Okay first off I have read a few seperate threads regarding tires and I currently have 4 Avid AV 4's which need to be replaced here soon. When I got the car the previous owner never rotated so the rears were near full and the front were down to the tread wear bars. I rotated them onc to swap them but now they are finally close to even on front to back. I was thinking of replacing them with a new set of Avid AV 4's again as I have been pretty happy with their performance. They were a little iffy in wet conditions but by no means poor. I was wondering if anyone else had any suggestions?

My next question is involving the brakes. I replaced all 4 rotors and pads soon after I bought the car with Rotora slotted rotors and some rotora pads which were great since the car came with warped rotors and to date(2 years) still no sign of warping. Just recently though my rt side started squeeking after they heated up. It is not under heavy preassure but just a light pressure on the pedal and they would squeek. When i first start the car there is no squeek at all but it seems to be getting louder and louder after the pads heat up. I have taken it to my local shop and have also taken off the rims to look myself. The pads are still at 60% on front and 70% on rear and I confirmed this when I looked myself. I just hate hearing the squeek as I try to keep my car looking and sounding as nice as I can. I am tempted now to just replace the pads even though they are not worn out. Anyone have any idea on how to stop the squeek currently or know if I change out the pads will that definitly stop my problem. The pads show no sign of uneven wear or any irregular grooves also.

Just as a final note I puchased the brakes from Accelerate and it was great service and prompt delivery if I need to replace the pads I will try and just order new pads through him.

 

With regard to the tires I currently have the Avid V4S on my TL-S. I have rotated them every 5K or so and they have worn extremely well. The real beauty of these tires, in my opinion, is that they have stayed supple despite now having 40K on them. I will get another year or so out of them. As far as performance goes they are definitely a step up from the stock Michelins. I have found them to be very good in wet conditions. Their weakest point is snow in which I have found them to be only average, overall. One additional disadvantage is that they do flat spot on cold mornings, but they clear up in a few miles or so. I think you would find that if you bought 4 new Avids and rotated them often that they would perform better than what you have experienced to date. I'm not sure whether I will get another set of these or go for the Pole Positions which are UHP tires, but won't have as good wear characteristics. That's how I see it, anyway...

 

Could be one of two things on the brakes....The caliper could be sticking a little where it slides. A little lube might help. Other possibility is a build up of crud on the pad or rotor. Usually a couple of hard stops from 60 or so will clean them off.

If you like the tires you have, I'd stick with 'em.

 

I've had a couple of the Yoko V4's and now have the Yoko AS430's (got a better deal on these)... I just like yoko's and I need all seasons up here in New England...

 

If I am going to try and clean off some of the buildup do I need to remove the pad from the calipure or is there anything specifically I am looking for?