So 2 months ago I bought EBC slotted and dimpled rotors and EBC Red Stuff pads in the front and regular EBC rotors in the back with EBC green stuff pads. I bought this all from autopartswarehouse.com and I have been nothing but disappointed. The first time I bought the rotors I hear a wooshing noise from the two front rotors and they were warped. I also hear a clunking or grinding noise from the front when the front pops up under hard acceleration. So autopartswarehouse.com sent me replacement rotors and I have all the same problems except the rotors don't vibrate as much on the highway so I figure that they aren't as warped but they still vibrate a little. The whooshing noise is still there and and the clunking noise is still there. My mechanic says the ceramic pads are so stiff and that is whats causing the noise. Anyone have suggestions?

 

You need to buy some higher quality rotors. I am running Rotora rotors with cermanic pads and they are great. EBC is trash and your brakes are the most important system on the car.

If you call Excelerate or Heal Toe, both vendors, they can get you some better rotors and pads for about $300 or less if you don"t have the Brembos. I highly recommend Rotora, I have the drilled and slotted and they work and look great.

 

I have the Racing Brake Slotted Rotors with the Acura A-Spec pads and I love them. However I do get a deep wooshing sound at highway speeds with some heavy braking (slots cutting into the pad). I actually like the sound, but it really doesn't bother me. The brake stop on a dime, and they did so from the first day I got them. Only issue with the A-spec pads is that they dust a bit more than the stock ones, but much less than the brembo's.

 

The whooshing noise is not the noise from me hitting the brake. It's a constant noise that sounds like metal scratching. But my mechanic showed me nothing is touching.

Do I have to change the calipers out?

 

Did you use a torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts?

 

If you use the factory sized rotors, then no. However if you go with bigger rotors, you will need a new caliper. How much are you looking to spend? DO you care for appearance? Performance? For the average sporty driver, slotted is more than good enough, adding the cross-drilled isn't worth it. You have more chances of a cracked rotor and it costs a bit more...

 

No, the rotora and other after markets rotors are the same size at stock just higher quality and more effective cooling. I like the cross drilled look but if used very hard such as racing applications they may crack. I can't hear any sounds over the exhaust and whine of the supercharger, but a friend with the EBC rotors and pads on his maxima has the same issue and some pulseing from the slots. I don't hear or feel any change from stock in terms of noise or roughness.

 

I didn't do it my mechanic did it with I believe was a torque wrench. I don't remember.

I paid $188 for the front too so I guess I can pay a little bit more for better quality. I care about appearance. I'm not tracking the car so I don't really worry about high performance. However, I brake hard I've warped my last rotors pretty bad even though I pump the brakes to let air pass through.

 

FYI: You shouldn't use different pad compounds front & rear if you have an Automatic. This effects your brake bias and overall stopping distance. For the 6MT, the different front pad compound is already taken into account w/ it's factory bias setting. It's probably not such an issue w/ ABS, but you still wan't max performance out of your braking system...

REMEBER: Brakes don't stop the car, your tires do. Proper brake setup allows the tires to work at their maximum potential...

 

Make sure he's using 80ft/lbs to torque the nuts, over torquing will warp the rotors. However, since you admit to hard braking, that (or a combination of the two) could have warped your rotors.

 

A better brake pad compound and a better rotor will help with your warping problem. I think the sloted and drilled rotors cool better also.

The tire comment is very true also. If you have crappy or worn tires the best brakes can only do so much.

 

That would be incorrect. They are merely for looks...

 

IMHO aftermarket brake pads and rotors are garbage compared to OEM for regular street use and you will almost always have problems with warping of the rotors or squealing from the pads *especially EBC pads*

EBC is notorious in the moto and auto field for having noisy pads. And they DO NOT perform any better under normal street use conditions.

Basically, don't waste your time and money.

 

Of all you people who have mentioned EBC is not quality, who actually have them before? I admit there are lots of "reviews" out there online that mention that EBC products tend to 'warp' things. But have you noticed as to why? Most who complain that EBC pads warp rotors used EBC pads on non-EBC rotors. Specifically in EBC's promotional video and information packaging, they state that their pads are composed of their own mixture of materials to mate with their own rotors. When matched with non-EBC rotors, thats what causes warping imo.

I have EBC slotted and dimpled all around with EBC greenstuff. Installation was ensured accurate (correct torque specs) and it has gone through 10k of my daily spirited driving without any hassles. The "whooshing" sound OP mentions about is also normal. The "whoosing" sound is caused from air currents between the pad and slots on the rotor, perfectly normal. The sound also tends to be resonated louder when you drive beside a wall; sounds pretty cool imo. No pulsing problems, bite is amazing when cold, and it could hold up a good amount of hard braking until I feel fade.

Seems like there are more members on AZ who have gone RacingBrake / Rotora route.

 

I'm using General Exclaims UHP. I'm on my second set consistently with them. Although the soft sidewalls decrease turn in performance, I love the grip.

How can I ensure that he is doing that? I watch when they put the rotors on but I don't see any measurement is really being taken. I really think that could be the issue since my father bought Zimmerman cross-drilled for his Audi A6 and he experiences the same problem.

Currently I do not have a problem with the pads squealing. I have 2-3k miles on them and I do feel like they bite better than the OEM pads that were being used. The next step to better pedal feel would be I guess to change over to Stainless Steel Lines.

But I'm not using EBC products with EBC Non-products. I personally think that the whooshing sound is not a cool sound. It sounds like metal is scratching together and people can hear me coming down the streets as I see them staring at me because of the noise.

I am seriously considering getting Rotora rotors. Will I be experiencing these same problems? First I do not want the noise. Second, I believe the slotted helps with removing water and cutting the pads to ensure even wear. Third because of the hard braking, will the cross drilled holes help prevent warping (Granted I make sure my mechanic torques to proper specs)? Under what circumstances do cross-drilled rotors crack? Did anyone have this issue while using Rotora rotors?

 

I'm using General Exclaims UHP. I'm on my second set consistently with them. Although the soft sidewalls decrease turn in performance, I love the grip.

How can I ensure that he is doing that? I watch when they put the rotors on but I don't see any measurement is really being taken. I really think that could be the issue since my father bought Zimmerman cross-drilled for his Audi A6 and he experiences the same problem.

Currently I do not have a problem with the pads squealing. I have 2-3k miles on them and I do feel like they bite better than the OEM pads that were being used. The next step to better pedal feel would be I guess to change over to Stainless Steel Lines.

But I'm not using EBC products with EBC Non-products. I personally think that the whooshing sound is not a cool sound. It sounds like metal is scratching together and people can hear me coming down the streets as I see them staring at me because of the noise.

I am seriously considering getting Rotora rotors. Will I be experiencing these same problems? First I do not want the noise. Second, I believe the slotted helps with removing water and cutting the pads to ensure even wear. Third because of the hard braking, will the cross drilled holes help prevent warping (Granted I make sure my mechanic torques to proper specs)? Under what circumstances do cross-drilled rotors crack? Did anyone have this issue while using Rotora rotors?

 

If he's not using a hand torque wrench, there's no way to guarantee that the nuts are not being overtightened. Using a regular wrench or tire wrench to tighten to "feel" is the worse thing one could do. An impact wrench with a torque limiter is not accurate either.

If it's warpage due to over torquing, the damage probably can't be undone, but you can break the nuts loose and retighten with a torque wrench to 80ft/lbs and see if it makes a difference. At this point, you've got nothing to lose.

 

EBC pads are normally good but their rotors i wouldnt sell them to my enemy! But as far as the whooshing sound I've come realize that almost any rotor with slots or holes will make sounds, thats just them doing their job. When they spin they create a vacuum around the rotor if that makes any sense to you. The puurpose of the slots is to channel gases and debris away from the pads for better contact. So if there is no vibration and just a sound you should be good(in theory) LMAO.

 

Do i have to worry about cracking with Cross Drilled or Slotted Rotors or both?

 

Slotted no, cross drilled can be cracked if used extreamly hard. I run them and love them, no problems what so ever.

 

Well, autopartswarehouse has agreed to take everything back. So i'm redoing my brakes. Whats the difference between Rotora and Stoptech Cross Drilled and Slotted?

 

lucky you... i recently purchased EBC pads (for my tahoe) from them and they are refusing a return. I even told them that I'd purchase another set of high end pads and as of today, they will not do anything for me.

 

How did you contact them...phone, email, or chat?

 

Contacted by phone. The customer service is terrible and I would NEVER recommend them to anyone. I argued with them for everyday for an hour when they sent me the wrong parts 4 times! I threatened to report to the better business bureau and they told me to go ahead.

 

Sorry to bring this thread back to life but I was having constant brake issues with my 05 6MT. A few months back I put on new rotora rotors and new brembo pads to replace the last set that was warped. I couldnt figure out why it keeps happening because its starting again on the new set and I see a lot of people here talking about the proper torque on the lug nuts.

Now, Im pretty mechanically inclined but I would like to know why this makes a difference?

 

Did you clean the rotor surface off with brakecleaner before mounting? Did you bed-in your pads(if they require it)? Did you make sure the hub surface was smooth before you mouted the rotor?


"How Over-Torquing Warps Rotors

Wheel lugs flex under duress. Wheels nuts that are over-tightened or not tightened in the proper sequence can cause uneven tightening against the hub surface of the rotor. This is most often caused by mechanics who tighten lug nuts improperly using a pneumatic gun without the use of a torque stick or a do-it-yourself mechanic tightening them out of sequence with a lug wrench. Because one or more of the wheel nuts is not as tight as the other(s), the particular tightening balance off-centers the rotor. Once a rotor warps, it is difficult to undo." - took it from ehow.com