shosterman

Hello all!

I'm excited to put up my first post and look forward to contributing more in the future.

I have an 06 TSX with 57k miles which I bought brand new about 2 years ago. I must say I am loving the car and hope to keep it around for a long time.

With that said, I would like some advice on brake pads, rotors, and just general tips on saving some money.

Things all started when I took my car in for a B1 service. Dealer noticed a low tire and plugged it at no charge. Since I knew tires would be required soon, I figured I'd get a quote.

Quote stated $525 for two rear OEM michelins. Four wheel alignment $108. Brake Rotors/Discs w/Pads, Rear - Resurface / All $340.

Tires were obviously high so those I visited the Discount Tire down the street and picked up 4 Yokohama YK520 for $150 each (installed). Now back in the day I used to spend hours researching and reading reviews and taking the time to pick the best price/performance product. But that day it was just one of those things I picked and was done with it which really depressed me. Therefore, I don't want to make the same mistake with the pads and rotors and want to get back to feeling excited about researching, ordering, and tearing open the package.

But first, in reference to the quote, is it quoting only the rear pads and the resurfacing of all 4 rotors? Should I be getting new rotors? For reference rear pads are about 2mm, fronts are 6mm.

I must say that this is my daily driver and my "spirited" driving days are behind me. Therefore, I don't need something exceptional, just good value and performance. With 57k miles, I never really had any issues with the stock pads, but I see on the forums most people generally dislike them and see positive reviews to the Hawk HPS pads. Lastly, do I need a 4 wheel alignment? Is that common when getting new pads installed?

In summary, I'd like to get quality products and keep the total costs (product + install) under the quoted $340.

Thanks!

icemiko

iTrader: (2)

I have Brembo Blank rotors and Akebono ProACT brake pads all around, take a look into those, it's similar to OEM but better.

And no you don't need alignment when you install pads. The only time you'll need an alignment is if you do something with your suspension. (raise/lower the car, etc)

malnik

I believe $340 is only for the rear brakes service because Santa Monica Acura gave me the same quote. I later got a set Akebono ProACT installed at an independent shop. Monroe Ceramic pads are on sale at Amazon.com right now. It's $9.39 after rebate.

http://www.amazon.com/Monroe-CX537-C...9777343&sr=8-2

curls

If you have a set of jackstands ($20), a socket set with a few metric sockets ($cheap enough) and any level of wrenching ability or you can follow basic directions... I'd recommend buying a full set of front and rear pads and rotors from an authorized vendor here and installing them yourself.

I picked up a full set of slotted and drilled rotors and their performance pads, from Brakemotive. They have a group-buy in the Black Market section -- I believe I paid under $200 USD shipping included. That's for ALL 4 CORNERS, not just the rears.

For what its worth, a brake job is relatively simple with basic tools and some know-how, or someone whose done it once or twice before helping you out. You will save a TON on labor charges and that's always a good thing.

Oh, and the brakes from Brakemotive are very very nice. They brake very well, no noise or dust at all, and the initial 'bite' is quite good. A noticeable improvement over OEM in all ways.

DuckDodgers

I used HeelToe to get Brembo blanks and Hawk ceramics for my rears...

Notes:

2mm is about to squeal...get on your plan now, it's majorly annoying!

You WILL need an impact driver for the rear rotor screws...I got a hammer driven impact driver from Sears for about $25.

Search for the brake pad removal threads AND BUY THE STRANGE BOX TOOL for the rear rotors...it's well worth the $10 (Sears too).


On the Aki ProAct's, I put them on my wife's Oddy, and she loves them; lower dust, no squeal, good performance...and thats with stock Honda rotors.

super4

hawk hps? did u notice they wear extreemly fast? i changed my oem pads about 8k ago and these pads are almost gone, and ruined my rotors too, they got all kinds of groves in them after these pads. man im pissed.

DuckDodgers

Nope, Hawk Ceramic, which are less agressive than the HPS. Love it!

deadlyklappy12887

ive had my hawk hps pads on for about 5 or 6k miles and when i took my car in for service recently they were at ~88% . the only bad thing is that they do generate more brake dust than oem pads but they do stop ALOT better. dont know what happened in ur situation but that sucks to hear about it sorry

Excelerate

iTrader: (1)

ROTORA blanks and ROTORA H2 ceramic pads - improved braking, low dust, low noise, durability.

jl1080

I use Rotora slotted with Axxis Ultimate Ceramic Pads. It dusts a lot, but it has a GREAT bite to it