Cross drilled rotors... What Pads?

[s14white240]

I was thinking about buying Brembo cross drilled and slotted rotors for my S14. What brake pads would be the best? Metallic, Semi-metallic, or Organic? What brands do you suggest? Thanks in advance.

[cdlong]

cross drilled rotors are going to eat up any pads. if you are going to race the car, i'd get some good metalic pads (i'd go with plain blanks too, but that's not what you asked), for just basic street or show, just get cheap ones, you'll go through them too fast to make it worth getting good pads.

[240_keyy]

EXACTLY what cdlong said, you will kill your pads and your rotors will be more prone to cracking than any plain blank OEM replacement one. Just get good pads and OEM replacement rotors (get Hawk or Axxis pads...)

[Vatche]

why dont u guys reccomend cross drilled, i thot they are better....why do u reccomend stock plain ones....

[sykikchimp]

your rotors will be more prone to cracking than any plain blank OEM replacement one.

thats why.

They don't eat pads faster. Cross-drilling was designed to allow pads to outgas when at higher temps. Cheapy pads like you buy at auto zone will still benefit from this. Good pads will not. Getting better pads to increase braking performance is much more intelligent than getting cross-drilled rotors that WILL eventually crack, and possibly cause brake failure if they crack severly enough.

In other words:
$27 for rotors, and $60-$120 for pads (front) for really good to AWESOME brakes (depending on pads)
or
$100 for rotos, and $25 for pads for "ehh" braking that fades after 2-3 stops and is only marginally better than stock.


"Dimple-drilled" serve NO purpose at all except to look like they have dimples.

For rotors, check nopi.com OEM replacements for ~$27. Kickass!

What are you going to be doing with the car? If you never track the car, Axxis Metal Masters will work, or anything at all for that matter. If you see track time, tell us what kind, and we'll recommend a pad.

[240 2NR]

As far as I know, uiuc240 has been running the KVR cross drilled rotors from pdm for ~2 years with Z brakes and carbon kevlar pads without any signs of any cracking.

Ironically I just saw a 911 turbo that comes stock with huge cross drilled rotors front and rear with porsche red brakes and every hole had a 5mm crack on the top and bottom of the hole in line with the radius of the rotor. Either he drives the piss out of that porsche or they do a crappy job drilling their holes

[sykikchimp]

I was under the impression that the porsche rotors had ther holes cast in..

[Got Sileighty?]

sorry to steal the thread, but how about slotted rotors? i was gonna get brembo slotteds cuz i already knew about the x-drilled's tendency to crack and i just wanna know if there are any disadvantages to gettting slotted instead.

[cdlong]

Originally posted by Got Sileighty?
i just wanna know if there are any disadvantages to gettting slotted instead.

they generally cost more and don't really help that much. they are pretty much just bling bling too. both slotted and cross drilled rotors will eat pads faster, it's like running a cheese grater over the pads all the time. also most shops won't turn slotted or cross drilled rotors.

[sykikchimp]

The slotted rotors are made to clean brake pads and maintain a smooth contact surface. They are really made for extreme temperatures and conditions where the pads may chunk off, or debris would hurt the mating surface. On a street car, they are for bling.

Cross-drilled rotors are not like running a cheese grater over you pads. The surfaces are perfectly mated. If anything they REDUCE pad wear, but only marginally. Slotted could cause additional wear, as they do clean the pad surface.

If your brakes are over heating, get ducting.

[s14white240]

Thanks for the help guys! My car is always on the street, Not many tracks to have fun at in KY. I'm gonna go with OEM blanks from Brembo, and Axxis metal masters pads.

[Vatche]

i think ill do the same only because u people know more then me

[xLSTONEx]

I have cross-drilled and slotted brakes, and my brakes are just fine. I use Axiss metal master metallic brake pads. They are one of the best.

As for that cracking crap it really not that true, talking to a guy that knows a lot about brakes. Yes they do crack more often but it if only if you get a cheap pair or bad brake pads that aren't made for the brake rotors. I have yet to change my pads or brakes and I am VERY happy with the performance.

[charlie@justdrift]

i had project mu rotors (slotted/driller) and project mu titan k pads for about 2 years. pads lasted about 6 months with 2-3x a month in the tracks. the pads are pretty good, very predictable and consistent from day 1 until it was replaced. i also tried axxis metal master and it lasted longer than my titan k. but not as good. but will do for occasional tracks/canyons and daily grind.
not noisy at all unlike the project mu titan kai. but i like to brake late so i'll deal with the noise and brake dust. i sold my rotors and got me a brembo slotted/drilled and had extra money to buy my pads. i am back to project mu titan k...
i go to tracks all the time and my rotors aren't cracked nor waved.

axxis metal master - overheated the brakes (AKA FADE) at buttonwillow but held up at streets of willow.

titan k - after about 2 laps at buttonwillow, temp stabilizes and consisten all throughout 25 minutes of lapping (grip full config) same goes at buttonwillow and california speedway infield.

for drifting, i highly recommend racepads of any kind. my choices are project mu titan k and porterfield r4s. both front and rear...
with race pads at the rear it will help you bias the brakes out.
therefore locking the rear only required a little more pressure in the pedals. with racepads, you can come in really hot and still stop! i had no problems with either pads with either rotors.
i ran out of titan k... so i'm using nissan brand right now until my pads gets here. it still stops!! but not as good.. heheheheh that's why i was using the rumble strips at buttonwillow to help me stop.

brake setup:

stock s13 calipers, nismo ss line, brembo (slotted/xdrilled) rotors, valvoline syn dot4-5 brake fluid, project mu titan k pads.

don't forget to bleed brakes... important. do it before and after racing.

[bob marley]

Just out of curiousity, anyone use endless pads?

[sykikchimp]

I don't understand why you guys buy JDM brake pads when there are plenty of companies stateside that make awesome.. seriously KICKAS$ brake pads.

Porterfield, Carbotech, Cobalt Friction, Hawk, Performance Friction... all awesome pads without the JDM import "tax".

[charlie@justdrift]

didn't u read in my post? PORTERFIELD R4s?

[sykikchimp]

what do you have in the mail?

i ran out of titan k... so i'm using nissan brand right now until my pads gets here.

anyways.. forgive me for jumping on the "I hate JDM" bandwagon there for a minute... seriously didn't intend for it to sound that way.

[charlie@justdrift]

yeah i prefer titan kai over porterfield r4s. because for the same price i can get a better pads that fits my driving style. i use my brakes for show..... to show how to late brake and make that turn.

[lok]

Sorry for bringing up an old topic but I hate to make a new one just for my ?. I am going to install some brembo cd/slotted and was wondering if it matters if I use the autozone brake pads till I get my better aftermarket ones in? I am using the stock s13 calliper and and dot 4 ATE super blue. Also has anyone rebuilt their stock calliper? Did you replace everything including the seals?

Thanks,

[cdlong]

you should be fine with autozone pads. i have rebuilt the rear calipers, all i replaced was the dust boot and the rollback seal (thick square one) the piston it self doesn't need to be replaced unless it's damaged, there's not much else to replace. what else were you thinking? i guess you could replace the slide pins and boots if those were worn, cracked, or stuck. i wouldn't bother rebuilding anything unless the caliper is leaking or stuck.

[the head]

The holes in porsche rotors are cast in but the upper level MB performance cars (AMG and 600 powered cars)use cross drilled rotors and i know from expierence that they don't crack