Well I change my rotors about a week ago, and pads(front) and my car is still braking badly. I would start to slow down about 1/8-1/4 before a light from 50-60mph and my brake pedal would be at slight pressure. As i approach the light, I give it more pressure and the car is still slowing at the same speed. So i go all out and give it full pressure, ABS did NOT kick in. and the car wont stop. I had to immediately switch to the merge-off lane to avoid going the the light. I drive to the gas station and the brakes are working horribly.


Last night, I had a spirited run on I95 i slow from about 125 to about 90 with a 2/4-3/4 of a mile, the wheel is vibrating badly and it starts to shake the car up. I let off the brake and give it some cooling time the give it slight pressure, same problem...

Here's a convo. between me and black maxima, who's having the same problem..


o,ok. I got in a VERY spirited run last night with a 5.5gen and 3 other 4th gens and some other cars on i95... everytime i slowed down i could just feel my brakes screaming for help

"LowBlackMax" [8:46 P.M.]: yea
"LowBlackMax" [8:46 P.M.]: i hate 4th gen brakes
"LowBlackMax" [8:46 P.M.]: that's why i dont go fast
"aaron p" [8:46 P.M.]: +1
"LowBlackMax" [8:46 P.M.]: the brake system blows
"aaron p" [8:46 P.M.]: yea
"LowBlackMax" [8:46 P.M.]: 5th gen is very nice
"LowBlackMax" [8:46 P.M.]: my mom has a 5th gen
"aaron p" [8:47 P.M.]: i am just going with 13" cobra or 300zxtt rotors and q45 or 300zx 4 piston calipers
"aaron p" [8:48 P.M.]: yea, my mom has a 6th, I drove it yesterday, I damn near locked the brakes up braking because i was so use to giving mine more pressure
"aaron p" [8:48 P.M.]: lol
"LowBlackMax" [8:48 P.M.]: yea
"LowBlackMax" [8:48 P.M.]: that's what it is is pressure
"LowBlackMax" [8:48 P.M.]: i feel like mine you have to keep stepping on the pedal
"LowBlackMax" [8:48 P.M.]: but
"LowBlackMax" [8:48 P.M.]: on the 5th gen the brakes like lock down for you
"LowBlackMax" [8:48 P.M.]: and dont igve you any resistance to wanted to be stomped down
"aaron p" [8:50 P.M.]: right, and once it gets hot...o boy... i gave it full pressure coming to a light once and had to swing off into a merge off lane to avoid going through the light.. I mean FULL pressure and NO abs kicking in or anything, was slowing down like my car weight a ton
"LowBlackMax" [8:50 P.M.]: yea
"LowBlackMax" [8:50 P.M.]: picture it with people in your car too
"LowBlackMax" [8:50 P.M.]: i dont know what it is










Whats going on?!!?!?!

 

Even in good repair Maxima brakes are not up to the job of repeated over 100mph stops. Did you bleed all of the lines? Did you bed in the rotors/pads?

 

I may have missed it, but how is yoru pedal? Is it firm or low, different from before the problem? I had one which had a rock hard pedal, but just would not stop. I ended up having to change all the pads and rotors, there was a lack of friction. Also check the sliders and make sure they move freely, front and rear. Good luck. Luckily enough brakes are fairly simple. Also make sure the brake hoses aren't collapsed.

 

the pedal is firm but when i brake hard, ROCK HARD.. it doesnt travel too far


From black maxima:
"LowBlackMax" [9:21 P.M.]:even comming from 60 mph is hard to stop,def a big difference in 4th gens and 5th gens,brakes are bled and the roters are fine

 

You say the car was shaking when you braked, so it sounds like you need rotors.

What pads do you have?

I remember i was low on $ and got the $20 autozone pads. If i jamed on the brakes the ABS would not engage. I took them out in 2 days. Put in some Hawk pads. Night and Day in just the difference in pads.

I would even the Metal Master brakes at autozone if you don ask for them they wont tell you about them. They are like $55.

 

bleed ur brake lines. see what happens after that. double check that u may not have pinched any brake lines by the calipers.
if u have some cheap a$$ pads.....u might want to spend some extra money on good ones or just go oem.
before taking apart the brakes again to inspect...bleed ur system and see what happens. if that fails.....re-do ur brakes. make sure u get it fixed asap.,....brakes arent meant to be put off.

as far as ur vibrating.....could be rotors.

 

those bigger rims will definately do a number on the brakes. bigger rims will always hurt braking. what kind of pads did you use? did you make sure you didnt get ANY grease or oil on the pads and make sure to spray down the rotors with brakleen to get rid of greasy fingerprints? are the pads bed in correctly? i like to replace rotors and pads as a set, because they wear into each other alot better

edit: ceramic pads will give you far less brake fade from higher speeds too

 

common symptoms. first thing, make sure you have good pads/rotors. second, make sure you have flushed the brake fluid because if it has boiled already it is now no good. also check/change the hoses for extra flex. last and very common is to check the caliper bracket. often when brakes are changed people forget to lube the guide pins (i think that is what they are called) and they seize up. if this happens, the caliper can no longer move and the furthre you go the more you notice your brakes arent working right. i had 20" chromes on my car at one point and the brakes werent working right. i bought some Hawk HPS pads and when i was changing them realized one of my guide pins was locked up. as an FYI, the Hawks grab better when hot. well maybe as good but they dont lose friction as heat rises. they are about $65 or so.

 

Thanks all. i keep reading that the HAWK HPS work better when hot, so Im going to get those and ANOTHER set of rotors. Brembo Blanks this time. I think the main problem was, I was somewhat going the cheap way, with cheap pads and rotors. My fluid HAS boiled over before Awhile ago so i will be changing that. And i didnt bed them in properly, due to the fact i was doing it entirely the wrong way(now I've read how to do it properly)


So,
Cheap pads getting change out for Hawk HPS
Cheap rotors for Brembo blanks
Dot4 BF instead of DOT3( is anything wrong with that)
and I think im going to go with S.S. brake lines. Ill try everything out and let you all know




Thanks again