Good Brakes that a 19 year old can afford

[RedMerc04]

Hey all,
I currently have 56K and have not touched neither the pads nor rotors. My pedal feels low and my rotors are warped. I am planning a road trip to South Carolina in about a month and feel that it would be a good idea to have some stopping power. I would like something that performs a little better than stock without breaking the bank. I am thinking getting the powerslot rotors with wagner thermoquiet pads. Anybody have this set up? Do powerslots warp as easily as the stockers? Should I just spend a bit more and get the command rotors? I really cannot see spending over a grand for a big brake kit and have heard mixed opinions on the EBC kit. Im really unsure of what to do.

[offroadkarter]

Hey all,
I currently have 56K and have not touched neither the pads nor rotors. My pedal feels low and my rotors are warped. I am planning a road trip to South Carolina in about a month and feel that it would be a good idea to have some stopping power. I would like something that performs a little better than stock without breaking the bank. I am thinking getting the powerslot rotors with wagner thermoquiet pads. Anybody have this set up? Do powerslots warp as easily as the stockers? Should I just spend a bit more and get the command rotors? I really cannot see spending over a grand for a big brake kit and have heard mixed opinions on the EBC kit. Im really unsure of what to do.

Talk to wes, he has a good selection of brakes. Maybe the bear brake kit would satisfy your needs ;)

[Raudermaster]

I don't think a $1400 kit is in for him at this time ;) lol. My friend bought me the drilled/slotted rotors that came with pads off eBay and I liked them, except the pads. I'm going to replace them with Ceramix.

[Zack]

Turn the rotors, install Ceramix pads from NAPA, Stainless Brake lines and a Fluid flush.

....this goes for all 4 Wheels

[whd507]

the OEM rotors likely wont have a legal turn left in them. I have the baers with Autozone Duralast Gold pads (semi-met in front, ceramics in rear) your local store may have the new CMAX ceramic pads, they outperform the thermoquiets and the NAPA pads by a margin. and also come with hardware included. I just have the basic Golds, but I have no dust, and I sell the Baers to most of the local agencies near here. no complaints at all, 40 P71's runnings shifts 24/7.

most of the departments run the Performance Friction pads with the baer rotors, don't know how they dust.

I'll do the stainless lines next on my car.


now "panic stops" are only "stops"...

[ctrlraven]

Turn the rotors, install Ceramix pads from NAPA, Stainless Brake lines and a Fluid flush.

....this goes for all 4 Wheels

^^^^^^
Have your rotors checked out, if they can be turned go for it to hold you over for a while. If not just get some OEM ones but install them with the Napa Ceramix pads and Stainless Steel brake lines.

I'm currently running the Napa pads with wrapped EBC rotors which a buddy of mine will turn for me and he got me new front Motorcraft rotors for $60 to throw on while he turns my slotted/dimpled EBC rotors and then I will have spares for down the road.

I would advise against getting the EBC rotors, I believe I have the most mileage on them from anyone on here 24-25k miles before they were turned or tossed. Most people noticed wrappage around 10k miles or earlier but I do a lot of highway mileage and don't follow people closely so I just let off the gas to help slow down to avoid using the brakes anymore than I have to and start to brake further away while applying light pressure.

Just the Napa Ceramix pads and SS brake lines will make a world of difference.

[3rdcoastmrauder]

got power slots w/ hawk pads

have saved my ass too many times to count.

[Peace2Peep]

Ive added the powerslot cryo rotors to the rear only(fronts were turned just fine) and the Napa Ceramix at 27k and the car stops with authority...oh! And the stainless lines! Its great!

[RedMerc04]

^^^^^^
Have your rotors checked out, if they can be turned go for it to hold you over for a while. If not just get some OEM ones but install them with the Napa Ceramix pads and Stainless Steel brake lines.

I'm currently running the Napa pads with wrapped EBC rotors which a buddy of mine will turn for me and he got me new front Motorcraft rotors for $60 to throw on while he turns my slotted/dimpled EBC rotors and then I will have spares for down the road.

I would advise against getting the EBC rotors, I believe I have the most mileage on them from anyone on here 24-25k miles before they were turned or tossed. Most people noticed wrappage around 10k miles or earlier but I do a lot of highway mileage and don't follow people closely so I just let off the gas to help slow down to avoid using the brakes anymore than I have to and start to brake further away while applying light pressure.

Just the Napa Ceramix pads and SS brake lines will make a world of difference.
Okay, No EBC kit for me. I think Ill wait for my next paycheck and get 4 powerslot rotors with the napa ceramix pads. Ill see if I can swing the stainless brake lines. This thread almost has as many different opinions as an oil thread!

[Peace2Peep]

"Word to your Motha!"

[talon2nr7588]

19 years old with a marauder? why not just get stock oneS?

[ctrlraven]

Okay, No EBC kit for me. I think Ill wait for my next paycheck and get 4 powerslot rotors with the napa ceramix pads. Ill see if I can swing the stainless brake lines. This thread almost has as many different opinions as an oil thread!


Sounds like a plan, are you going to be doing the work yourself or have a shop do everything? With 56k miles on the clock a Brake System Flush would be a wise idea but that is something you could do a little bit down the road when you put on the SS brake lines if you don't get them on now. If you do the work yourself just remember to bleed the brakes starting with the furthest one away from the brake master cylinder (Right Rear, Left Rear, Right Front and then Left Front).

Oil opinions are worse than Brakes opinions lol.

Btw on your road trip watch yourself going through VA (I-95) they are a no-radar detector state and love out-of-towners lol.

[RedMerc04]

Sounds like a plan, are you going to be doing the work yourself or have a shop do everything? With 56k miles on the clock a Brake System Flush would be a wise idea but that is something you could do a little bit down the road when you put on the SS brake lines if you don't get them on now. If you do the work yourself just remember to bleed the brakes starting with the furthest one away from the brake master cylinder (Right Rear, Left Rear, Right Front and then Left Front).

Oil opinions are worse than Brakes opinions lol.

Btw on your road trip watch yourself going through VA (I-95) they are a no-radar detector state and love out-of-towners lol.
Yeah, Im gonna take a weekend and do the work myself. I may as well flush the whole system because I plan to Install an EMP/Stewart water pump, a 180 degree stat, colder plugs and a deep trans pan. So Im not exactly trying to break any speed records. Yeah, Ive been through VA before theyre no joke! I personally had no problems b/c I did 65 Mph through the whole state. I think this time Ill take my New York plate out of the front bracket and replace it with an american flag plate or something to help blend in.

[ctrlraven]

If your not speeding then you shouldn't have any problem lol. Make sure to burp the coolant system really good.

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

I would turn stock rotors way before I would use the horrible chinese core junk on ebay (including rotor pro's which are beyond horrible).

The chinese rotors on ebay are not balanced (stockers are, this is very important, and will affect tire wear, high speed smoothness, etc, not as much as a wheel imbalance since the rotor is closer to the centerline, but it will be a factor).

Also the chinese ebay rotors are machined but not stress relieved after machining, which makes the area surrounding each machined hole, slot, etc, harder than the rest of the rotor. This ends up causing pulsation when the rotors are hot (drive my low mileage MM w/ the second set of Rotor Pros drilled/slotted rotors on it, when its hot, and you will hate yourself).

The rotor pro's cores are Centric Parts $29 bargain basement econo chinese cores, drilled and slotted to increase bling factor, but not performance. The other cheapo rotors on ebay are similar.

IF THE ROTORS COST LESS THAN STOCK, YOU ARE GETTING LESS THAN STOCK QUALITY.

There is no way around that. Metallurgy and quality of machining on the cheap stuff sucks. Lesson learned after buying them and having to call manufacturers to get an education on aftermarket brake parts quality.

[whd507]

agreed cheap rotors are trouble waiting to happen. I see it everyday.

[Svashtar]

As I understand it most new setups from Baer and others use the stock calipers?

[whd507]

yes the Baer rotors are stock-size replacements. 45000 miles on mine with no warping, no brake fade after repeated hard stops, no dust, and still have better than 1/2 the pads left.

[BLACKMARAUDER04]

MY REARS NEEDED REPLACING AT 60,000 MILES. I REPLACED ALL FOR BRAKE LINES WITH STAINLESS STEEL ONES I PUTCHASED FROM REINHARDT. i TURNED THE STOCK ROTORS, AND PUT ON OEM PADS. I ALSO DID A FLUID FLUSH.