p.diddy

iTrader: (3)

figured this would be the best place to ask to get a wide range of opinions/advice. im looking for the best rotor/pad with money not being an issue. im just looking for good straight line performance stopping. i dont plan on tracking the car or anythnig like that. just good spirited runs on the highway from time to time since my car is supercharged.

eneffex

I'd say brembo, if you want the full setup, but sounds like for your applications blanks would be just fine since you're not tracking or anything. I have stock diameter ebc 3gd slotted/dimpled rotors, hawks hps with russell ss lines and I've noticed a huge difference from stock stopping power.

edit: just noticed from your sig, you have a bbk already, is that not enough?

p.diddy

iTrader: (3)

I have the 4 piston calipers off the RL just want the best rotors for these calipers. Also wondering if I should do drilled/slotted or just slotted.

brian6speed

iTrader: (5)

For the front I'd go with racing brake 2 piece or the dba 5000 2 piece rotors. I plan on getting the racingbrake.

The rear is a little harder decision. No 2 piece are specified as fitting rear. Also dba and racing brake don't make rear rotors that I have seen. You might have to size match instead of shop for cl specific app.

For 1 piece rear there is powerslot, ebc etc.

For pads it would matter on driving style and what you want from them.

If those rotors aren't pricey enough you could try something like project mu.

p.diddy

iTrader: (3)

One thing I do know is that I'll probably go 2 piece rotor for the front. I'm leaning towards hawk pads. I've been hearing good things about them. Just undecided on the rotor and drilled/slotted or just slotted. I'm going to look up the rotors that's been suggested.

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

2 piece rotors are $$$$$ for the 350Z.

p.diddy

iTrader: (3)

I haven't checked the price but how much will a set of 2 piece rotors run?

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

You know the saying....if you have to ask how much.......

The Racing Brake two piece rotor for the 350Z is $350.








Each.

DBAs are around $800 for the pair last I checked.

p.diddy

iTrader: (3)

Damn lol. I was thinking stoptech 2 piece but I haven't priced them yet. I got to research those racing brake rotors. Never heard of them. I haven't ruled the 2 piece rotors out. I want the best for my cl.

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

I had the one piece RB slotted rotors back on the stop brakes and they were pretty good. I still have them too - collecting dust...

1sickaccord

I have EBC BlackDash Slotted Rotors and EBC Redstuff Pads and i love it my combo definitely recommend this to anyone

brian6speed

iTrader: (5)

I can get both rb 2 piece and dba in my size for 500 a pair, sucks for you rl guys I guess.

Also the ebc are nice for one piece but they rust alot. Since you are all about looks I would avoid uncoated rotors that are rust prone on edges and in middle splines.

I am debating between just 2 piece RB front rotors vs the stage 5 RB bbk. Just hard to justify spending that much, then I will have to worry about brake bias issues on the track.

For the 350z front rotors you get more options. Endless 2 piece for 860-955 per rotor. Talk about pricey.
Another is project mu 2 piece for 522-792 for pair.

Jdm whores would love those last 2.

p.diddy

iTrader: (3)

omg! lol! didnt think 1 rotor could cost that much. $350 for the RB is looking good right about now. which in you guys opinion is the better brand rotor? RB 2 piece or stoptech 2 piece?

p.diddy

iTrader: (3)

do the 2 piece RB come zinc coated?

brian6speed

iTrader: (5)

I would and plan to go with RB.

I believe they are painted black where the pads dont contact. Here is some info.
http://www.heeltoeauto.com/pitboard/?p=168
http://www.heeltoeauto.com/pitboard/?p=112

I wonder if something like this would work for us.
http://www.heeltoeauto.com/Fastbrake...-pr-65752.html

Also for the rear what other honda/acura rotors will fit. The cl rear is 282 mm. I see the s2000 is a 281.6 mm rear.

p.diddy

iTrader: (3)

where did you get those prices cause i looked and the 2 piece for standard CL brakes is only $10 less the the 2 piece for the 350z(RL Brakes).

btw what pads you plan on running?

AnthraciteTypeS

Oh c'mon people.. he's not auto-xing the car or road coursing the car for christ's sake. If I were you, I'd go with a set of slotted premium rotors from r1concepts. Great prices for a quality rotor. And they are coated if thats a concern. Read the reviews on site or google them for other people's takes. I know of several friends that run them and have nothing but good things to say. As for the pads, again I don't really believe hawks are necessary, they're just gonna dust up your baller ass wheels really quick. I also have rl calipers and went with the rotors I mentioned along with akebono ceramic pads because 1- they are low dust (nearly nonexistant) and 2- not nearly expensive as the brand name racing application pads such as ebc, hawk, etc. You don't need 2 piece this and that or a crazy expensive pad. The car's gonna stop HARD regardless since you have rl brakes. Anything more is just a waste of money you could put toward something else

ThomWV

eneffex

agree with the first part, but my hawks HPS bite well and low dust, at least for my driving and braking style (which is drive like I have none) lol

brian6speed

iTrader: (5)

Yes according to this logic any modding is a waste of money and being on a car forum is then a waste of time. You should stick with stock brakes and go with ROTA wheels. Also why get an acura when you can just buy a hyundai, it still gets you from point A to point B.

BTW you did read the part where he said price is not an option. Also he is into looks over performance. Technically bbk are never needed and more for looks/show/bragging rights anyway.

I eat every meal at McD's and buy all my clothes from walmart. Who needs a filet when you can get a triple steak burrito from taco bell. Join the high life and start drinking miller light.

Also you have issues with people spending money on brakes but it is ok to drop 2-3 grand every 3 months on a new set of baller rims?

p.diddy

iTrader: (3)

well we dont want that to happen lol. whats a good performance pad with low dust?

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

Then you'd lose the e-brake. I mentioned this is diddys build thread, but Ill mention it again here. Only Acuras use e-brake shoes. Hondas use the combination rear calipers.

Anthracite - I can understand where you are coming from and can agree with that logic for certain things, however brakes are not one of them. They are safety equipment and need to work optimally.

At the same time, I do think $350 per caliper is ridiculous and not something Id be willing to shell out. Id much rather get a good set of one piece EBC slotted rotors for ~$200 for the front pair.

Also, whats with all this talk about coated calipers? If if they are coated where the pads contact the rotor, guess what? That coating is going to come off the first time you hit the brakes.

CH46ESeaKnight

I do believe he said "with money not being an issue" when asking for a good brake combo. If he wanted the shit you mentioned, he would have said something like " I need cheap brakes that work". Judging by his car, I'd say he does not go cheap on much and of all things to go cheap on why in gods name would someone do it on brakes. Clearly his car is faster then most CL's being that it is supercharged. The more power you have the more stopping power you should have. If a persons car can go 0-60 faster then it can go 60-0 then they are a dumbass!



Diddy check out http://www.ctbrakes.com/ They make some pretty bad ass pads. As for rotors, I will only buy rotors that are made elsewhere than China or without Chinese steel. Saddly thats about 98% of them.

I really like DBA and EBC rotors, and EBC pads. No complaints on either and I have used every compound of pad offered by EBC.

p.diddy

iTrader: (3)

thanks guys for the info ive been reading. i want to upgrade my pads and rotors over the winter so im trying to do my research on this now. as this thread is pointing out theres an abundance of brands of rotors/pads so you see why i started this thread to get help.

the reason why i mentioned if they were zinc coated was because i noticed with a lot of rotors it rusts around the hub area or the inner part of the rotor where it connects the hub. not all rotors do that thats why i was asking about that. not where the pads touch the rotors.

brian6speed

iTrader: (5)

thnx for info on rear civic. You also keep saying caliper when you mean rotors I assume.

brian6speed

iTrader: (5)

Was researching more on the RB 2 piece rotors. Here is some good info.
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=474395
http://www.golfmkv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=144372
http://www.racingbrake.com/v/main/pad_warning.asp

"Since our disc material is has a higher hardness level than OE or other manufacturers' rotors, the same racing pads (brands such as Carbotech or Ferodo) that may have worked great on your original rotors may not work well on our rotors. These pads, commonly used by weekend racers, are affordable but are often not aggressive enough to be used with our rotors. Using these types of pads on RB rotors may result in pad deposit at high temperatures, and/or an unsatisfactory "bite" on the rotor at low temperatures.

The opposite issue occurs if a pad is too aggressive for its rotor, for instance, using track pads on an OE rotor. The abrasiveness of the pad will wear down the rotor very quickly. This is why it is critical to make sure that the pads and rotors that you use are compatible with each other.

For optimal performance and safety, be sure to use true racing pads in conjuntion with RB rotors: brands like Mintex, Raybestos, (Porterfield), Cobalt or Pagid. We have worked closely with Hawk to develop rotors that are compatible with these pads. True racing pads are able to handle high temperatures without the concern of pad deposit. Any use of noncompatible pads is at your own risk."

zeta

iTrader: (1)

I agree. However, the hardest thing I've found is determining the manufacturers origin. Especially, when your sitting at the computer looking at a webpage that gives only rotor specs and noise about how wonderful they will be for said car, but no data on country of manufacture.

Excelerate

iTrader: (1)

As I commented via PM based on the fact that you need 350Z front rotors I would recommend STOPTECH Aero Rotors if you want a 2 piece front disc and STOPTECH Performance Rotors for the rear (1 piece discs).

Also the STOPTECH Performance pads will outperform the Hawk HPS pads. They are a somewhat low dust, low noise pad with great bite and long-term performance.

brian6speed

iTrader: (5)

If it is that hard to find where they are made then just avoid that brand.

AnthraciteTypeS

Lets not get out of line here.. clearly diddy has an infinite amount of money to spend on his car. However, you're acting like he didn't take the biggest, most effective step already by upgrading to rl brakes!! Say what you want, and spend whatever makes you sleep better at night but all I was saying was there are FAR cheaper rotors and pads that will perform nearly side by side with some of the rediculously expensive rotors mentioned in this thread. If you disagree, fine but don't act like I'm some cheap knownothing.. find it funny that the rotors I suggested are in the same category as rotors other people suggested such as ebc, brembo, etc. As said, I have friends that roadrace on a weekly basis and they don't have 2 piece rotors or anything nearly as expensive as what was listed by some of you. As for his wheel choice, I can understand completely as people see these and I understand the whole fake wheel stigma thing. However, no one's gonna know you have brand xxx super duper 2 piece racing rotors. Either way for what he's going to be using them for "the occasional highway pull", there's no rhyme of reason to spend double or triple over a set of quality rotors. Just cause they're less expensive doesn't mean anything. Just like rotas are less expensive than work wheels. Are the rotas gonna crack in half while you're driving? No.. sorry for sharing my opinion!

eneffex

The point of coated rotors is not for the pad contact areas, but I believe more so for the rest of the rotors from corrosion. I have zinc coated rotors, which looked awesome before the contact area was worn off, but I'm glad that its on the parts that do not come in contact like the ventilated area.

like diddy said, I think you meant rotors when you mention calipers.

p.diddy

iTrader: (3)

lol i wouldnt say that. im just single with no kids with a very good debt to income ratio.

brian6speed

iTrader: (5)

First off, I never said anything about your lack of knowledge. I am not a know it all. Who are you to tell someone what they can spend and on what? Some people don't have kids and dont get married so they can actually enjoy themselves and not let a woman make all their decisions for them. He asked what the best rotor pad combo is, not what is the cheapest he can get away with or whats the best rotor under a certain price. I also never said 2 piece rotors were necessary to track a car. Also for Rota wheels they actually will crack on the street seen it happen more than once and when that happens you have more of a chance to damage other parts like suspension, body etc. If you want to go cheap route that is fine, but why force your ideals on others. Everyone wastes money it all just comes down to what they waste it on. BTW in my prior post I was being partially sarcastic.

BTW about the coated rotors here is a pic of my EBC to prove that point. They just dont look good with all the rust. They didnt even coat or paint the slots. These are the ebc ultimax. They looked like they would be ok in pics because they show them painted black. It was a different story when I received mine. I doubt diddy wants something that looks like this.

AnthraciteTypeS

Never told anyone anything and never forced my ideals on anyone. Was just stating my opinion/experience for him to consider which I'm sure he appreciates even if he doesn't choose to go that route, didn't know I wasn't allowed to do that

1sickaccord

I'm saying they work great though.... mine don't look like that .. i only some rust on the dashes but not in the middle .. i painted it with some caliper paint to avoid that and it looks great

ThomWV

Not to break up a good argument but I'd like to report back to you all the things I've found out, or noticed might be a better way to say it, in the last couple of days of hunting for brakes and reading all the posts like this one I could find.

The first thing is that the Tire Rack's information pages on the products they carry are about as good as it gets for giving the potential buyer some useful information. In looking at a whole bunch of them there are two tidbits I noticed that got my attention. Maybe they'll get your's too.

The first addresses the quality of metal (iron) used in the castings. There seem to be two, almost all of them are rated at 3000 what-ever-they-are but there are other rotors, usually but not always more expensive, that are made from metal rated at 3500 what-ever-it-is they rate them on. One presumes that the higher number is somehow better if for no other reason than that rotors that are made from it generally cost more.

The other thing I noticed was a repeated disclaimer about slotted, drilled, or dimpled rotors. Quite simply they tell us, over and over again, that this is just for show, that its really no improvement over plain rotors, and particularly if you plan to do even light racing don't get into the mindset that you have improved your brakes by buying the latest slit, slotted, and hogged out rotors, it just ain't so - according to the people who are trying to sell them.

With what limited information as is available this is what I gleaned out of it all. Buy a plain set of rotors but find some of the higher rating, the 3500 ones. Then get a set of street performance pads from one of the known manufacturers - not the Van/truck pads, not the "racing" pads, not the "OEM replacement" pads, but the ones they call performance/street. Go with ceramics to keep the dust down. In the end, with new hardware kits, you'll have about $225 tied up in new rotors and pads on all four wheels. While you're at it, and presuming you are changing your fluid at the same time - because, why not?* - you might also want to consider switching over to stainless braided flex lines on your ends. You can pick up a set by Russell or Goodrich for about fifty bucks. All in all it appears to me that you can put a very nice set of good responsive brakes on your car, including the new lines and new hardware, for just under three hundred bucks. Doing all 4 wheels along with changing the fluid should eat up every bit of half a day and you'll want a helper to bleed the brakes.

* in older BMWs they recommended changing the brake fluid annually, and for good reason.

PS: Never mix grades of brake fluid and keep as far away from DOT-5 as you can get unless it is what came in your brakes from he factory. Never try to switch over to that stuff - its evil.

CL-S progression 01

iTrader: (2)

for w/e it's worth i'm running stoptech pads and powerslot rotors and have had no issues at all.

i've gone through 2 sets of dba rotors, one pair slotted the other cross drilled, both warped.
i ran hawk pads and ebc the other time and both didn't work.

HAWK pads suck by the way, they're loud and only work well when really hot. so they're terrible do daily driving. oh and they squeak when ur creeping through the drive-thru or anything like that.

gnuts

iTrader: (1)

i'm running powerslot rotors and hawk pads. The rotors do have some rust where the pads don't contact the rotor and the hawk pads are noisy, but they bite well and dust is low.

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

You are correct. I gotta learn to go to sleep instead of sitting on the computer late at night

My Powerslots have a painted hub and the vent area is painted as well. I believe the slots are painted too. No rust in those areas. The surface of the rotor rusts if they get wet and sit for a while, but a quick drive and that rust is gone.

True. Hell, IIRC Brembo switched their manufacturing to China for some of the rotors

ThomWV is right about slots/drills vs blanks. Ive posted that in the past and gotten into an argument with a few people regarding it. Drilled rotors are not good. Slotted is ok. Blanks are best.

My Red Stuff pads would squeal like crazy for the first 2-300 miles. It was like a metal on metal sound. Really high pitched, really loud, and really annoying. Then one day the noise was gone and theyve been great since. Every once in a while, when it is really cold in the morning and Im back out of my driveway, they will squeal. But only that once and then its back to silence.

CL-S progression 01

iTrader: (2)

lol our cars and brakes.. geeze.

i cannot wait for the day when acura and honda actually put on a braking system that outperforms the car.

lol even their nsx caliper are OK but not even special.

100000$ car and u get the calipers that should have been on the CL.

even the new accords have garbage brakes. i know 3 ppl with that car and they all think the skimped on a FEW areas.. accept one of them who switch from a chevy to a honda... lol chevy

like u'd think the new acura csx would have WAY better brakes than the civic, for all that extra $$$$, but no still get chinsed.

next car is gonna be a BMW or AUDI, two companies that don't chinse u out