vvtli78k

I just had my inspection done, and was told that the rear brakes would be due in the nest few thousand miles.

I was wondering what is the best Brake pad /Brake rotor combo everybody has used here and are happy with.

My friend recommended Akebono pad with brembo rotors... anybody used them?

Thank a lot.

Also what would be the best place to buy these parts, anybody buy them online?

UGAd13

Good question. I don't think anyone has asked that before. Maybe someone can help.

syntax182

Just get hawk hps pads and brembo rotors. Those should be fine. About to get a new set myself.

NismO2max

iTrader: (6)

brembo blanks are the same as OEM, just more costly.
I just ordered a set of front Hawk HPS pads off ebay for $53 shipped.

Here's a direct link to search results for Hawk pads for the Max

mtrai760

iTrader: (19)

Anyone seen a dead horse around????

sparks03max

iTrader: (7)

I just got a set of hawk HPS pads from tirerack and some OEM rotors from work with my discount. Working good.

MacGarnicle

iTrader: (1)

yeah, the OP is laying into it hard... the bastard..

MacGarnicle

iTrader: (1)

some people have had problems with rotor warping with OEM and stick with Brembo. Many people believe it is just material transfer from the pads, though. Overall, this is the generally well accepted combination.

/thread

UGAd13

I actually talked to Dave B today and he said Nissan recently changed the pad material on the OEM pads so the "warping" issue is not as prevalent as before.

I wanted to switch to the 6th gen set up but the price for the calipers went up from about $60 to $260, so I ordered a set of 5.5 gen pads and Brembo blanks which you can get cheaper than OEM rotors. Brembo blanks $57 on the Net or OEM rotors from Dave B $78.

Dust N Bones

iTrader: (1)

Are the Hawk ceramic pads better than the HPS? I see that they cost more but are they worth the extra cost?

SoonerFan

iTrader: (5)

nobody has EVER replaced the rotors and pads on their 5th gen....
you are the first person

Dust N Bones

iTrader: (1)

LOL - Yeah I suck, I thought I'd sneak that one in there.

Skorp1on

Sooner, I've replaced mine...he's the 2nd person.

geenowalker

I thought I would piggy back this thread. I apparently froze both rear calipers, and was told that the hardware kit was not even replaced when the person did the pads last. What is a hardware kit and am I getting BS from the vultures.

thx

PS I was looking for any other brake threads and could not find one....is this the first one?

Skorp1on

hardware kit contain seals, rubber boots, etc. if you have frozen rear calipers, you might consider skipping the hardware kit and purchase reman calipers (less than $100.00), it's plug and play

hi-tek22

iTrader: (4)

u sure you dont mean plug and play?


also I usually have to get my Front Pads done every 6-8 months. Ive been using Hawk HPS pads, and powerslot rotors for the last year and a half

Skorp1on

fixed.

geenowalker

Thanks for the reply.....is the lack of HW kit causing (caused) caliper freezing?

L.M.L.

brakes again.... nothing else interesting to talk about. b-o-r-i-n-g.

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

Hey call ABC Nissan out of Arizona, check the pricing on the 2004 and 2005 front caliper assy! I did this upgrade 4 yrs ago on my 03 Maxima SE, running Hawk Hps pads front and rear with Goodridge hoses and I eliminated that warpage issue! I don't care what brand (Oem size 11.75")rotors you go with Nissan, brembo, Raybestos, Wagner, etc...11.75"x1" doesn't have enough material to act as an efficient heatsink. That's why 2000-2001 had 11.0" front rotors and then the size was increased for 2002-2003 models which still suffered from warpage and then the final upgrade to this date 12.6"x1.1" and the problem was eliminated! That's why pretty much every Nissan and Infiniti are running 12.6" rotors now! I went thru all this stuff b4, trying this rotor and that rotor, this and that brand pad, on both my 2000 and 2003 Maxima and the problem wasn't solved until using that physically monsterous 12.6"er!!!!

SoonerFan

iTrader: (5)

the "warping problem" isnt due to the OEM rotors...its just material transfer from inferior OEM pads

eazymax

Noob question...

will OEM pads from Nissan direct work with any rotor (kragen, autozone, etc) then? meaning no more rotor warping?

thx

hi-tek22

iTrader: (4)

i just did my brakes a couple days ago...JEEZ! ive owned my car for two years, BUT I NEVER KNEW IT WAS POSSIBLE TO CHANGE OUT THE BRAKE ROTORS, OR THE PADS FOR HAWK PADS

cmon dude, its calle search

hi-tek22

iTrader: (4)

OEM pads will WORK, but they are crap.....go with HAWK HPS....i drive like a maniac and when i bought my car 2 years ago, it was the first mod i did

i had powerslot slotted rotors, and hawk hps pads........they dust like hell, but grip HARD.....now ive got RTP slotted zinc rotors and Hawk HPS pads, seem to be working so far

SEARCH IS AN EXCELLENT TOOL

eazymax

thx hi-tek

BLOWN9646

I purchased these almost 3 months ago, can't beat em.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Nissan-Maxima-02...QQcmdZViewItem

blwnfirechicken

I use Brembo drilled and slotted rotors and Hawk HPS pads all the way around in the summer. Winter I use factory pads and rotors w blizzaks and soft suspension settings.

When I first received the Brembos they needed to be resurfaced before I could use them. Brembo did not do a good job removing the flashing from around the machining of the slots. They just zinced over them. For this reason I cannot recommend these one piece rotors. If I had just bolted them on as is, the pads would have ground the excess metal from around the slots into the rotor face and created gouges. Although when sufficiently warmed up (why I don't use them in the winter) this brembo/HPS brake package worked very well for me. FYI the FNT Brembo's are now warped and need to be replaced.

This car is my daily driver. I live in CT were everyone slams on their brakes in rush hour(s) over and over. I feel paired with my 4x 18" potenzas, adjustable tocikos and eibachs this car stops better than most on the road. My biggest concern however having an efficient brake package are all the azzhls behind me who need to swerve left or right because they can't stop in time. Happens ALL the time. Usually after the first stop and go the tailgaters give themselves a lot more room because I think it scares the crap out of them when my car stops 2/3s the distance of their minivan. It could also be that because my car doesn't brake dive hardly at all there aren't any of the usual visual queues of a car under hard braking. Just brake lights and the gap behind me closing fast. The whole car just ever so slightly sits down on those grippy potenzas.

Now compared to stock brakes which are very smooth and fairly linier given a consistant pedal effort through a stop from say 65mph. Performance brakes when warm have a more dramatic stopping curve. In the beginning of the same stop, they are not as smooth and almost require slightly more pedal effort at first. As the heat increases the pads aggressively begin to bite into the rotor and the braking builds as if you are increasing pedal effort which you are not. The braking curve is much more pronounced and you do not get that OEM fade feeling at the end of the stop. It's just the opposite.

Three more points worth mentioning. In my area finding a place to turn drilled and slotted rotors can be challanging. Any brake lathe can turn these rotors if they take small amounts off on each pass but shops refuse to. Also I have noticed the rear HPS pads dust consinderably more than the fronts. This goes against any logical thinking other than I summize the compond formula for the rear is differant from the HPS front compound. And lastly these pads are somewhat louder than OEMs.

blwnfirechicken

I also for got to mention that you should always properly bed your pads and rotors. Check Wilwood's brake site for more info on this procedure. Interestingly enough for maximum performace Wilwood does not recomend matching new pads to new rotors which is something we all do.

phxgold

iTrader: (5)

I just put on
http://www.stillen.com/product.asp?i...N&model=MAXIMA

http://www.stillen.com/product.asp?i...N&model=MAXIMA

Im in love

as a side note dust shield on front must be adjusted a bit to make room for the new rotor so it dosent rub.

Scottwax

iTrader: (8)

I put the ProStop Ceramics on my car last week. Definitely noticed a difference over the pads that were on the car (no idea what brand), especially once they warm up. Much better pedal feel and initial bite. $50 or so at my local Pep Boys.

hi-tek22

iTrader: (4)

what kind of rotors are you running?.........stock

Scottwax

iTrader: (8)

Never had a problem with the stock rotors either.

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

noobs bumping old threads