Rotors to match AKEBONO pads

Hi Gents

Planning to change my rotors (vibration when getting off exits and applying brakes).

I do not like to cut rotors and do not need exotic slotted rotors either

Need a decent rotor that matches

$63 AKEBONO ACT436 Proact Ultra Premium Ceramic Disc Brake Pad kit, GREY

AKEBONO ACT436 pads.

I am looking at CENTRIC 12544112 (half factory price). Any opinions on these?

Thanks much

 

I have no opinion of the Centric brand.

I used Brembo blanks when installing my Akebono pads

maybe considered by some to be an exotic name - mfgr
but I don't remember those being very expensive.
And they have held up well IMO.

 

I used an Akebono pad and Centric rotor combination on my 02 Nissan Maxima and it has been great, Centric makes good stuff so I don't see why there'd be any problem.

 

Thanks for replies.

I have a link for Centric. Can you post a link for the Brembo Blanks please?

Thanks

 

Don't use Centrics, they're cheap. If you really are serious, go to either the dealer or advance auto parts/carquest and order some brembos from worldpac. 55-65 each. Also, do you know if you have VSC?

 

opinion: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/centrics-or-brembo-rotors.255655/

^ not the same model year... but that doesn't matter


look here... Tire Rack

 

those are 5 lug rotors. his are 6

 

They sell them... I'm not doing the search for the op

but you can

the link states it is for the 2004 Tacoma 4X, 6 lug, without VSC

Don't assume the picture depicts what it is.

 

Forget Centric - these are not going to break the bank and the cost is justified

$53 Brembo 09.8193.81 UV Coated Front Disc Brake Rotor

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L7TQMJ6/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Used them the last two brake jobs. With akebono you have a winning combo

 

Thanks everyone

Mr. TacoDell that link was very informative, in particular the post by Dustenyourface

I am going to look at OEM, Brembo, Centric and others. If I can score OEM at a fair price, I will just buy them and call it day.

I wonder if there is a comparison of rotors and how it interacts with different pads......sort of like tire tests. and which combo stops best vs $.

Thanks everyone.

PS: I do not know for sure, but think that rotors are made by a few companies and packaged under different names (like pet food, etc.).

Just wonder which COMBO (rotor/brake pad) works best.

 

Brembo is your OEM rotor

 

^ X2 OEM simply means that they are near factory specification.

I would stick with the factory rotors but they're expensive to purchase.

The Brembo blanks are nearly just as good... and my 2nd choice.

I personally will only have a rotor re-surfaced once.
More then that and they become too thin and can warp more easily.

Can you have it re-surfaced more then once... possibly
tho' if out of specification (thickness tolerance) not a good idea.

Thing about the factory rotors and pads...
is that the factory pads are generally softer then others
and the rotors will net less wear.

I ran 4 sets of pads on my factory rotors without re-machining them.
I kept my factory rotors as backup as they have never been turned.
But since they had seen 4 pad replacements that was enough.

I don't know first hand...
but always wondered if the factory rotors would hold up as well
when using ceramic pads.

I can say the the Brembo blanks using ceramic pads hold up well.
And though I know that the ceramic pads are harder then the factory soft pads.
They haven't eaten the Brembo rotors up badly and they create less dust during wear.

Whatever ya do...
stay away from semi - metallic pads as they will eat/kill the rotors fast.

Ceramics are better... tho' not as soft as the factory original pads.
So one should expect more rotor wear then with the factory original pads/rotors.
And will not be able to run four sets of ceramic pads without re-maching.
In fact ceramic pads will likely require that the rotors are re-machined
between the use of each set of ceramic pads run thru.

But the ceramic pads do produce less brake-wheel dust.

I really don't see all that much difference
in the stopping power of the ceramic pads Vs factory pads.
Ceramics usually work best when some heat is applied during braking.
In other words... cold ceramic pads need to heat up a little to seat/bite well.

Ceramic pads also require a little bit longer to embed(seat) properly
and the rotors will likely need re/machining between each pad set installed.

But the brakes/wheels do stay cleaner...(less dust)
and are generally less expensive then going with factory components.

 

Thanks for replies everyone.......

TacoDell, i read your post a few times, good info indeed. I always prefer the pads to be softer and wear sooner as they are easier to change than rotors and I trust factory engineers more than most experts.

As mentioned I do not like to cut rotors. I would consider it if the oldtimer mechanic (Benny) was alive and would do it the RIGHT way, which is to cut it 2-3 times and very thin so it is smooth without taking off too much metal. But that is hard to find nowadays (in NY) as many do not have the machine and/or want to run one time and take lots of metal off. By the time you add finding the right person, with the right machine, cost, and unknown outcome.......... Brembos will be the choice with Akebono pads which have been time tested on several cars and provide great stopping power.

I do wonder if the materials used in calipers is consistent from year to year. So if brand X was good 2 years ago, are they the same or make it cheaper and sell the name. Curious to find out. Reason I ask is because in my youth, we ran hydraulic and solid lifter cams in Detroit muscle cars. We broke them in properly (outer spring only, break it in at 2000 rpm for 1/2 hour, good oil), then put the inner spring in, set lash and the failure rate was very nominal.

Fast forward 40 years and I hear horror stories about wiped hydraulic and solid lifter cams. Testing has shown that the material is weak, and the lifters are junk so they fail very often. Hence many hotrods have gone to hydraulic roller setups at 3 times the cost as they have no choice. The exception is to have cams made on billet cores which = $$$$

Thanks everyone

 

Search on Ebay: 2004 Tacoma brake rotors Brembo

 

+1 on the Brembos

 

Proof? Rotors don't warp, they gain material through transfer from the pads. Thickness has nothing to do with it so long as they are above minimum requirements. Also OP, not sure why you don't like turned rotors so long as the tech knows his shit, and quite frankly, I was machining them as a piss ant 16 year old apprentice so it's not that hard. And yes there were run out tests we weren't just cutting and popping them back on.

I've said this many times before on brake threads, get whatever is in your price range re: rotors because your braking habits are a bigger determining factor than the brand along with a proper install. Put on EBC/Brembo/Hawk etc. and you can still wreck a set of pads and rotors in short order, my mom has done it more times than I care to count.

 

Centric isn't cheap. They are a solid high quality rotor and I would recommend them. Or there is a new Wagner black hat rotor out. Check those as well.

 

huh ? if you think that... there's likely no help for you.

The thinner the rotors are... within spec or not.
increases the chance for warping in many ways.

Warping from running thru water - fording, over tightening the lug nuts, hard braking, heat heat heat, etc.
If you think otherwise... you have probably gotten lucky up to this point.

 

Thanks all for the input. I have VSC brakes.

FYI>>>>> Centric is Stoptech. It's the parent company. They have low / high quality rotors like most companies.

Did a bunch of reading and will go with CENTRIC 12544112 High Carbon Alloy @ $43 each.

I will update this thread after 10K or so on the truck.

 

Here is the link. Nice rotors. We shall see how they perform in the long run.

http://www.centricparts.com/products/hcr