dansmax2003

iTrader: (7)

Yesterday i installed 6th Max generation brakes on my 2003 Maxima SE.

Parts:
I got brand new OEM calipers (6th gen) and brand new OEM Nissan front pads from Dave B. I also got OEM pad shims and other brake accessories for the calipers from local Nissan dealer.
I purchased new EBC grooved/slotted rotors. (not drilled)

Installation:
I installed everything, lubed the calipers, put it all together, bled the system properly (i think) and i took the car for a test drive. The install took me about 2 hours with a little help. Everything feels normal. The pedal may be a LITTLE bit softer,?!?!?! but it could be my own imagination. Car still stops great! I almost replaced the whole amount of brake fluid (during the bleeding process) with Valvoline Synthec brake fluid. The old fluid that came out of the brake lines was dirty/nasty looking after 80k miles. Anyway...

Problem:
Cars stops nicely and all, BUT...i hear a noise. It's there almost constantly when in motion. It sounds like a "hissing" noise and it comes from the pads touching the rotors. I press the brakes - the noise changes. I release them - it goes a way for 5 seconds and the usual hissing comes back again. I press the brakes really hard, different type of hissing noise comes and goes away after i release pressure. Pretty noisy setup as you can tell.

My queston is.... IS this constant hissing noise going to go away??? When braking, i don't mind to hear it...but when cruising....i bugs me. I've put about 40-50 miles so far and it is still there!!! I am really hoping that when i put another 150 mile sor so, things will get quiet. Has anyone experinced anything like this? Did it ever go away? Are these EBC rotors that bad? Is it normal for the pads to constantly touch the rotor? I think it is normal. The whole noise issue bigs me because i can hear this at any speed above 30mph....highway, city or mixed driving, i can hear it inside the car. I am sure, people outside can hear it too.

Any suggestions or ideas will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

MAXRB8

iTrader: (19)

You're proabably going to have to live with it. It's usually a symptom with some crossdrilled rotors, some are louder than others and some don't make any noticable noise, I had a set of 13" cobra stopchek's on my 4th gen with my 300TT calipers which were completely silent, but my pal had a set of Brembo's that had been crossdrilled and slotted afterwards and they had a constant noise, he eventually changed them. You could always throw on blanks, unfortunately stopcheks are not produced for the 6th gen's yet, thats another reason I'm waiting to do this conversion as I know they're Xdrilled and slotted are done right.

Just wanted to ask as I plan on doing this brake swap also, how much were the calipers from Dave and other than the noise and possibly some more bleeding issues was everthing a straight forward bolt up? Nothing weird? Good luck

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

sell the slotted rotors, and just buy some OEM 6th gen "blank" rotors....Mine now have close to 30K on them and are still perfect, using Hawk HPS pads.

slotted/xd rotors =

Park2670

I have slotted rotors, and they made considerable noise for the first week or so. They just needed to get worn in, and they are much more quiet now. But I can still hear and feel the slots when braking

Stewpid

Just by your explanation, it sounds like the metal shield behind the rotor may be bent slightly toward the rotor, just enough to contact it. The rubbing noise would change with brake application, or swerving left to right while driving. You may be able to turn your wheels and fix it without removing them. Or through the wheel spokes.If not, just take them off and thread the wheel nuts up against the rotor, and turn them to see if you can isolate the noise. Hopefully thats all it is. Good luck.

dansmax2003

iTrader: (7)

The installation was not hard at all. I was really worried about the bleeding but looks like i got it right without any pain. Everything was perfect fit.
Make sure you have enough brake fluid for the bleeding. I used 1.5 bottles of Valvoline SynPower fluid...but i did bleeding + partial fluid replacement.
I believe that i paid close to $60/each for the new OEM calipers.
You also need to buy from the dealer(Dave) a separate brake shims kit. It cost me around $30.
Rotors - buy whatever you trust. EBC look great, but so far they are noisy. I am really hoping that they will become quiet. The brake feel improvement is worth the 2 hours i spent doing this. Only if i could get rid of that noise....

I'll chech the metal brake shield to see if they are touching. I am 99% sure that they are not touching. I looked at them before i put the wheels on.

Thanks for all the opinions. At least i know that my brakes/calipers are not messed up. It looks like poor rotor choice.
Any other ideas or feedback will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

upstatemax

iTrader: (15)

I will agree they give no performance bonus... but I love the way they look.

ghostrider17

iTrader: (6)

It was suggested to me when I installed my Hawk HPS's that you should either grind or shave-off the leading edges of the pad material so they don't "drag" on the new rotor surface during the break-in. This can cause the hissing noise you're hearing right now.

I have no exp. with Slotted rotors, but if the pads are dragging it will EVENTUALLY wear downwith use and subside.

my 2c
gr

foodmanry

iTrader: (15)

The noise should diminish over time as the pads wear down. If I were you I would contact the supplier of the rotors about it. I had the same issue with cross-drilled/slotted rotors I purchased and it did not go away, even after 1,000 miles. Luckily I had been in touch with my supplier and we exchanged for new rotors. Sound was gone after that.

It is possibly you could have a out of spec set of rotors. So contact your supplier to let him know the issues you are experiencing and that you will ride it out for now to see if they diminish. If not, you'll look to exchange the rotors out.

dansmax2003

iTrader: (7)

I am almost sure that my supplier will not accept any exchanges/returns. I got a booklet with the EBC rotors that says that in case there are any warranty claims, i need to show them (EBC) real proof (receipt/invoice) that the EBC slotted rotors were installed by a real mechanic (which i am not) and that i am using the recommended pads (their own brand). However, I am using Nissan OEM pads.
They may tell me that my warranty is already void. Who knows. I'll try to get in touch with them ASAP.

Thanks for the advice!

foodmanry

iTrader: (15)

Thats a bunch of BS. I hate the qualifications that companies are putting on warranties these days, it makes pretty much all of them void.

Good luck man!

I was lucky with my rotors. The supplier was someone on the org. He worked with me on it and even though it took some work on my part I finally got a new set.