MDX Brake Replacement - What are the best parts?
09-07-2012, 02:43 PM
#1
MDX Brake Replacement - What are the best parts?
So I have 30k on my MDX, and every time I brake on the highway, the car vibrates violently. This actually started around 25k, but I got around to writing this thread now...
I called Acura twice, and both times I got,
"The brake rotors are warped and can be re-surfaced. However this is not covered under the factory warranty, since it is directly related to the driver of the car."
I drive 100 miles a day on the highway, so I am not ragging my car out...
He went on to say, "These MDX's are also very prone to this warping because of the weight of the car."
Blah, blah, blah...
Long story short, 25k miles into the car, and I need to re-surface the rotors. This to me is absolutely ridiculous, and a serious fail on Honda's part (especially when you consider the price of the freaking car). Needless to say, I want to replace the rotors and pads, and wanted to ask what everyone out here is using. I don't want to go OEM because to me a) the parts obviously suck and b) they are way over-priced.
Is there anything aftermarket out there that you guys have had better fortune with? Any particular brand/line for the MDX rotor and pad replacements? I have a 2010 MDX by the way...
I called Acura twice, and both times I got,
"The brake rotors are warped and can be re-surfaced. However this is not covered under the factory warranty, since it is directly related to the driver of the car."
I drive 100 miles a day on the highway, so I am not ragging my car out...
He went on to say, "These MDX's are also very prone to this warping because of the weight of the car."
Blah, blah, blah...
Long story short, 25k miles into the car, and I need to re-surface the rotors. This to me is absolutely ridiculous, and a serious fail on Honda's part (especially when you consider the price of the freaking car). Needless to say, I want to replace the rotors and pads, and wanted to ask what everyone out here is using. I don't want to go OEM because to me a) the parts obviously suck and b) they are way over-priced.
Is there anything aftermarket out there that you guys have had better fortune with? Any particular brand/line for the MDX rotor and pad replacements? I have a 2010 MDX by the way...
09-07-2012, 03:50 PM
#2
I would personally go OEM. This isn't one of those cars that has a large aftermarket following. if you go on tire rack dot com you can put in your car and see what components they offer for it outside of oem. I'm guessing akebono and such brands which are also pretty good.
On a side note, my 2008 MDX had almost 60k miles on it when I traded it in and the brakes were still working just fine, never had an issue. The car was only 3 years old at the time I traded it in so I was driving it a lot just as you are.
On a side note, my 2008 MDX had almost 60k miles on it when I traded it in and the brakes were still working just fine, never had an issue. The car was only 3 years old at the time I traded it in so I was driving it a lot just as you are.
09-07-2012, 11:15 PM
#4
Great Northerner
I would personally go OEM. This isn't one of those cars that has a large aftermarket following. if you go on tire rack dot com you can put in your car and see what components they offer for it outside of oem. I'm guessing akebono and such brands which are also pretty good.
On a side note, my 2008 MDX had almost 60k miles on it when I traded it in and the brakes were still working just fine, never had an issue. The car was only 3 years old at the time I traded it in so I was driving it a lot just as you are.
On a side note, my 2008 MDX had almost 60k miles on it when I traded it in and the brakes were still working just fine, never had an issue. The car was only 3 years old at the time I traded it in so I was driving it a lot just as you are.
But what does this have to do with an MDX? Obviously you are not tracking an MDX at absurd speeds but the principle still stands: you want, and expect, certain qualities out a very important, crucial part of your vehicle. Qualities like longevity, reliability, resistance to brake fade (and thus overheating which consequently leads to warping). All of these factors come together to a paramount decision when adopting a new set of brakes: safety. Safety for you, safety for your family, and safety for others on the road in the case should an emergent decision be required and stopping on a dime is necessary.
You can do this with OEM rotors as well to an extent, but don't expect to do that for very long. Brakes are a crucial element to an automobile and require thoughtful consideration when buying a new set of rotors and pads...
...which is a great segue into price. You will find that aftermarket rotors from PowerStop, EBC sport, and PowerSlot all have packages (I know Powerstop includes front/rear rotors and pads for $338 for the 2010 MDX) that are far cheaper than any dealership. I should know. My uncle owns a Ford, Lincoln, Mercury dealership. Domestic prices SHOULD be cheap compared to Honda/Acura, or so one would think, but you would be surprised that the OEM price for ONE front rotor for your MDX is $150.53...$124.13 for ONE rear rotor. You still have two more to go and then purchase pads.
That's why they call it the stealership (and why my uncle's service department makes a lot of money). One thing I would strongly suggest is getting slotted rotors as opposed to cross-drilled or even combo slotted/cross-drilled rotors. Cross-drilled rotors are notorious for cracking.
Ultimately it comes down to a few things...one being that from Honda to Ferrari it is the racing technology that trickles down to the public sector cars. VTEC is an excellent example of that philosophy. Second, engineers don't always design things for longevity. The brakes may work for a 200 mile test by Car and Driver getting pounded but there is simply no comparison to real-world driving scenarios, even if you ARE light on the brake. Thirdly, rotors and pads are a HUGE selling point among service departments. I haven't been to the stealership once without them saying I needed brake work on my MDX...until I bought a set of PowerSlot rotors. They have a 3-year/30k warranty and I'm still driving fine almost 38k later.
Check this out:
http://www.autoaccessoriesgarage.com...Stop-Brake-Kit
You can take my ramblings with a grain of salt but again, I do a lot of tracking/racing, and I know from experience that bringing that technology to an everyday vehicle (my MDX) not only improves safety, performance, reliability, and longevity...it's also cheaper!
Good luck with your purchase and think twice about the dealer saying they can fix everything. They can. For a price. And usually it isn't cheap! Buy aftermarket rotors and have them installed by a good independent shop. Since Acura doesn't cover rotors anyway I don't see why this would interfere with warranty issues either (correct me if I'm wrong on that).
Cheers,
~MI6
Last edited by MI6; 09-07-2012 at 11:21 PM.
09-18-2012, 07:25 AM
#5
MI6, thanks for the reply. Sorry to get back to this thread so late. After reading, I agree with you. I am definitely going Slotted. Now the question is between Powerslot and Powerstop. Are they the same thing?
Also, it looks like the link you sent is for a kit with cross-drilled and slotted. Is that correct? Per your thread, it seems that you are against the cross-drilled...
Lastly, I know Powerslot offers Cryo-treated rotors. Do you have any experience with the Cryo treatment? It supposedly makes the brakes less prone to warping... Thoughts?
Also, it looks like the link you sent is for a kit with cross-drilled and slotted. Is that correct? Per your thread, it seems that you are against the cross-drilled...
Lastly, I know Powerslot offers Cryo-treated rotors. Do you have any experience with the Cryo treatment? It supposedly makes the brakes less prone to warping... Thoughts?
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DINAR (08-29-2019)
09-20-2012, 01:36 AM
#6
Great Northerner
Hello sac2006TL,
Centric Auto Parts (parent company) owns Power Slot and Stoptech. I apologize for the confusion in my initial response for adding Power Stop to the melee. So many companies with similar names.
Power Slot is Centric's entry level lineup whereas Stoptech is the performance edition. As far as I know rotor's are not made for the MDX from these particular lineups due mostly to lack of demand. However, you will find them all over the place for a TL, for example. I personally switch back and forth between EBC and Power Slot Cryo Rotors (mostly due to the price difference).
EBC is the only brand I can think of off the top of my head that is a true high performance rotor that fits the MDX. They are not cheap but the results are fantastic. They can be found here (you might have to reselect your vehicle--you will want the USR Slotted Rotors):
http://www.autoaccessoriesgarage.com...Slotted-Rotors
You are looking at about $596.38 for that setup w/free shipping (big + as these things are heavy). That being said, there is nothing wrong with my previous statement about the PowerStop brake kit (front & rear) which sells for $337.96 w/free shipping. This is a difference of $258.42, or, put another way, the EBC kit is 56.7% more expensive. However...keep in mind that even the most expensive slotted EBC kit for your MDX is STILL only slightly higher (relatively speaking) than the OEM rotors which cost $549.32 for the set. Looking at it from this perspective the EBC kit will cost you $47.06 more than OEM and provide superior performance, reliability and safety. Conversely, the PowerStop kit will cost you $258.42 less than a complete set of OEM rotors.
I know that's a lot of numbers flying around but the principle is that either way, whether you choose to go the all-out route and spend ~$47 more for the EBC's or save ~$258 on the PowerStop rotors it's a win-win solution either way. And as mentioned previously, these rotors carry warranties whereas most OEM rotors do not (especially warranty rotors, normal wear and tear, etc., etc.).
Whichever set you choose to go for depends on how much money you want to spend and, to some degree, which one makes you feel more comfortable behind the wheel. Personally I would go with the EBC's. But then again, it's an MDX, not an 944 Turbo!
To answer your other question cryo rotors are...well...I haven't noticed a whole lot of difference in them to be honest other then they seem to be more brittle and prone to cracking under intense heat and torque. And I do stand corrected, I absolutely stand firmly behind cross-drilled rotors serving one purpose: appearance. I have to admit, they look awesome. But awesome doesn't correlate with reliability and they are prone to cracking.
As for pads I would consider Hawk Performance (maybe sports car/GT racing) pads. A lot of folks on here recommend Hawk pads as they really are a very good product.
In summary, you can spend X amount of dollars on OEM parts that provide mediocre performance, are more liable to warp, and cost almost as much as the best rotors you can get or almost half the price of a set of rotors that are STILL better than the OEM rotors. And don't forget the warranty!
Maybe you could or could not tell that I'm an accountant by this point but this principle stands: if you can, get more for your money when you can. By doing the research you can come up with products far superior. Years later after working as a Service Adviser for a summer job for my uncle's dealerhsip I still feel bad for for selling people parts to people they didn't need for absurd prices---and that includes rotors and pads. A typical dealership makes 2-3% of their profit from selling new cars (not to mention how much they make screwing people with used cars). Almost 55% of a new car dealership's money comes from the service department according to a 2008 NADA survey.
Best of luck,
MI6
Centric Auto Parts (parent company) owns Power Slot and Stoptech. I apologize for the confusion in my initial response for adding Power Stop to the melee. So many companies with similar names.
Power Slot is Centric's entry level lineup whereas Stoptech is the performance edition. As far as I know rotor's are not made for the MDX from these particular lineups due mostly to lack of demand. However, you will find them all over the place for a TL, for example. I personally switch back and forth between EBC and Power Slot Cryo Rotors (mostly due to the price difference).
EBC is the only brand I can think of off the top of my head that is a true high performance rotor that fits the MDX. They are not cheap but the results are fantastic. They can be found here (you might have to reselect your vehicle--you will want the USR Slotted Rotors):
http://www.autoaccessoriesgarage.com...Slotted-Rotors
You are looking at about $596.38 for that setup w/free shipping (big + as these things are heavy). That being said, there is nothing wrong with my previous statement about the PowerStop brake kit (front & rear) which sells for $337.96 w/free shipping. This is a difference of $258.42, or, put another way, the EBC kit is 56.7% more expensive. However...keep in mind that even the most expensive slotted EBC kit for your MDX is STILL only slightly higher (relatively speaking) than the OEM rotors which cost $549.32 for the set. Looking at it from this perspective the EBC kit will cost you $47.06 more than OEM and provide superior performance, reliability and safety. Conversely, the PowerStop kit will cost you $258.42 less than a complete set of OEM rotors.
I know that's a lot of numbers flying around but the principle is that either way, whether you choose to go the all-out route and spend ~$47 more for the EBC's or save ~$258 on the PowerStop rotors it's a win-win solution either way. And as mentioned previously, these rotors carry warranties whereas most OEM rotors do not (especially warranty rotors, normal wear and tear, etc., etc.).
Whichever set you choose to go for depends on how much money you want to spend and, to some degree, which one makes you feel more comfortable behind the wheel. Personally I would go with the EBC's. But then again, it's an MDX, not an 944 Turbo!
To answer your other question cryo rotors are...well...I haven't noticed a whole lot of difference in them to be honest other then they seem to be more brittle and prone to cracking under intense heat and torque. And I do stand corrected, I absolutely stand firmly behind cross-drilled rotors serving one purpose: appearance. I have to admit, they look awesome. But awesome doesn't correlate with reliability and they are prone to cracking.
As for pads I would consider Hawk Performance (maybe sports car/GT racing) pads. A lot of folks on here recommend Hawk pads as they really are a very good product.
In summary, you can spend X amount of dollars on OEM parts that provide mediocre performance, are more liable to warp, and cost almost as much as the best rotors you can get or almost half the price of a set of rotors that are STILL better than the OEM rotors. And don't forget the warranty!
Maybe you could or could not tell that I'm an accountant by this point but this principle stands: if you can, get more for your money when you can. By doing the research you can come up with products far superior. Years later after working as a Service Adviser for a summer job for my uncle's dealerhsip I still feel bad for for selling people parts to people they didn't need for absurd prices---and that includes rotors and pads. A typical dealership makes 2-3% of their profit from selling new cars (not to mention how much they make screwing people with used cars). Almost 55% of a new car dealership's money comes from the service department according to a 2008 NADA survey.
Best of luck,
MI6
09-25-2012, 12:26 PM
#7
Rich and Famous
After Market is often cheaper and betterthan OEM. But Not always.
I got a long way before I replace mine but based on all the Talk on Warped Rotors ... I plan on Slotted at a non dealer.
I got a long way before I replace mine but based on all the Talk on Warped Rotors ... I plan on Slotted at a non dealer.
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