96 Max stock rotors (manufacturing Defect?)
07-23-2005, 02:40 PM
#1
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 27
96 Max stock rotors (manufacturing Defect?)
Hello all, its me again.
I have driven around in my father's '96 Max ever since the day he bought it and drove it off the lot brand new. Well, fast forward to today and i have it as my car now and i have noticed something wierd about it that my mechanic friend reminded me of ( i actually just got usedto it and ignored it lately). The brakes seems to pulsate underneath your feet, and you can feel the car pulsate to a stop as well as your slwoing down. Now i understand that this implies that the rotors are warped but on any normaal car, they reall shouldnt be- im not doing 80 - 0 stops at all, and i drive rather conservitaley (sp?).
I talked to my pops about this issue and he told me that he has had the rotors replaced and the dealership has informed him that the maxima has stock rotors that are too small for the size and weight of the car, and thus they warp immeadiately after being replaced - basically the guy says tough luck and deal with it chap.
Well im sick of dealing with it. Is this true, that the stock rotars are too small and cant handle the wieght? If so, are there aftermarket options i can pursue to get rid of this problem? Right now my buddy is getting them shaved to smooth them out again, but i am afraid they are olny going to happen agian! Anyone with teh similar problem?
Travis
Travibe@***.net
I have driven around in my father's '96 Max ever since the day he bought it and drove it off the lot brand new. Well, fast forward to today and i have it as my car now and i have noticed something wierd about it that my mechanic friend reminded me of ( i actually just got usedto it and ignored it lately). The brakes seems to pulsate underneath your feet, and you can feel the car pulsate to a stop as well as your slwoing down. Now i understand that this implies that the rotors are warped but on any normaal car, they reall shouldnt be- im not doing 80 - 0 stops at all, and i drive rather conservitaley (sp?).
I talked to my pops about this issue and he told me that he has had the rotors replaced and the dealership has informed him that the maxima has stock rotors that are too small for the size and weight of the car, and thus they warp immeadiately after being replaced - basically the guy says tough luck and deal with it chap.
Well im sick of dealing with it. Is this true, that the stock rotars are too small and cant handle the wieght? If so, are there aftermarket options i can pursue to get rid of this problem? Right now my buddy is getting them shaved to smooth them out again, but i am afraid they are olny going to happen agian! Anyone with teh similar problem?
Travis
Travibe@***.net
07-23-2005, 02:55 PM
#4
Try searching a little bit 
Matt (Blehmco)
has a kit that uses 12.6" rotors and still retain the stock caliper, but not stock wheels.
You'll need larger wheels than stock.
~200 + aftermarket wheels ...
Matt (Blehmco)
has a kit that uses 12.6" rotors and still retain the stock caliper, but not stock wheels. You'll need larger wheels than stock.
~200 + aftermarket wheels ...
07-23-2005, 02:56 PM
#5
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 27
Damn this thing is going to turn into a money pit...i kninda saw it coming from the second i started thinking about it. Id like larger wheels and all, but the money just aint here, guess ill take option b and "deal with it".
Thanks for the help.
Thanks for the help.
07-23-2005, 06:05 PM
#13
Member who somehow became The President of The SE-L Club
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I have over 50,000 miles on a set of Brembo rotors, stock size, and my brakes are as smooth as glass. Purchase a good set of replacement rotors and brake pads and you really shouldn't have that issue repeat like that. A good set of pads is just as important as quality rotors in preventing brake judder.
07-23-2005, 11:02 PM
#14
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 27
Hmm well to put to rest the idea that i "abuse" my brakes, no that is not true, i learned my lesson about my idea of "spirited driving" by getting in two accidents (not in the max) within a month of each other, both at which were my fault. Not getting into specifics here, but after insurance hikes and working off tickets so they arent on my record, im not oging to be doing some serious speeding/braking...
Its weird that you all say that you dont have the same problem...i took what that mechanic said as true..that is very bizarre. I guess the ****er lied to my pops, but whats weirder is that the rotors have been replaced. Calipers sticking? Ill get that checked out tomorrow while the guys still looking at it....what are some sypmtoms (besides what youve siad) of the calipers sticking? Ill tell you all what i find.
How much does that 300z brake conversion cost? Will it fit on completely stock max? What kinda labor and time are we talking about? you intruiged me.
Thanks for the input ya'll.
Its weird that you all say that you dont have the same problem...i took what that mechanic said as true..that is very bizarre. I guess the ****er lied to my pops, but whats weirder is that the rotors have been replaced. Calipers sticking? Ill get that checked out tomorrow while the guys still looking at it....what are some sypmtoms (besides what youve siad) of the calipers sticking? Ill tell you all what i find.
How much does that 300z brake conversion cost? Will it fit on completely stock max? What kinda labor and time are we talking about? you intruiged me.
Thanks for the input ya'll.
07-24-2005, 10:33 AM
#15
Originally Posted by Hajime
Do a 300ZX brake upgrade on your car.
Just little mod and change the brake line.
Easy to do, and you get a larger rotor and nicer 4-piston caliper
I think thats enough to stop a max
Just little mod and change the brake line.
Easy to do, and you get a larger rotor and nicer 4-piston caliper
I think thats enough to stop a max
i've talked to many about this upgrade and they all said its a royal pain in the ****.......but definitely worth it
07-24-2005, 04:09 PM
#16
Careful with your nuts......
I had the same problem with a '97 Max GLE (wife's car) where the brakes developed the vibration after several session of hard braking. Grinding rotors was not a permanent fix - went back to a service shop more than once. I took the car to a Nissan dealership that has proved competent, and they said it's a sign of overtorquing the lug nuts. They took loose the lugs nuts on my '97, and found they were tightened to 100-to-120 lbfts. Stock is 80! They said this warps rotors all the time. I went back to the shop that did the work and challenged them on their work. Seems the mechanics were using an air wrench sent to maximum pressure!
New rotors front and rear, and close monitoring of lug torque, kept that car braking smoothly,even when used hard (by me).
When I bought tires and rims from Tire Rack for my 99 Max, I got a torque wrench for $20.00 and have always used it to change my tires and drag slicks, keeping the 80lbs recommended by the factory, and had NO vibration problems. Drag racing really tests brakes when slowing down, as well as testing "An on-ramp is a terrible thing to waste" acceleration and braking. No problems since discovering the solution - and my wife's 2004 Max also remains smooth when braking - and so does our daughter's 2000 Max.....
New rotors front and rear, and close monitoring of lug torque, kept that car braking smoothly,even when used hard (by me).
When I bought tires and rims from Tire Rack for my 99 Max, I got a torque wrench for $20.00 and have always used it to change my tires and drag slicks, keeping the 80lbs recommended by the factory, and had NO vibration problems. Drag racing really tests brakes when slowing down, as well as testing "An on-ramp is a terrible thing to waste" acceleration and braking. No problems since discovering the solution - and my wife's 2004 Max also remains smooth when braking - and so does our daughter's 2000 Max.....
07-24-2005, 04:34 PM
#17
Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 113
I've also had problems with lug nut overtorque. Seems every inspection
station and tire dealer is only interested in getting it done fast- not right.
I always retorque lug nuts to 80 lbft after anybody has worked on the car.
My rotors warped at 30K. Dealer wanted to replace them. I told them to
resurface instead -- they lasted an additional 90K once I started checking
torque of the lug nuts.Most recent time I put on new brake pads (230K) , shops wanted $35.00 just to turn rotors so I bought decent new rotors for $50.00 instead.
station and tire dealer is only interested in getting it done fast- not right.
I always retorque lug nuts to 80 lbft after anybody has worked on the car.
My rotors warped at 30K. Dealer wanted to replace them. I told them to
resurface instead -- they lasted an additional 90K once I started checking
torque of the lug nuts.Most recent time I put on new brake pads (230K) , shops wanted $35.00 just to turn rotors so I bought decent new rotors for $50.00 instead.
07-24-2005, 08:38 PM
#18
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 27
thank you much you guys for the help, i never knew the lug nuts played a role in all of this but hey, you learn something every day.
BTW, is there a way to tell the pressure that you are settiung the nuts to without any specific tool or do i need a special invesment here...im trying to make these rotors (now smoothed out) last as long as humanly possible. If the part is too expensive, i may have to find a nother way around this...(im in college
)
BTW, is there a way to tell the pressure that you are settiung the nuts to without any specific tool or do i need a special invesment here...im trying to make these rotors (now smoothed out) last as long as humanly possible. If the part is too expensive, i may have to find a nother way around this...(im in college
)
You're right, I'm re
ed 
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