Brake pads or Brake Rotors?

[MR 988]

hey everyone,

I am thinking to improve my car's brake system, which one should i go first, brake pads or brake rotors? any suggestion?

[Oldsaltoz]

hey everyone,

I am thinking to improve my car's brake system, which one should i go first, brake pads or brake rotors? any suggestion?

Why not call into one of the many brake specialists and let them advise you.

[DJKOR]

Depends on what you intend on doing with your car. For just your everyday street car, if you are getting no vibration in the brake pedal while slowing down to a stop, you can just change your brake pads to something with a bit more bite.

Once your rotors are a little warped, etc and create a little vibration through the brake pedal when coming to a stop, then you can go ahead and change your rotors.

Otherwise, if you have the money... do both.

[lateralus]

i agree with DJKOR. brake pads are the cheaper upgrade (approx $100 a pair for performance pads) as compared to say dba slotted rotors (approx $400 a pair). dont bother changing the brake fluid, as unless your brakes are constantly up around the 300 degree mark or higher such as when youre racing, its a waste of time and money.

a good brake service will help too (eg. fluid flush, regreasing of all components, proper bleeding, etc.)

[Terry]

as its been said above, getting better brake pads would be a good cheap upgrade and if you have the money better rotors aswell.

I put on DBA slotted rotors and Bendix heavy duty pads on all 4 wheels a year or so ago. It was a bit pricey, but I am quite satisfied with the results.

[Tash]

Hmmm interesting, better brake pads definitely sound like a worthwhile investment then. Any recommendations for particular brands? I gather that sportier brake pads would increase the response time and make a small decrease in braking distance?

[DJKOR]

Hmmm interesting, better brake pads definitely sound like a worthwhile investment then. Any recommendations for particular brands? I gather that sportier brake pads would increase the response time and make a small decrease in braking distance?

Better brake pads can have a little more bite which would be noticeable and taken as improved response. Decreasing braking distance is a little of an interesting one. The way I see it, the amount of braking force you have is limited by the grip your tires have against the ground. Even with basic pads, you can still press the brake hard enough to lock the front wheels and activate ABS. So essentially you aren't really increasing maximum braking force. However, because better pads can bite sooner and also withstand more heat, this can then help reduce braking distance.

There are quite a few factors that come into play there depending on the pads you have and the rest of the car itself.

As for brands, there have been good words as Bendix Ultimates as a decent everyday pad with a little more bite. There is a size available for your Camry, but these pads are now discontinued. There have been reports though that some places still have remaining stock of them though.

Before I head to the track in September, I'm going to get a set of QFM (Queensland Friction Materials) brake pads for my Aurion. I have heard good reviews of these pads, but I guess I will see how they go. Definitely something worth looking into. I will be getting the HP-X pads as these are a good compromise between performance and road use. They do have an even better pad, the A1RM, but these are for those that are really into track use since they are known to wear at your rotors a fair bit.

[Tash]

Very knowledgeable as always :) That makes perfect sense and what I was thinking, as ultimately it is your tires separating you and the road. Certainly something to think about in future. My biggest "problem" here in Bendigo are the conditions when it rains; given it doesn't rain very often here when it does the roads are an awful slippery mess. So far I have been very impressed with the stock Michelin's but things can always be better, and I like the sound of having more of a response from the brakes.

[lateralus]

i have bendix ultimates all round on mine, and they are great for everyday driving with much more bite than the toyota pads. the only downside is that; 1 - theyre discontinued, and 2 - theyre very dusty.

one thing also to consider is that because they have more bite, and thus are more abrasive, they do wear down your discs quicker than standard pads. and some also have the tendency to squeek a lot during application

[whitestivo]

pads, no brainer - and if your going to change your pads, put some decent brake fluid in there, otherwise you've wasted the effort.

i'm keen to see how these qfm pads perform DJK. i have Ferrodo, they are dusty as hell, but are amazing when driven hard.

i found the new pads meant i used abs less on the track, they would brake much harder , but not incur abs, not sure how to explain. ask chicaboo about how late i brake for turn 1.

I occasionally get my pads up to 500c+, so brakes are important.

whitestivo

[Whip Cracker]

I ended up getting the General CTs because the Bendix Advance pads weren't being made anymore. The difference was the nominal temp for what they can handle. The General CTs can handle somewhere around 330 degrees and the Advance were around 380 degrees...

Now, I don't flog the car around that much at all, so General CTs were fine for me, and they made a better difference than the old ones!

[MR 988]

thanks everyone's suggestion, i have heard brake pads which called Dixcel, did anyone hear it before? are they good?