Since this is getting no notice in another thread.

Check this out...



Those arent our brakes! Those look like totally different rotors... they look like quality rotors from a BMW or something.

That rear caliper looks different too... most notably, it looks black?? mine were silver.

Those rotors are definately different though.

What do ya think?

 

I think this just keeps getting a bit better every time we look closer ... now to just get the fogs and body kit announced on acura.com as dealer options

Seriously - better brakes would be great ... guess we have to wait for the details on that.

 

I hope they did something to beef up the auto trans

 

Those wheels look better up close. They would be really sweet if they were 18's.

The cars at the show really are quite stripped down aren't they? No mudflaps, no fenderwell trim no spoilers etc. They seem like they weren't very well prepared with this introduction.

 

Specs (size, rotor width, swept area) are the same for the 2002 and 2003.

 

doesnt mean they couldnt be of better quality

 

Damn going in for rotor work again in less than 12k miles. Fellas and ladies i really really dont drive that hard on my car!

 

ya know, I've had a TL, and two CLS's...

all my rotors have been fine (just ugly)

but no warping issues...


i drive like i stole my cars


do you wash your car when the brakes are hot? do you hold the brakes in one stop at a light?

its gotta be somethin

 

what are the symptoms again?
we could do some pretty good test trials on test drives of the 03's

 

I’m VERY careful about the car wash thing, but elaborate on the stoplight method you use.

BTW....I don't have ANY brake issues at 20K.

Shawn S

 

well, if your brakes are hot... and your keeping them warm by using them alot or stopping quickly at a light...

the brakes cool quickly when at a standstill and not in use...

but, if your calipers are clamping an area of the rotor, that area will cool at a different pace then the exposed portion of the rotor.... that... inevitibly, leads to warping.

whenever i know my brakes are steamy, I like to stop a good distance ahead of a light and just kinda roll slowly.... if its a really long light, like some of the 3 minute ones near my house... i sometimes just put it in neutral and let off the brake.

either way, you get the point.

 

Those rotors prolly look better cause they didn't come all rusted like mine did

 

Soopa,

I don’t do that at stops, but it does seem to make sense.

I think a LOT of people don’t know about the car wash rule and that probably accounts for many of the problems people are having on the Forum with rotors.

Not to excuse Acura from any blame, but I read about the way some of the members here drive, and that may have something to do with many of the brake problems.

Shawn S

 

People are posting specs for the 03 (such as gear ratios and rotor areas). Where are these numbers? Also, I guess I'm uniformed but what is the car wash rule?

 

Fenderwell trim is for the ghetto. It looks tacky as hell (if you're talking about that silver crap around the wheel wells, which I think you are).

Mudflaps look silly too, but are necessary for those up north.

And as for the rotors, maybe they did change the brand or something so they don't warp so easy. That would be nice of them.

 

Don’t spray COLD water on HOT Wheels/rotors.

The metal can stay HOT for up to an hour after you drive the car depending on the weather and how much braking you did before you shut the car off.

One blast of cold water can kill the rotors in a second.
I’ve even heard you can warp or crack a WHEEL the same way.

Shawn S

 

so I guess you follow the "don't drive through puddles" rule, as well as the "don't drive in the rain" rule?

(jeez, you might warp your engine block and exhaust manifold, too! lol.)

 

I was JUST about to post this ... although one could argue that spraying your wheels with a hose is more direct, but Acura/Honda needs to shake this monkey ... they have ALWAYS had this problem as long as I have been driving Honda's (12 years).

 

The bastards keep the good stuff for JDM, have you noticed the Brembo kit on JDM Integera-R...

 

A puddle would have to be pretty DAMN big to put as much COLD water on the rotor as direct spraying from a hose would.

My wife’s 91 Integra with 80K plus still has the original rotors.
I had to replace the rear ones on my 91 Legend Coupe somewhere around 90K only after a caliper stuck and overheated one of them which then warped.

Don’t forget, manual Tranny cars are easier on brakes if you downshift to scrub speed instead of braking.

Shawn S

 

the dousing your hot brakes with cold water is not honda/acura specific... it applys to any rotor.

chances are... you beat your brakes enough... get them crazy hot... skid into your driveway... and go to wash your wheels with a cold hose... your rotors are going to at some point... protest.

just how shit works.

 

so you're saying the rule is actually the "don't get the rotors blazing hot and then douse them in a stream of icy-cold water at the car wash?"

okay. sounds reasonable... I'll just put it over here in the duh file with the "don't loosen the lugnuts before driving" rule...

 

it may be obvious. but i know people do it...

i bet tons of those stupid californians go do canyon runs in 110 weather then come home and wash their car off.


(and yes I just called californians stupid surfers)

 

no rotor problems for me either. i always let my car cool for atleast 2 hours after i park the car to clean and I too do what soopa does. I just slow down like wayyyy early when i come to a light and basically roll to the line. it drives my passengers nuts but its good when the light turns green cause I get a rolling start.

and also w/ throwing it in N. I do that when i'm on a flat road and just get tired of holding the brake.

Also try pressing the brake just enought to hold the car still.

 

Agree with Nova... other than all 4 rotors replaced @ 50 miles (day after delivery!!,) The new braking setup works perfect, as it should.

As for the car wash after driving, 9.9 times out of 10 you're going to be fine (assuming you use your brakes as intended, no crazy crap right before hand.) Most quarter car washes use warm / hot water to begin with (at least the soap cycle.) Use common sense here as stated before. I luckily learned this at an early age.

As to the original question, they might be from a different supplier, but I doubt it. I was under the impression that Brembo manufactured the OE rotors for Honda. That's what I've been told in the past from several others.

I've owned 3 Honda products in the past several years, and had no real early rotor troubles with them using OE pads. I did however, warp a set of front rotors on the 6th gen Accord using Axxis Metal Masters. That sucked. Only got about 5k miles use out of those pads before shit-canning them.

The calipers in the picture are hard to tell if diff. They're black... I'll give'm that. :P

Jim

PS - The more I look at those wheels, the more I like them. If anyone getting an 03 wants to swap, let me know.