Rotors issues...help
06-30-2010, 03:14 PM
#1
Burning Brakes
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Rotors issues...help
I have a 09 Z51 and I can't get solid rotors for the car...I can only get the drilled or slotted. After about a 5-6 track days the rotors are groved pretty good...I can't turn them so is it safe or ok to keep running them with groves. If I put new pads on them will that create a problem?? Any words of wisdom other then switch to a $$$$$$ brake system..
trapp
trapp
06-30-2010, 03:47 PM
#3
Supporting Vendor
Please post pics and I'll give you my take on them.
Adding fresh pads to a disc with grooves isn't always an issue. If the pad compound is aggressive (which I'm assuming it is if you're tracking the car), it will reconfigure the disc face rather quickly and get seated in nice and flush.
Also...in the future, don't get drilled if you're tracking the car. Slotted are far superior for heavy use and less likely to crack.
Finally, 5-6 track days on a set of factory discs isn't too bad at all. You'll see a lot of people on this forum that crack them to pieces in a single day...or even session.
I'd need a lot more info before recommending a step up to a BBK. Before going that route, there are a couple of intermittent steps that will save you money:
1. Ducts- if you don't already have them, get some. Adding cooling air is huge. I use DRM and LG motorsports duct parts. Ducts will help regardless of whether you're adding them to a factory brake system or a BBK. They're also cheap, and will reduce your consumable use...pads, discs, fluid, lines, ball joints, etc. will all take less abuse with less heat in your brake system.
2. Discs that flow more air. A non-directional or pillar vane disc doesn't flow much air. A disc with a good vane design will flow much more air...even in the factory size.
Are you having any pad fade (push the brake pedal...it feels hard...but car doesn't slow down) or fluid fade (pedal gets soft and goes towards the floor)?
Adding fresh pads to a disc with grooves isn't always an issue. If the pad compound is aggressive (which I'm assuming it is if you're tracking the car), it will reconfigure the disc face rather quickly and get seated in nice and flush.
Also...in the future, don't get drilled if you're tracking the car. Slotted are far superior for heavy use and less likely to crack.
Finally, 5-6 track days on a set of factory discs isn't too bad at all. You'll see a lot of people on this forum that crack them to pieces in a single day...or even session.
I'd need a lot more info before recommending a step up to a BBK. Before going that route, there are a couple of intermittent steps that will save you money:1. Ducts- if you don't already have them, get some. Adding cooling air is huge. I use DRM and LG motorsports duct parts. Ducts will help regardless of whether you're adding them to a factory brake system or a BBK. They're also cheap, and will reduce your consumable use...pads, discs, fluid, lines, ball joints, etc. will all take less abuse with less heat in your brake system.
2. Discs that flow more air. A non-directional or pillar vane disc doesn't flow much air. A disc with a good vane design will flow much more air...even in the factory size.
Are you having any pad fade (push the brake pedal...it feels hard...but car doesn't slow down) or fluid fade (pedal gets soft and goes towards the floor)?
06-30-2010, 03:55 PM
#4
Burning Brakes
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Please post pics and I'll give you my take on them.
Adding fresh pads to a disc with grooves isn't always an issue. If the pad compound is aggressive (which I'm assuming it is if you're tracking the car), it will reconfigure the disc face rather quickly and get seated in nice and flush.
Also...in the future, don't get drilled if you're tracking the car. Slotted are far superior for heavy use and less likely to crack.
Finally, 5-6 track days on a set of factory discs isn't too bad at all. You'll see a lot of people on this forum that crack them to pieces in a single day...or even session. I'd need a lot more info before recommending a step up to a BBK. Before going that route, there are a couple of intermittent steps that will save you money:
1. Ducts- if you don't already have them, get some. Adding cooling air is huge. I use DRM and LG motorsports duct parts. Ducts will help regardless of whether you're adding them to a factory brake system or a BBK. They're also cheap, and will reduce your consumable use...pads, discs, fluid, lines, ball joints, etc. will all take less abuse with less heat in your brake system.
2. Discs that flow more air. A non-directional or pillar vane disc doesn't flow much air. A disc with a good vane design will flow much more air...even in the factory size.
Are you having any pad fade (push the brake pedal...it feels hard...but car doesn't slow down) or fluid fade (pedal gets soft and goes towards the floor)?
Adding fresh pads to a disc with grooves isn't always an issue. If the pad compound is aggressive (which I'm assuming it is if you're tracking the car), it will reconfigure the disc face rather quickly and get seated in nice and flush.
Also...in the future, don't get drilled if you're tracking the car. Slotted are far superior for heavy use and less likely to crack.
Finally, 5-6 track days on a set of factory discs isn't too bad at all. You'll see a lot of people on this forum that crack them to pieces in a single day...or even session.
I'd need a lot more info before recommending a step up to a BBK. Before going that route, there are a couple of intermittent steps that will save you money:1. Ducts- if you don't already have them, get some. Adding cooling air is huge. I use DRM and LG motorsports duct parts. Ducts will help regardless of whether you're adding them to a factory brake system or a BBK. They're also cheap, and will reduce your consumable use...pads, discs, fluid, lines, ball joints, etc. will all take less abuse with less heat in your brake system.
2. Discs that flow more air. A non-directional or pillar vane disc doesn't flow much air. A disc with a good vane design will flow much more air...even in the factory size.
Are you having any pad fade (push the brake pedal...it feels hard...but car doesn't slow down) or fluid fade (pedal gets soft and goes towards the floor)?
trapp
06-30-2010, 03:57 PM
#5
Burning Brakes
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06-30-2010, 04:03 PM
#6
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You should be fine then. I wouldn't hesitate to put in the new pads. Grooving is normal, but it will vary depending on the pad and disc compounds. Not all discs are the same hardness, just like not all pads are the same hardness. They will all have a slightly different interaction.
If you take a look at the bed-in video I did, you can see how quickly grooves develop on discs. These were hawk blue's on Napa discs. The pads and discs in this video had maybe 20 street miles on them max when I shot this video:http://www.essexparts.com/learning-c...rs/post/Bed-in
Let me know if we can help you out with the Hawk HP+'s, or if you want to bump up to more aggressive pads when you switch tires. We're a forum vendor and Hawk dealer...and happy to help. Thanks.
If you take a look at the bed-in video I did, you can see how quickly grooves develop on discs. These were hawk blue's on Napa discs. The pads and discs in this video had maybe 20 street miles on them max when I shot this video:http://www.essexparts.com/learning-c...rs/post/Bed-in
Let me know if we can help you out with the Hawk HP+'s, or if you want to bump up to more aggressive pads when you switch tires. We're a forum vendor and Hawk dealer...and happy to help. Thanks.
06-30-2010, 04:08 PM
#7
Supporting Vendor
I forgot to say...when you do get the new pads, I would do the following:
1. Drive around normally for a couple of days immediately after dropping in the new pads. This will scrape old pad material off of the discs, and start to mate the pad and disc surface together. You can learn more about why you should do that here: http://www.essexparts.com/learning-center/swapping_pads
2. Then do a full bed-in cycle per the first video I posted.
That should mate them up nice, and you'll be ready to have at it.
1. Drive around normally for a couple of days immediately after dropping in the new pads. This will scrape old pad material off of the discs, and start to mate the pad and disc surface together. You can learn more about why you should do that here: http://www.essexparts.com/learning-center/swapping_pads
2. Then do a full bed-in cycle per the first video I posted.
That should mate them up nice, and you'll be ready to have at it.
06-30-2010, 05:00 PM
#8
as long as your pads are wearing reasonably (some up/down taper is normal but contact surface should display consistent color/texture) and you do not have vibrations under hard braking, I would not worry about it too much.
