Rotor and Pad upgrade

Well it's time for brakes. I see most like the Hawk LTS pads. I do not tow or haul too much so these seem to be a good fit for me. The real question is rotors. Has anyone used the DBA rotors? I searched and only found 1 or 2 members back in 2010. DBAs have a color band that changes color to tell you what the temperature your rotors are operating at. This will let you know if you need to upgrade to a different pad (temperature wise). I also looked at the power slot and brembo. Does our trucks really need HP rotors or will the standard brembo blanks give all you can get out of the truck?
Also upgrading to SS lines from Goodridge.
Anyone know of any deals on hawks, Goodridge etc?

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

Pickups don't need high performance rotors, blanks are fine. Upgrading to stainless steel lines provides a nice improvement in braking. I went with Autozone blanks and ceramic pads (Duralast brand). So far I think the braking has been better than stock and they seem to be wearing well. I don't have the SS line upgrade either.

 

Thanks for your input Pugga. The Hawk HPS seem a little to Heavy duty for me so I think the LTS is the way to go. Still not sure if the DBAs will preform any better that the Brembos on our trucks. I like the idea of finding out the operating temp of the rotors but is it really necessary??? I think someone makes a heat activated paint you can apply to any rotor to get an idea of the operating temp. The DBAs are pretty expensive.

 

I had DBA's on my GTO. They were pricey but bad ass. I was thinking of putting DBA's on my truck but still not sure if it needs them. The Hawk pads are great but tend to be a little dusty.

 

Stainless lines? I don't think my braking is bad but I just started to get a little pulse in the pedal and it feels like I have some rotor warpage. One of my pet peeves with my vehicles is that rotor warping is not tolerable. I want to bomb proof the brakes so I don't have to worry about them again.

 

I just did an upgrade also, and with all the armor, tent and gear I have in my truck I did the upgrade to Hawk Pad and Powerslot rotors. I have noticed a huge difference in braking and really happy with the set up.

I did SS lines back in 2010 and on OEM it made a bit of a difference, but the biggest difference was the upgraded Rotors and Pads.

take a look around sometimes you can get upgraded parts for the same price as OEM.

 

Im running brembo blanks and hawk HPS. Same feel as stock but never faded on me yet.

 

I went with DBA 4X4 survival series and hawk LTS. I am installing them tomorrow. I applied heat paint to see what the operating temperature of my stock rotors with my driving habits over a 2 week period and found that my rotors stay fairly cool around 360 degrees so I went with lower temp rotors and brakes. Unfortunately, the SS brake lines are on the way but will not be here in time. I'll report if I made a good decision or not.

 

I'm trying to figure this out right now. My in-laws are in town, and will be staying with us for a few weeks. I drove their Kia Sorento the other day, and the brakes felt horrible. They definitely have hot spots, and I'd like to replace the front rotors. They live in the mountains, so the brakes have to work a lot harder than they do here where the land is mostly flat.

^^^This. I don't necessarily want to bomb proof them, but I'd like to get parts that will operate at a cooler temperature to prevent (or at least delay) future warping.

It's been over 2 months since this post, what are your findings?


Right now, I'm planning on using the Duralast OE equivalent replacement from Autozone for $50 each. I have not purchased them yet, so I'm open to suggestions if anyone has any. However, it seems like people on here (Pugga included) like those rotors. My main question is this: Will the rotors operate at a cooler temperature with ceramic or semi-metallic pads?

I hear that ceramic pads operate at cooler temps, which would make sense that the rotors would operate cooler too. However, one website says that the rotors operate at a higher temperature because of this. I honestly don't care how hot/cool the pads get, I want to make sure the rotors stay cool.

Anyone?

 

Sorry for the delay. The rotors (DBA) and (Hawke LTS) pads work well. No fade and I would say a little better than stock in the stopping power. As stated, I used the heat indicating paint to find out what temp is normal with the type of driver and driving I do. The paint barely changed colors so really no heat to speak of. I drive around in the city most the time with at least 1 180 mile highway round trip. This was in October so no 90 + degree days. We use the paint on our race cars and it lets us know what combo of brakes and rotors to use. I also put the heat paint on the new rotors and again barley any change in color. With my driving habits and our type trucks, the operating temp is very low so buying HD or high performance pads and rotors is really a waste of money. Over all, I feel the SS lines with the rotors and pads gives me a more controlled braking with no fade at all. I am very happy with my choice. Let's see how long they last.
PS brake dust is same or a little better then stock.
Thanks

 

How are those Duralasts holding up sir? I have a pulse when braking and think it's time to swap rotors/pads. I bought a "performance" set of slotted rotors and pads about 30K miles ago. I tow some but think I should get more than 30K miles out of a set of brakes. Just wondering on the Duralasts as it would be nice to take the pads in and get a new set. Thanks!