Hey guys I got a few quick questions. Im not new to working on cars, I used to build them back in the the day, however I am new to the TL. I found alot of threads on people upgrading the 6MT brakes but not much for the A/T. I was wondering what alot of people were upgrading to from the OEM pads.
I have found that alot of you like the Hawk pads but most of them are for the TLS with the brembo brake setup.
Thanks for any suggestions!

 

Stoptech, Rotora, Project Mu, Brembo... Big Brake Kits...... pricey.. yes.... but worth the $$

 

Oh no I wasn't asking what Big brake kits will work on the A/T. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I was wondering what pads people are upgrading to from the oem pads, just on the 5 A/T

 

I did rotora w/stoptech drilled+slotted rotors. vendor here sells them

 

Honestly, how good are those? I heard that the rotora rotors get rusted easily. Are you a fast driver? I'm looking for dust free, good stoping power, and no squeaking for a A/T TL at a decent price. Even if I have to combine parts. I know the front brakes matter more than the rear.

 

I have rotora breaks and stoptech rotors. both work great and dust is minimum. as you see I'm on 20's so I need more break power to begin with. no squeking at all! be ready so pay arounr 500-600 for all 4.

 

Your avator is freaky!!!

 

dust free is not a reality- brake dust is a byproduct of the friction induced heat!!
Use synthetic car wax on the rims to cut down on the problem.
Ceramic pads dust less but brake less too!

Another popular option for pads and rotors comes from azine vendor MrHeelToe
RacingBrake ET500 pads and their 1 piece side slotted rotors are awesome stoppers that last and last. The pads work well on other brands of rotors too- they were designed to work with their rotors mettalurgy and toughness.
I used to run Hawks- still have a good set I took off the car as spares when I went to RB pads

 

Awesome...thanks for the input guys...So what Im thinking about is just using Hawk pads at the moment with my OEM rotors. Sound decent?

 

I finally got around to upgrading my brake set up with EBC.
Next, stainless brake-lines

Rotors_before

http://paragios.com/index_files/DSC01979.JPG

Rotors after (front)

http://paragios.com/index_files/06tlfront.jpg

Rotors after (rear)

http://paragios.com/index_files/06tlrear.jpg

 

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Very nice paint job on the calipers~ everyone should pick a color and do it- makes the car look way better with any rotors- paint kits $10 with all you need

Yes Hawk HPS on the OE rotors are fine for normal street drivers with abilty to have backroads fun when you want
Wax the rims with synthetic car wax- 3 coats is good idea~ cuts way down on brake dust retention on wheels

Make sure to remove and CLEAN the rotors with 120 grit sandpaper on a flat sanding board/small block of wood so you are sanding flat, and wash them clean of grit ,, idea is to remove ALL the old pad material, disc should be shiny and have fresh sanding marks-

You can do it on the car, but its easy to remove the calipers and rotors - the 2 bolts hold it on- NOT the allen head bolts- NEVER touch them --they hold the caliper halves together!!
Its a good idea to remove rotors now- get some anti sieze on the retainer screw threads and the lip of the axle hub where the rotor slips on- that also fits into the wheel- so some caliper grease there is a safety against being stuck on one dark lonely night

The hawks will make noise if you dont do that cleaning procedure-says so right on the box!
Also important to bed the pads and rotors together
the parts box has limited space, so more complete instructions were developed based on several makers tips and real life experience
Here is a good article and method- I helped write it, and tested on my 01TL with Hawk and RacingBrakes pads- it works really good.
http://heeltoeauto.com/httech/YaBB.pl?num=1184261899

 

Thanks for the info! I really appreciate it.

Another thing... I am wondering if I need an alignment or if my rotors are warped. When Im driving down the road and im on the accelerator the car does not shake whatsoever. But when I apply the brakes, the front end shakes pretty badly. The shaking is worse with the faster im going and then applying the brakes. Any ideas?

 

Ohsixtl...would you happen to have pictures of your rotors with your wheels on? They look really good and I was wondering what they looked like on your car!

 

chances are its got warped rotors- you can try having them resurfaced and checked- or upgrade with better ones

 

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I will take and upload a few full car shots when I can

 

is it me or are the cross-drilled parts just dimples in the rotor?

 

Yes, they are just dimpled and slotted.

"Blind drilled holes eliminate the chance of rotor cracking which is common with “through drilled” or completely drilled vent holes."ebcbrakes.com website

 

doesn't that defeat the purpose of the holes themselves to reduce the temp. of the rotor? Also wouldn't that also cause some hot-spots on the rotors?

 

the theory is that the spread out surface area will even out any potential hot spots;

the fact is, cross drilled is more aesthetic than use; slotted are where the real gains come in;


imo the cross drilled look is kinda weird for me on the TL minus a REAL BBK; however slotted looks stealthy enough far away, and hot enough close up

 

Yeah I definitly want to see a couple of full car shots. Clean set up!

 

I must add one thing...Do not make the same mistake I did with the direction of the slots be sure to follow the diagram below, if you decide to go with this setup...I will post full shots soon.

Direction of Rotation of EBC Turbo Groove Rotors
EBC Turbo Groove and Spotty Discs are directional “LEFT and RIGHT” which is nearside and offside of your vehicle. The spotted pattern and the sweeping grooves should be pointing to the rear of the vehicle.

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More info from EBC site
EBC 3GD Sport Rotors
Slotted and drilled brake rotors for cooler brakes
Manufactured using premium disc blanks mentioned above, the unique wide aperture slots in the EBC sport rotor actually draw cool air under the pad during heavy braking and reduce brake temperatures whilst also helping remove dirt, dust and debris and gasses created by heavy braking from the pad contact area. They also improve braking in off road conditions of wet, mud or sand and as such are a great choice for 4x4 vehicles. Blind drilled holes eliminate the chance of rotor cracking which is common with “through drilled” or completely drilled vent holes.

 

If you are getting a complete matched setup, then go with whatever is recommended by others. I would just like to add, if you are just upgrading pads:

Be careful with the rear rotors, as they tend to get really hot with any pads that create a lot of friction. Like 400+ degrees, eating-wheel-bearings hot.

The front rotors will be fine with high performance brake pads, but may generate more noise and vibration.

Fronts do most of the work anyway.

 

Dimples are IMO no different than slots in function. I don't have any concrete under me really.



There are more gimmicks and marketing tactics involved in making rotors now a days than anything else. Compare features. Find the REAL performance rotors.


All my soap-boxing aside, those look pretty fancy

Marcus

 

ohsixtl...

how did you paint your calipers and what paint did you use? they look nice.

 

^^ Yes sorry to highjack, Im very interested as well. What did you use to paint it?

Im going to change my pads in the near future as well. There isnt a good DIY for the automatic TL so Im assuming its a pretty easy job? Im really noob and dont want to mess anything up, any tips, pointers? What tools do you need? Also is a torque wrench really necessary for the wheels? Thanks

 

I have had great luck with "Rust-oleum Professional Series". The color you see is "Stainless Steel" I have used this product on many cars throught the years as well as a Porsche 951 I track raced. Heat was never an issue. Its dries to touch in 15 mins resists chemicals and corrosion. Again some may think otherwise about using this product. However, I have used this product on many cars and never once had an issue. But please you decide on what paint to use.

Rust-oleum product guide for reference: http://www.rustoleum.com/cbgimages/d...RefGuide08.pdf

I will post a quick how to paint,replace rotors& pads guide soon... Keep an eye out

 

ps. hawk hps pads make funny noises when you are reversing and hit brake

 

thanks, that would be great. i'll be on the look-out

 

Well I ordered the "EBC Redstuff 3000" pads...should be in a couple of days. Im gonna go throw the rotors on the brake lay and throw them on. I'll take some pics for the hell of it later.

 

Hope this helps:
1.Remove wheel then Caliper

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Reverse Steps and Torque your wheels to 79.6lbs very easy or you can follow the diagrams below

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Damn alot of good info here, I have been recently contemplating what set up I was going to go with. Answers alot of my questions.

 

Great post ohsixtl!
My pads are just sitting around, I will probably try the brake job this weekend. Thanks bro!

 

Hey as far as brake bleeding, what size tubing did you use? And is it okay to just bleed the front two brakes and not the back?

 

This should answer all your questions. However, I recommend you follow the sequence front and back not just the fronts. Hope this helps

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Many have contacted me asking where I purchased the Rotors and pads...
Rotors http://www.cquence.net/ (Machined from Bosch Blanks)
EBC redstuff pads: http://www.excelerateperformance.com/

 

i decided to upgrade my rotors/pads and i thought i would add my input to this good thread.
here's my set up that i got from mr.heeltoe-btw, they were nice and polite and super fast shipping

1 piece RacingBrake UP fronts
RacingBrake HP rears
Hawk HPS pads
i'm also going to paint my calipers

i'll update later.

 

did anyone else have problems removing these 2 bolts on the calipers from the inside?
i've tried wd4, tapping the bolts with a hammer...it just won't budge. any other ideas or am i screwed?

 

Get yourself a 24" breaker bar or impact gun and those will loosen up.

 

What is the best paint to use?