not really sure how to ask it without sounding cheap but oh well

Naum16 · 04-09-2013, 03:17 PM

thanks guys

Volk Z · 04-09-2013, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naum16

How much do you think it would cost me to resurface and just change pads, should I touch the back ones. And you know that feeling when you can't trust some people working on it , would the dealer be a good place or what not.

80% of your braking is the front typically so you can probably get away with just doing the fronts.

Pads you can get for like 80 bucks and a resurface shouldnt be much more then that. Overall the cheapest route to go.

Also be sure your brake fluid is at a good level and if its low top it off.

And if you are trying to save money then the dealer would be the last place to go!

GSS138 · 04-09-2013, 06:17 PM

Gonna agree, buying some biscuity chinese brakes off ebay sounds like a recipe for death. You can't be cheap on brakes-at the same time there is alot of room between really damn good street brakes, and high end racing brakes-much more than you might think.

You can actually have brakes that are too good for your tires. They will slow your car so much when applied that your crappy tires will actually give out under the weight and pressure.

One other little track secret -if you have been out pushing your brakes really hard, they get hot-very hot. If you then park the car and engage your parking brake-just say "bye bye" to your rotors. The heat from the brake pads will warp your rear rotors. If you have been going 100+ slam on brakes, 100+ slam on brakes, 100+ slam on brakes, then park the car and engage emergency brake, you probably have indeed warped your rotors.

SouthArk370Z · 04-09-2013, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GSS138

...One other little track secret -if you have been out pushing your brakes really hard, they get hot-very hot. If you then park the car and engage your parking brake-just say "bye bye" to your rotors. The heat from the brake pads will warp your rear rotors. If you have been going 100+ slam on brakes, 100+ slam on brakes, 100+ slam on brakes, then park the car and engage emergency brake, you probably have indeed warped your rotors.

While I agree with your conclusion, the parking brake has nothing to do with it. On the 370Z (at least my '09), the parking brakes are a separate system. It's an old style drum/shoes setup. Look through the rear spokes and you can see the drum between the wheel and rotor - it looks a bit like a big spacer. See the PB section of the FSM for details.

GSS138 · 04-09-2013, 08:10 PM

Hey South good point. I can tell you that on a '12 sport package it's rotors in the rear so yeah you wouldn't want to do that. I am going to start taping my e-brake at track because sometimes I forget myself on it.

Cold pits, park, e-brake, leave car, walk 15 feet, yell "OH NOES!", run back to save baby. Is a pretty typical beginner track pattern I imagine.

122554 · 04-09-2013, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SouthArk370Z

Rotors seldom actually warp, they more than likely just have buildup from the pads and/or rough spots on the surface. Take it to a good brake shop and they can probably clean or turn the rotors.
Had the same thing happen to me a while back. Got dirt in the radial slot in one of the pads and the dirt chewed up about half of the braking surface on one side of the rotor. It sure felt like the rotor was warped, but it wasn't.

They can. I had a Z's rotors warp so bad I couldn't drive the car! Hit a huge puddle of water after hard braking.

Don't cheap out on brakes (or other critical components). Save up and get the good stuff. It's a sick feeling when your brakes fail (or fade bad enough that you think they have failed).

Agree! Why would you go cheap on something that will save your life?

seizer8 · 05-16-2013, 11:44 PM

Not everything on EBay is cheap Chinese knock offs. You can get get Stop Tech rotors on EBay. Unless they are fakes??

Fountainhead · 05-19-2013, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seizer8

Not everything on EBay is cheap Chinese knock offs. You can get get Stop Tech rotors on EBay. Unless they are fakes??

I go to China regularly and see item after item that looks exactly like the legit part but is fake as hell. No way would I buy any car component from EBay.
Especially if it ships from HK. I've seen those places in Shenzhen and HK and wouldn't buy anything from them.

OK so I did buy some LED car lights but I tested them and made sure they worked before I spent 5 USD for something that would cost 20.00 on EBay.
If it matters buy the real thing. If the price is too low then it's likely a knockoff "Shanzhai" item.

Ghostvette · 08-09-2013, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck33079

Call your local auto parts stores. One of them will turn rotors. Take them up there and let them handle it. Pads and rotors are very easy to do yourself. Do the fronts and see if it fixes your problem. If the rears are ok, you're good to go UNLESS the new pads you put in front are dramatically different than the rears.

So far, around Kansas City, the only place that turns rotors is O'Rielly's. Advance doesn't and I don't think Auto Zone does. Personally, I wouldn't let an auto parts guy turn my rotors. They don't even them up, they tend to cut them to the minimum specs, then let them go. I'd make some calls to some of the good repair shops around where you live and find out who has a brake lathe. It's not hard to learn how to use it and they might let you do your own (with suitable bribe

)

wstar · 08-09-2013, 12:05 PM

Re: front vs rear deposits, you can tell the difference by feel. Deposits on the front you feel mostly through the steering wheel. Deposits in the rear you'll feel mostly through the brake pedal and the body of the car. All of them will feel through all pathways to some degree, but you can usually tell which end it's coming from by that.

wstar · 08-09-2013, 12:07 PM

And yes, even though we have separate drums, you still shouldn't set the parking brake when track-hot. At the very least, you can melt/weld the parking brake shoes to the drum. I imagine in a really awful case, you can warp the shape of that drum, and that could in turn apply some warping force to the rotors themselves, since it's all one piece of metal and it's all hot. It only takes a few thousands of an inch of deposits or true warping to make things bad.

Sh0velMan · 08-09-2013, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wstar

And yes, even though we have separate drums, you still shouldn't set the parking brake when track-hot. At the very least, you can melt/weld the parking brake shoes to the drum. I imagine in a really awful case, you can warp the shape of that drum, and that could in turn apply some warping force to the rotors themselves, since it's all one piece of metal and it's all hot. It only takes a few thousands of an inch of deposits or true warping to make things bad.

Bare-minimum you could cause a balance issue.

05-16-2013, 11:44 PM	#22 (permalink)
seizer8 Base Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Carol Stream IL Chicago Posts: 103 Drives: 2010 Z Touring AT Rep Power: 12	Not everything on EBay is cheap Chinese knock offs. You can get get Stop Tech rotors on EBay. Unless they are fakes?? __________________ 2010 Platinum Graphite, Touring; Custom Coated Sport Brakes; Z1 Drilled and Slotted Rotors; SS Brake Lines; Hood Struts; Rear LED Fog Light; GT-R Wheels; LED Interior Lighting Sunday Cars and Coffee

08-09-2013, 12:05 PM	#25 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3594	Re: front vs rear deposits, you can tell the difference by feel. Deposits on the front you feel mostly through the steering wheel. Deposits in the rear you'll feel mostly through the brake pedal and the body of the car. All of them will feel through all pathways to some degree, but you can usually tell which end it's coming from by that. __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details

08-09-2013, 12:07 PM	#26 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3594	And yes, even though we have separate drums, you still shouldn't set the parking brake when track-hot. At the very least, you can melt/weld the parking brake shoes to the drum. I imagine in a really awful case, you can warp the shape of that drum, and that could in turn apply some warping force to the rotors themselves, since it's all one piece of metal and it's all hot. It only takes a few thousands of an inch of deposits or true warping to make things bad. __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details

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04-09-2013, 03:17 PM	#16 (permalink)
Naum16 Base Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: IN Posts: 152 Drives: 09 370z Rep Power: 12	thanks guys

04-09-2013, 06:17 PM	#18 (permalink)
GSS138 Track Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Mission Viejo, CA Posts: 769 Drives: '12 370Z 6M Sport Rep Power: 13	Gonna agree, buying some biscuity chinese brakes off ebay sounds like a recipe for death. You can't be cheap on brakes-at the same time there is alot of room between really damn good street brakes, and high end racing brakes-much more than you might think. You can actually have brakes that are too good for your tires. They will slow your car so much when applied that your crappy tires will actually give out under the weight and pressure. One other little track secret -if you have been out pushing your brakes really hard, they get hot-very hot. If you then park the car and engage your parking brake-just say "bye bye" to your rotors. The heat from the brake pads will warp your rear rotors. If you have been going 100+ slam on brakes, 100+ slam on brakes, 100+ slam on brakes, then park the car and engage emergency brake, you probably have indeed warped your rotors.

04-09-2013, 08:10 PM	#20 (permalink)
GSS138 Track Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Mission Viejo, CA Posts: 769 Drives: '12 370Z 6M Sport Rep Power: 13	Hey South good point. I can tell you that on a '12 sport package it's rotors in the rear so yeah you wouldn't want to do that. I am going to start taping my e-brake at track because sometimes I forget myself on it. Cold pits, park, e-brake, leave car, walk 15 feet, yell "OH NOES!", run back to save baby. Is a pretty typical beginner track pattern I imagine.