EBC / Brembo Combo - Problems Continue

[VaGT]

Some of you might remember the post I made about Brembo saying that the EBC pads might be causing rotor warpage...

http://www.grandamgt.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14708&highlight=EBC+Blames



Well, after taking my car to a reputable shop to get the brakes checked out and the rotors turned, I think the warping is back. It has only been about a month and 750 miles. If it is, it is just now starting... not bad enough to be sure at this point, but I think they are beginning to warp. I have a slight vibration and the pads are not gripping as they did right after the brake job.

I thought the first time was due to me over-torqing a couple of the lug nuts (shop informed me of this), but now, I am in fact considering that the EBC pads might be too much for the normal OEM Brembo's. At first, I didn't think it was possible, but now....



Does anyone here have this combination? What's your experience?

I did some digging online and came up with a couple pages / posts from people who said they had warping issues with the EBC pads. One of these pages mentioned that the place they bought the pads from refunded their money because of a EBC money back guarentee. I have not seen anything else about that online, but I am going to ask... maybe I can get my $80 back.



Right now, I stand about $250 in the hole on the brake job that was supposed to last me a couple years at least. This is very frustrating :rage: . I don't enjoy wasting money. I don't think it is a caliper issue since both a GM tech and this reputable shop checked them out and found nothing wrong.

I have some weekend work coming up that pays extremely well, so I am considering buying Powerslots and Ceramic pads (maybe Raybestos Quiet Stop). I don't imagine having any issues with that combo. I don't want to go the EBC route again with upgraded rotors because of the brake dust. Overall, when the rotors were OK, the EBC pads gripped great, but the brake dust drives me nuts. The performance friction also (I've heard) dump out a bunch of dust too, so I think I would rather just go with Ceramic.... and the look of the Powerslot (since I'll have some extra money to spend). I'm headed up to Pa in about 5 weeks, so I could have my future brother in law (GM certified tech) assist me in doing the brake job at his garage... and make sure it is correct.


Thoughts?

[Craig99SE2]

I have the EBC GreenStuff on PowerSlots without any problems. Were you using GreenStuff or RedStuff? I know the Red can get pretty toasty and it even says not recommended for street use. The Green however is for daily driving.

As for ceramics and PowerSlots, been there done that and unless you own stock in the pad company, forget it! My PF pads didn't last 3 months!!!

[VaGT]

Originally posted by Craig99SE2
I have the EBC GreenStuff on PowerSlots without any problems. Were you using GreenStuff or RedStuff? I know the Red can get pretty toasty and it even says not recommended for street use. The Green however is for daily driving.

As for ceramics and PowerSlots, been there done that and unless you own stock in the pad company, forget it! My PF pads didn't last 3 months!!!


Yes, I am using EBC Greenstuff.

Aren't PF carbon metalic pads and not ceramic?

[dna_dan]

I am thinking about buying a kit from BAER and just changing the whole brake system from lines to calipers to rotors to pads. I am really sick of the crappy parts and having to completely change things out because if you mix and match stuff, its usually the GM end that fails on you.

Any suggestions for which Baer kit I should buy? Are they completely overpriced? Worth it?

[VaGT]

They have a kit on PFYC.com


But I think $1200+ for parts alone is a bit pricey for me.

[Craig99SE2]

Yes, PF are carbon metallic ... my bad. I was thinking they were ceramic for some reason. One thing I do remember about ceramic pads is they don't stop for crap until they are red hot! I had them on my old 5.0 and HATED THEM! They did last forever tho ... seemed like they would never wear down so I could replace them.

As for aftermarket kits, check out http://www.rsmracing.com They have a front and rear 12" brake kit for sale ($899/set). When I was at their shop earlier this year, I saw this kit on a Cavalier. VERY nice! :thumbs:

[mfuller]

Originally posted by VaGT
They have a kit on PFYC.com


But I think $1200+ for parts alone is a bit pricey for me.
Also bear in mind that PFYC's kit is fully optioned up with 2-piece slotted, drilled and zinc-washed rotors and powdercoated calipers. It's really a good price if you want all those options.

But if you just want the bare-bones Baer kit, you can get in for as little as $750 or so. Yes, it's worth every penny. You'll need to call Baer direct and tell them you want the basic "Sport" kit.

I'm not convinced that bigger rear brakes are worth the expense.