Aftermarket brake pads with stock rotors? Drum brake Q as well.?

I posted this in an earlier brake thread but it just got buried and unaddressed.

I need new pads ASAP. I measured my rotors and, assuming i did it correctly, they are 21.5 mm thick which is only 1/4th of the way towards out of spec. However, can you mate something like the hawk LTS or the Porterfeild z26 with the stock rotors with positive results? I don't want to pay for good pads if the stock rotors will hold any of their benefits back.

I wasn't able to measure the run-out, nor do I know how to check if they are warped. But when I come to a stop, I do get this sensation like the caliper is applying force to the rotor in an on/off/on/off fashion. It kind of jerks to a stop, as if some type of retarded ABS is at work. Maybe that's a sign that I should get new rotors after all? Or it could be a pad thing, idk frankly.

I haven't checked the rear shoes yet, but i'd like to get them anyway since if i don't need them now, i'll need them eventually. For the rear do I need anything besides the shoes? I see wheelers sells the shoes, as well as some sort of "rear brake set". Thanks guys

 

Meh, was leaning towards just saying fuck it and getting new discs as well but not so sure anymore. I mean I do have a pulse on Decel but it's only if I'm holding the brake very lightly. Maybe I'll just save the money and stick with pads. Valentines day anyway, I could use the liquidity in the bank.

 

as long as the blanks are decent you should be fine. Im running Performance Friction on some Kragen specials (rotors) and they are working fine for me. I'm also running 33's so My braking isnt as great as it used to be.

 

On the slight pulse you could have a slight warp or hot spot on the rotor maybe. When you measure the rotor you need to ensure you are doing so in the pad contact area and not including the edge. In general there will be a less worn lip at the very edge of the rotor that will give you a wrong measurement. If your rotors look like they should still have some meat on them then I'd just take them off and take them and have them turned/resurfaced. Most autopart stores will do this now. They will measure to make sure on thickness as well for you just to verify all is safe. This will give you a good mating surface for your new pads and also true up the surface for you. Typically this is pretty cheap to have done and at least you will know for sure: good rotor ready to go, rotor can't be turned as too thin or can't be turned due to being too warped.

I'm big on saving some coin without sacraficing safety.

If your set on those pads (again not saying there is anything wrong with them or your choice) probably the best thing to do would be to contact the supplier to see if they are okay with your stock rotors. My guess is that they should be okay, but then pays to make sure with the manufacturer. In the classic Mini world that I used to be a big part of, there were some pads that needed grooved rotors to get rid of heat and some pads that were pretty poor until you got them hot in a racing environment and then they would stop okay. Just pays to talk to the maker to see what they were designed for and how they work in the real world.

If you are looking to have good brakes, but not break the bank there is a lot to be said about just buying a good set of OE type pads and turning the rotors if they are withing spec. Not a knock in any way on you or your potential choice of pads. Just a thought.

Hope that helps a bit at least.

Cheers

 

If you feel vibration/pulsing under braking you definitely have something out of line... The old rule is if you feel it more in the wheel it's your front brakes and if you feel it more in the pedal/your ass then it's the rears. It's never a bad idea to resurface/replace rotors or drums with new pads or shoes.

 

Rotors are warped have them turned before new pads, I bought Duralast rotors and pads, no problem so far but I am not hard on my brakes, I would not invest in any pads with out turning the rotors.