Speedy164

I have a 2010 Acura TSX and as we all know the brakes suck, i am looking to upgrade but can't make my decision between the two

http://www.heeltoeauto.com/ht-spec-b...roductid=65408

Or http://store.excelerateperformance.c...i-1890142.aspx

Does anyone have any of these two brake packages? thoughts? reviews?

acl26

I got the brake package before from heeltoe. It won't be track worthy. The rotors won't do much for you else from looking good. Brake lines will help a bit in pedal feel. Didn't have the ET500 pads and had to settle for Hawks HPS pads. The difference in the parts is barely going to be noticeable with normal driving. I upgraded to BBK with one piece rotors but the rotors still over heat during track use and burn out. I recommend saving for 2 piece BBK to get "actual" better brake performance.

Speedy164

Thank you for your replying and giving me some insight.. i appreciate it

Bderick67

Havent decided on breaks myself but youcan get the Stoptech drilled and slotted package at "autoanything" right now for $400

austin_sf

Hey speedy,

I just installed the xlr8 package on my car this weekend. Although, I forewent (is that a word?!) the brake lines. I feel a lot more confident in my brakes already. I am now kind of wishing I had done the lines. Didn't think it would make a difference but am now reading it might.

Can't vouch for the other package your talking about obviously, but I am pretty happy with my xlr8 package!

BothKneesDown

can you post some pics?

also, how was the install? time, difficulty, etc...

ulrblitzer

I don't think the original OP's are around. It's been almost a year.

Pad and rotor install are just like most other cars, + Honda's notorious rotor retaining screw.

mkalinich

I have the stop tech drilled and slotted. Performance wise they are fine. I can't stand them though. I have nice wheels and rusty brakes. I am Looking to replace for ones that can perform and not rust.

MrHeeltoe

iTrader: (1)

Many customers who call us tell us straight up: I am not going to the track...just want a good street upgrade. If you'd have consulted us and told us you planned to drive on the track, we would not have recommended this kit to you. Sorry for your luke-warm experience though! We would be really happy to get you set up with parts that better suit your needs! Contact us at support@heeltoeauto.com, or 949-295-1668

What pads are you using at the track? If you were expecting upgraded or larger rotors to make a difference at the track, that was a little miscalculation. Getting the pad compound right for your use is critical.

The rotors most certainly are not just for looks! They are harder than standard rotors and will last considerably longer. They have curved vents for better cooling over stock, and reinforced hubs. You will get many years and pad sets of use out of the RB Performance UP rotors.

First and foremost the Stage 1 kit is NOT a track package. If you were to track the car on this package, with either the ET500 or HPS, you would find the pads would get hot very quickly. However, the HTSpec Stage 2 kit would be notably better for introductory track driving or aggressive street driving.

Also note, these brakes are not made to bite really hard. Good modulation is favored over grabby brakes. Without a really good bedding and some heat you probably would not notice a big increase in braking, which is just what the goal is with the Stage 1 kit: Better, more confident braking when you need it. Longer rotor life. We think these are the main goal behind this kit.



- Marcus

ExcelerateRep

The Stoptech rotors should have a black e-coating on the hubs and vanes to prevent corrosion. Wherever the pad doesn't touch should theoretically remain rust free.

richyrich1988

lmao GEEZ, Vendors came out the woodwork to squash!!! lol i need to chill....but seriously, i am coming up on 56k miles and stock brakes are starting to squeak...so the time is near..... after reading up on both the XLR8 and the HeelToe options, i honestly can't tell which is better or worse...

and vendors pls chime in, do we get an Azine discount? a special code while ordering or something?

MrHeeltoe

iTrader: (1)

richyrich1988, we have a coupon in our signatute, and also have a sale coming up this weekend (read our heeltoeauto.com blog for that detail).

The Stoptech parts are great. The RB Performance parts in our HTSpec packages, we feel, are better. How "good" of a brake set you need really depends on your needs and usage.

We can get you either the HTSpec or XLR8 kits, whatever you decide. Please call us for more help deciding what is right for you!

949-295-1668

Marcus

ExcelerateRep

We don't have one set discount code for everyone, but I can often offer a discount for Acurazine customers. Feel free to shoot me a PM with your zip code for a quote.

Which kit is better really depends on your needs and budget. Our XLR8 kits are great for aggressive street driving and daily driving, but at the cost of more dust and noise than OEM. However our XLR8 kits will make less dust/noise than other performance oriented kits.

If you want something with less dust and noise but a little less bite, I can swap in a Posi-Quiet pad or something else with maybe a ceramic compound. I can customize a package to your needs and see what I can do on price. We also keep our kits in stock and can ship them out same day!

mkalinich

What you say here is what I read when looking for brakes. They did have the black coating. Lasted until I washed the car. Rust ever since. My advice stay away from stop tech brakes.

mkalinich

Speedy164

Yes I'm the original poster and still around...lol just never decided on brakes I jut had the rotors resurfaced and put on factory pads again. Still can't decide which brakes are best especially don't want the rust aspect of it.

ExcelerateRep

From what I can see in that picture, the black e-coating is still there and intact. Have you tried giving the hubs and vanes a cleaning? It looks like the rotor is coated with some dirt and corrosion. I doesn't appear to be the rotor rusting up through the black coating.

richyrich1988

i agree with the rep....looks like some trash that the wheels might have left on there...or dirt.....clean them up and post another pic!

mkalinich

That is the clean version. I did not use any thing besides a rag but it was dirtier before the pic. Like I said this started the day I first washed the car. I can't imagine I should have to remove my wheels and scrub my brakes to keep off the rust look.

The car is not driven daily and is garage kept. I wash it whenever it's dirty. I can't stand it dirty in the garage.

richyrich1988

yeah that's strange...XLR8 Rep?

mkalinich

I realize this has somewhat hijacked this string but the question was options on these brakes.

As more information on stoptech brakes I decided to email them. They offer no warranty for this. Even though they make a statement on there site about the how they are designed to prevent rust.

I share all this so no one else has rusty ugly brakes from stoptech.

ExcelerateRep

Maybe try adding a little brake clean on the rag when you wipe? It's worth a shot! I bet they'll look good as new. There are so many variables including how the car is washed, where the car is driven, etc. I think it's safe to say not everyone will have the same experience.

On a personal note, my garage queen has had Stoptech slotted rotors for over a year and they still look fantastic!

mkalinich

Got it. No bad press for the products you sell. Pics don't lie. would you stand behind stop tech brakes if you sold them to me and this was the result? Would your company replace them?

ExcelerateRep

Stoptech makes quality products and we stand by them. Our warranty protects against manufacturing defects, and protects you if you receive a damaged rotor or something that is machined improperly.

Let's say a customer crashes their car and breaks a rotor, or parks their car in a few feet of salt water which prematurely ruins them. It would be unlikely that I could get them a warranty replacement as the rotors would be ruined by no fault of Stoptech or us. Every warranty case is different, so it's hard to say for each person.

Keep in mind we appreciate all customer feedback. If I do get many complaints about a product, I try to inform customers before they purchase the item. Stoptech brakes have a pretty great track record though. Of all the Stoptech pads and rotors I've sold, I've only had a few customers that reported having any issues.

bagwell

iTrader: (1)

LOL @ XLR8....come on....just be honest - THAT IS RUST ON THE ROTOR!

I had to manually paint that part of my rotors to prevent it from looking the same.

richyrich1988

hmm.... i ended up going with Hawk Performance ceramic pads for front and back they work great...still have my factory rotors.

ExcelerateRep

No doubt that is corrosion. It just doesn't look like it's rust that's coming up through the black coating. It looks to me more like corrosion that has built up on the surface and could be cleaned away. Again, every customer will experience slightly different results. If you look at other reviews of Stoptech rotors that have been used for you'll find mostly very positive results.

Jaheri_cbp

ALL steel brake rotors can be prone to surface corrosion. There is nothing in this rotor picture that I see as abnormal. There are many varying factors some of which the REP has repeated a few times already. The amount of surface rust can be dependant by climate and region the car is driven... How much the car sits/runs... How aggressive the pad compound is (some pads are semi metallic and create brake dust that does rust in spots not easily cleaned), also more aggressive pads will bite into more of the STEEL on the rotor creating a dust with more METAL in it. I have ran Centric blanks and Stoptech rotors with many different types of pads when I autocrossed my WRX heavily and never had any issues with anything centric manufactured. If anything I found them to rust less and wear better than the factory blanks that came on the car. Is op having any other issues besides them not being pretty enough? They seem to be wearing well, no glazing or uneven wear.

mkalinich

Pad does not matter here. The rust places are where the pad does not hit the disk. My point is this, the post was thoughts on 2 brakes. My thought is I am disappointed in stop tech brakes. They look like crap. I choose them due to there website that claims to put a black coating in the areas were the pad does not hit to prevent rust. They rusted the first time I washed the car. So climate/driving should not matter that fast. Last point stop tech nor the vendor that replied will warranty them so beware. I am giving a review not asking for help.

ExcelerateRep

Thank you for your feedback. I'm sorry to hear the Stoptech brakes didn't meet your needs. If you are looking for rotors that don't rust, a carbon-ceramic option would be your best bet. Unfortunately, I don't know of a manufacturer that makes them for the TSX.

As stated earlier, our Stoptech rotors do in fact come with a warranty that protects against manufacturing defects. A steel rotor showing signs or corrosion wouldn't be covered under that warranty, as all steel rotors show some signs of corrosion over time. The black e-coating is usually pretty effective but not 100% rust proof.

ExcelerateRep

Just double checked, the rotors are made from cast iron as most rotors are. Unfortunately they will eventually corrode. The black e-coating certainly helps though, at least from the sets I have seen.