low it would cost the same since they do resurface/new pads is one service.
I am in a position where I can buy some aftermarket rotors and pads, from vendors here.

Would it be worth it to go aftermarket to avoid the vibrations? My MDX has 45k miles, but dealer told me at 40k. The braking vibrations are getting progressively worse, so I need to consider just buying new rotors as opposed to resurfacing since I have read the rotors on this gen MDX are thin and resurfacing them will not improve the issue.

I just want to get feedback for those veteran owners to see if buying better rotors is worth it.

Racingbrake rotors and pads. They be the best...

IMO it's never worth it to resurface factory rotors, only very good ones like on an M5 or something. They cut off a layer of the rotor making it thinner and more prone to warping again in the future. The cost to resurface vs new factory ones is a $40 difference.

OR

Buy a set of better rotors and pads and you won't look back. I put racing brake rotors on my MDX and they have been wonderful. I replaced the front's only due to pulsation. Stopping is a few feet better from 100MPH (factory pads) but fade is gone, brake feel is better and the bite of the pads are better.

I want to upgrade to a better pad than factory for better braking performance (carbotech maybe) but the factory pad with the Racing Brake rotors are great for 90% of sporty MDX drivers. If you do the rear rotors as well, you'll get a further improvement. I would recommend you do slotted rear rotors on the MDX as well as the front for the better bite. I plan on doing them when the rear rotors are due for replacement.

I wouldn't trust Firestone, they are obviously trying to make extra $.

You said it's CPO, correct? When you purchased it the dealer should have given you all the details of what they did to certify it. The information concerning brake pad wear and rotors should be on that paperwork; if the pads and/or rotors were at less than 50% they should have been replaced. Also, they should have done the 40,000 mile service. Take it to your Acura dealer and see what they say.

I'm thinking of getting the centric rotors also. What pads are you using?

My brake upgrade was done two days ago on my old SC430 with 81k miles - our MDX brakes are still going strong so no need to replace as yet. Used R1 concepts drilled and slotted premier series rotors and Akebono ceramic pads for front and rear. Brakes feel great now. No more vibration, no humming, just good progressive brake feel and a strong bite when I press harder. About 75 miles so far on the new rotors and pads and am very happy so far. Good luck with your decision.

So it seems I am seeing two positive brands for rotor upgrade.

Excelerate Brake packages

&

Racing Brake Performance rotors w/ OEM pads

I will need to decide so I can order and have them ready when I take in my X for replacement. I would like to stay below $700 in upgrading for brake performance for my X.
Since I plan to take into dealer this month, to handle some minor fit and finish and rattles, perfect time to just let them install new front rotors and new brakes.

what brakes did you decide on?

Real old thread here. We replaced our fronts about six months ago when the mileage was about 70 or 75k miles. Used R1 Concepts Premium series OEM compatible rotors and OEM pads. Working out great so far. They run discounts now and then at R1 Concepts.

So I need new rotors. 2010 MDX advance. I tow 3k-4K a few times a year for road trips that are 8-20 hours away from home.

Is everyone still voting on the Centric drilled & slotted rotors with stock pads?

Centric = OEM..
If you Tow a lot get the EBC Red Stuffs.. They resist brake fade better than any "OEM" Style Pad.

EBC brakes suck for bikes. Are they any better in automotive?

They are great for track days and touge sessions, I use them in my TL-S all the time and its by far the best Pad I ever used to date..
The formula for bikes and cars might be different so I do not think they perform the same.

i'm sticking with OEM pads. i'm asking for rotor suggestions

Use what ever you like, If you are using OEM Style Pads any Rotor will do.
I am using DBA Rotors in mine with the Red Stuffs but I have tried the EBC 3GD Rotors with the Yellow Stuffs (Track Pad) before with great success in my TL but Rotor Aftermarket Upgrades are Limited on the MDX.

I would use a combo of StopTech Drilled Rotors with the EBC Red Stuffs..
OEM Style pads don't have the bite or the Fade Resistance for Towing, I managed to fade my Centric Pads (Honda OEM) just by going a long downhill with the MDX without towing anything...

DB, Take a look at what they list on RockAuto for performance rotors. Lots of options, cheap prices.

Hey DB, I am not sure if EBC makes the "red stuff" for the MDX. I know they have the "green stuff" 6000 truck/suv series.. These are great, I have tried these before on a relatives Pilot (same brake pads as mdx), and they stop like a dime. A little more brake dust than OEM but if you are towing, these would be perfect. Get Centric blank rotors, no need for drilled/slotted.. If your OEM rotors are still good, I say use them with the EBC greenstuff 6000 truck/suv series pads. Like I said, these are better than OEM, and I actually think in my opinion that the MDX OEM brakes are not bad, and unlike the TL Brembo, we do not have a lot of aggressive brake pads choices out there for our MDX.

Also, there is no need ever to cut rotors, even when changing out different pads manufacturer on the same rotor, all you need to do is "Proper Bed-in" and make sure to bleed your brake system every 2 years. I personally brake bleed our cars every year using ATE fluid but the Honda OEM fluid is great and sufficient, you can do every 2 years.

I researched a little and yeah it seems only GreenStuff 6000 (HD version) is made for the MDX? Wasn´t an OrangeStuff as well for SUVs and Towing?

im looking at these rotors and stock pads.
the most towing i'd be doing would be a 6x12 enclosed with 2 bikes, gear, and tools. so i'm guessing a max of 3k-4k total.
most of my towing would be a smaller open trailer with about 1200 pounds.
all towing is all highway, mostly flat roads.