nbesheer Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 Well my back brakes are squeeking. I went to a brake shop and they said to put new pads + resurface the rotors it's going to be ~$150.00. But at MSA I can get new drilled/slotted rotors for $200.00 and then brake pads are like 30 bucks or so so that's an extra 80 bucks for all new parts. Should I go for that, are there other shops that sell bolt on drilled/slotted rotors for less? EDIT: i made a signature saying what car I have but it's a 1983 280ZX N/A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z-ya Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 Drilled/slotted rotors are a waste of money (unless bling is more important than performance). Get some good quality rotors from Brembo or another reputable mfg. Then get some decent pads. I like the Stillen metal matrix pads for street use. They really bite (in a good way ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tec280zx Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 Get some powerslot rotors for the rear here: http://www.ajusa.com/cgi-bin/stores/products?vendor_code=PSR&category_id=d419442437284eb32cb04e3f798abaab&session_id=879b8cb77ec3f1531230b9408a7ee91a#category_lookup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TeamNissan Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 I agree with Z-ya. That price is a rip too, I just paid 20 bucks to have my stock fronts cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nbesheer Posted February 28, 2007 Author Share Posted February 28, 2007 What do you mean by cut ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TeamNissan Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 What do you mean by cut ? cut = resurfacing the rotor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nbesheer Posted February 28, 2007 Author Share Posted February 28, 2007 Alright, so most of that $150 is labor right. Beucaes I'm sure I can buy new pads and change them my self. So i should just remove the rotors and take them to a shop to have them resurfaced ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TeamNissan Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 Id say 90% of it is labor lol. I'd say buy new rotors and pads, do it yourself. If you want to save more money ya you could drop them off to be cut. I mean I did that because mine were never cut. Sometimes if they have been cut befor its better to opt for new ones. Depends on your budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage42 Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 Drilled/slotted rotors are a waste of money (unless bling is more important than performance). Get some good quality rotors from Brembo or another reputable mfg. Then get some decent pads. I like the Stillen metal matrix pads for street use. They really bite (in a good way ). Actually, drilled is all about cosmetics. Slotted rotors are good for helping vent gases that build up between the pad & rotor and keep material build up to a minimum under hard use. This is why just about every race car runs slots. I talked in length to the guys at Wilwood and Brembo and they said the same thing. They only drill them because people will pay for the "bling". I went with the GT slotted rotors for my Z, but would not go with drilled. My VG turbo 510 had drilled and they end up with stress cracks from heat, which is not a good thing. A good set of rotors and good pads (I highly recommend Porterfield R4S pads, been using them for 15 years on my cars) and you'll be happy. I had 280ZX front struts/brakes on my 510 w/ Porterfields and I could out brake just about everyone and that was with half a dozen track days, hillclimbs, autocrosses, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nbesheer Posted February 28, 2007 Author Share Posted February 28, 2007 Okay I started looking at other ones, "stock" replacment rear rotors at MSA are $50 a piece so that's $100 + Pads which is like maybe 140 from what I have seen. Now I prefer to have better rotors which from what I just read is slotted, I don't need bling so when looking at brake sites what do I look for ? Rotor size I don't know all the information on mine so I don't know what to look for for replacments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage42 Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 Well, I just realized that we are talking about rear brakes here. The emphasis on slotted rotors and good pads like Porterfields are really more significant when dealing with the fronts, which do 80% of your braking. For the rear, I'd just go with a premium replacement rotor like Raybestos Professional Grade Plus Rotors http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail.aspx?mfrcode=RAY&mfrpartnumber=9809&parttype=221&ptset= . At $23 each and a good set of pads, you should be set for less than $100. This will do ya just fine and then spend money on slotted fronts and good pads. If that's an option and you decide to go with something like the Porterfields, I'd suggest using the same pad front & rear. If you run your car hard, then this is all great info. If you use it as just a "daily driver" and you don't drive "enthusiastically", you may just want to go with a semi-metallic pad. Hope that helps. Note: another reason that I like the Porterfield carbon-kevlar pads is that not only do they have bite, not being metallic makes them much more rotor friendly than metallic pads. http://www.porterfield-brakes.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 Drilling reduces the weight of the rotor. Less rotating weight = faster acceleration and less inertia to decelerate as well. It's a win win situation, assuming the rotors are big enough. I ran the Brembo drilled rotors for years and abused the hell out of them and never warped a rotor and never had a crack either. In retrospect I think drilling on stock rotors is probably a mistake, especially in the front, because it reduces the mass of the rotor and that also reduces the amount of heat the rotor can absorb before overheating and I was constantly boiling my brake fluid. Still I think there is a justifiable reason for drilling, and I think that's why you still see Ferraris and Porsches with drilled rotors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage42 Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 Jon, there's no doubt that some holes are fine and we both know the quality of the rotors on Ferraris and Porsches are better than most. It's when they make the rotors look like "swiss cheese" that you need to worry, especially on the front. Wouldn't want a front rotor to explode under a hard braking scenario. Just drilling a cast rotor without any stress relieving or treating is bad news. Most guys who want that kind of bling, never actually drive the car hard, anyway. (That wouldn't be anyone on this forum!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 I know what you mean, and I agree that stock drilled rotors on a Z are really not a good idea. I was just sticking up for the idea of drilled rotors in general. Side note; have you ever seen the rear rotors on Pinky (the Hales' 510)??? Talk about swiss cheese... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nbesheer Posted February 28, 2007 Author Share Posted February 28, 2007 Okay so from what I gathered is drilled is "okay" in the back and I also heard that drilled and slotted rotors brake less is that true because maybe if they brake less then my wheels won't lock up (they did yesterday and I hit a wall) so now what, and while I'm at it should I put SS brake lines on now instead of later ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 If your stock vehicle locks the rears before the fronts you have a problem in the braking system. If everything checks out OK and it still locks the rears first (which is basically impossible) then I'd suggest adding an adjustable proportioning valve to the rear brakes which will allow you to adjust the pressure to the rear calipers down. Changing to drilled rotors isn't going to fix that problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nbesheer Posted February 28, 2007 Author Share Posted February 28, 2007 I'm not sure if the backs lock up first/at all, I guess the fronts lock up beucase when they did my ass whipped around on the front wheels axis (Probably the wrong way to word it, but that's what happened) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage42 Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 Okay so from what I gathered is drilled is "okay" in the back and I also heard that drilled and slotted rotors brake less is that true because maybe if they brake less then my wheels won't lock up (they did yesterday and I hit a wall) so now what, and while I'm at it should I put SS brake lines on now instead of later ? If you need more front bite, then better pads are definitely the answer and easier than adding a proportioning valve. SS lines and good pads will make a HUGE difference the feel and performance of the braking system, whether stock solid rotors or slotted and/or drilled. I ran the same brakes as you have on your ZX on my blue 510 with stock rotors & Porterfield R4S pads and it is the best braking car I've been it. (and I've driven and raced a ton!) Granted, the ZX probably weighs 1000 lbs more, but I think you are on the right track. For optimum performance, go with good pads & lines, a slotted rotor in front and solids in rear, unless there's a deal you can't pass up. As for too many drilled holes, I've seen many "over done" rotors, just like the rear of Pinkie. I'll try to find a pic of ones a buddy had on his autocross Rabbit, which had holes not much more than 1/2" apart and covered the whole rotor! Might work for autocross, but nothing more extreme! Can't see needing any more than maybe 4-5 rows of holes on an entire rotor. As stated, more holes & slots decrease surface area and thus reduce stopping performance. Not good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage42 Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 I'm not sure if the backs lock up first/at all, I guess the fronts lock up beucase when they did my ass whipped around on the front wheels axis (Probably the wrong way to word it, but that's what happened) Nope, if rears lock first, car swings around. Fronts lock, the car just slides in same direction whether steering input is added or not. Locking rears is a bad thing and will often lead to an incident. Now, if you are all about drifting or stunt driving for the movies, this setup may work for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nbesheer Posted February 28, 2007 Author Share Posted February 28, 2007 Well I will have someone watch me and then brake real hard. to see what locks up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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