Well, here's the deal. I've been running Powerstop cross-drilled rotors on Q1 since 1999. They warp a little less frequently and severely than the factory ones.
I'm going to go ahead and order new ones for Q2, so I checked with Brakewarehouse.net in Greenville SC and the guy there really trashed the PowerStops (they're his competition) and recommends Bradi rotors (drilled/slotted) for the Q. Has anyone ever used these? From what I can tell Bradi and Brembo are sister companies... anyone out there using Brembo?
Thanks!
Heath
Here's his email:
Quote »HI there. PowerStop rotors are a competitor of ours, and frankly is a product that I am not that fond of. They have a mass produced look and performance that is simply average. I do have competition which is good, but just not powerstop... I would recommend ITALIAN drilled and slotted rotors for your car. They are a little pricey, but they work well on Q's. Q's traditionally have significant rotor problems, and Japanese brand rotors do not hold up at all. Drilled and slotted rotors (Bradi of Italy is my favorite brand for Q 45's) cost $117.00 each on the fronts. You can buy this same Bradi rotor slotted at a cost of $102.00 each. The Bradi is significantly better in terms of metallurgy and performance, and probably a bit more pricey I would imagine. I just want you to understand that it is the best quality rotor on the globe for your car[/quote]
Cross Drilled Rotors - Bradi, Brembo, or Powerstop?
-
Q451990
- Moderator
- Posts: 11030
- Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2002 8:21 am
- Car: 1990 Q45 - 118K, 2022 Toyota 4 Runner, 2004 Frontier M/T - 108K, 2012 Xterra (Mom's), 2023 Rogue (Inlaws)
- Location: Columbia, SC
- Contact:
Just talked to the guy at Brake Warehouse by phone. He said that Brembo and Bradi are sister companies and are very similar in quality. They order the rotors and then drill them locally on a "$240,000 peice of equipment in a NASCAR shop." No warranty...
I guess I'm a little concerned about them being locally drilled... a lot of money for something with no warranty and no track record here on NICO.
Who has the best deal on PowerStops?
Heath
I guess I'm a little concerned about them being locally drilled... a lot of money for something with no warranty and no track record here on NICO.
Who has the best deal on PowerStops?
Heath
I'm using the Bradi rotors and the Rotex pads along with SS brake lines. I am more than happy with them. They came drilled and slotted and the work looked first rate. If you don't want the holes and slots, consider the Brembos.
I have about 4500 miles on the setup with no signs of warping. The Rotex pads are carbon fiber and they still "bite" better than the stock setup. And once they heat up, its like droping an anchor with a short chain.
Make sure you buy the full hardware kit for the Q. Donot try to reuse the shims and springs.
I have about 4500 miles on the setup with no signs of warping. The Rotex pads are carbon fiber and they still "bite" better than the stock setup. And once they heat up, its like droping an anchor with a short chain.
Make sure you buy the full hardware kit for the Q. Donot try to reuse the shims and springs.
-
diamondj30
- Posts: 830
- Joined: Wed Aug 21, 2002 10:49 am
- Car: Not to low , not to high , just right .
- Location: 3rd world seattle
- Contact:
I spoke with a rep at Powerstop, and he said they use either Bradi, or Brembo rotors, and then drill them.
This after I got a pair of powerstops and noticed that one had the legend "26mm min" on it (per Bradi) and the other did not.
Its a small world... That gold finish is nice, though.
I had a set of Rotex pads and I glazed them . Must have been the way I broke them in, but I followed Randy's recommendations. I went back to stock pads with Bradi rotors. I'm happy.
This after I got a pair of powerstops and noticed that one had the legend "26mm min" on it (per Bradi) and the other did not.
Its a small world... That gold finish is nice, though.
I had a set of Rotex pads and I glazed them . Must have been the way I broke them in, but I followed Randy's recommendations. I went back to stock pads with Bradi rotors. I'm happy.
-
Q451990
- Moderator
- Posts: 11030
- Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2002 8:21 am
- Car: 1990 Q45 - 118K, 2022 Toyota 4 Runner, 2004 Frontier M/T - 108K, 2012 Xterra (Mom's), 2023 Rogue (Inlaws)
- Location: Columbia, SC
- Contact:
fxjackso wrote:I had a set of Rotex pads and I glazed them . Must have been the way I broke them in, but I followed Randy's recommendations. I went back to stock pads with Bradi rotors. I'm happy.
So you switched from Powerstops to Bradi from BrakeWarehouse.net? Randy is the same guy I talked to - really pushed the Rotex pads, but I'm going to skip that this time. When I bought my Powerstops back in 1999 I let someone talk me into BeckArnley (I think?) metal pads - seemed great at first, but same result - glazed and noisy in six months - didn't stop very well anymore. Whatever I do it'll be with stock pads.
I also got a quote for drilled and slotted rotors from www.irotors.com for $229+shipping for all four. They're Bradi, but I think they're all drilled here in the US, so I'd be really interested to see what the quality difference is with their rotors vs. another source...
I never thought deciding on rotors could be this complicated!
Heath
-
greg_atlanta
- Posts: 1111
- Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2002 4:37 pm
- Car: 2008 G35 Journey Sedan, silver/black (no sunroof), 1992 Q45 (in a past life)
-
Q451990
- Moderator
- Posts: 11030
- Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2002 8:21 am
- Car: 1990 Q45 - 118K, 2022 Toyota 4 Runner, 2004 Frontier M/T - 108K, 2012 Xterra (Mom's), 2023 Rogue (Inlaws)
- Location: Columbia, SC
- Contact:
The last time I checked, OEM rotors were about $88ea, same as PowerStops... I've used OEM Pads with the PowerStops "Q1" for the last few years, and I've been relatively happy with them. I don't notice much noise from the PowerStop rotors, especially after break-in, and they seem to warp less easily.
Tried harder aftermarket pads/rotors but they glazed quickly and then got noisy and longer stopping distances.
Heath
Tried harder aftermarket pads/rotors but they glazed quickly and then got noisy and longer stopping distances.
Heath
Actually I have a set of Bradis and a set of Powerstops. Since I figured I would get my moneys worth out of them I thought it would be nice to have 2 front sets, that way it is easier to resurface them because I do it at my convenience.
I have no preference. The Bradis have chamfered holes, the Powerstops are drilled straight. When I get the Bradis back from the shop I clean the holes with a wire brush in a drill. I painted the Bradis with HT paint and it has held up OK. The Powerstops have the gold plating which is also holding up well.
As noted, I believe I may have one Brembo and one Bradi blank in my Powerstop set. This bothered me initially-but the Powerstop people swore I would not notice a difference, and I haven't.
I have no preference. The Bradis have chamfered holes, the Powerstops are drilled straight. When I get the Bradis back from the shop I clean the holes with a wire brush in a drill. I painted the Bradis with HT paint and it has held up OK. The Powerstops have the gold plating which is also holding up well.
As noted, I believe I may have one Brembo and one Bradi blank in my Powerstop set. This bothered me initially-but the Powerstop people swore I would not notice a difference, and I haven't.
-
Q45tech
- Moderator
- Posts: 14296
- Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2002 3:19 am
- Car: 1990 Q45 342,400 miles 22 years ownership with original engine
1995 G20t 5 speed 334,000 miles 16" 2002 wheels - 205/50/16 Sr20ve vvl
Generally most brands of Q rotors weigh within 1.5 pounds of each other............so at best only expect a 20% variance in warping rate under the exact same operating conditions.
The trick is to use the minimum number of venting holes while still having a few at least on the front.
Measure the outer parallel thickness in thousands of an inch this will tell you the good ones from the bad ones.......28 mm new thickness should have 2 - 10mm worth of metal and 8 mm of air space...........some have 8.5 mm of metal and 11 mm of air space.............metal cost money air space does not.
As to the solid rear 9mm is 9 mm then the metal composition is what counts........weigh them and use that as a guide.
The trick is to use the minimum number of venting holes while still having a few at least on the front.
Measure the outer parallel thickness in thousands of an inch this will tell you the good ones from the bad ones.......28 mm new thickness should have 2 - 10mm worth of metal and 8 mm of air space...........some have 8.5 mm of metal and 11 mm of air space.............metal cost money air space does not.
As to the solid rear 9mm is 9 mm then the metal composition is what counts........weigh them and use that as a guide.
-
maxnix
- Posts: 22627
- Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2002 8:11 pm
- Car: 1995 Infiniti Q45
1995 Infiniti Q45t
2000 Infiniti Q45
I think the point Q45tech is making, given similar cast iron compounds, the thickness of each rotor facing disc surface is what is critical. Extra weight, if it is in the hub, will not resist warping.Q45tech wrote:Generally most brands of Q rotors weigh within 1.5 pounds of each other....
Measure the outer parallel thickness in thousands of an inch this will tell you the good ones from the bad ones.......28 mm new thickness should have 2 - 10mm worth of metal and 8 mm of air space...........some have 8.5 mm of metal and 11 mm of air space.............metal cost money air space does not.
As to the solid rear 9mm is 9 mm then the metal composition is what counts........weigh them and use that as a guide.
Only weighing the non-vented rear rotors yields meaningful comparisons.
properties of cryo treated ferrous alloys can be argued, as the science is still progressing, but some claim:
residual stresses relaxation
transformation of retained Austenite to Martensite
formation of very small carbides that enhance wear resistance
works very well for components like gears. Los Alamos i believe is currently doing research on the subject. Since the Q experiences rotor warpage, why not try and see if the cryo process helps combat this eventuality of the OEM rotors. You could also have any set of rotors sent to be cryogenically treated, you dont need to buy the "frozen rotors" brand.
residual stresses relaxation
transformation of retained Austenite to Martensite
formation of very small carbides that enhance wear resistance
works very well for components like gears. Los Alamos i believe is currently doing research on the subject. Since the Q experiences rotor warpage, why not try and see if the cryo process helps combat this eventuality of the OEM rotors. You could also have any set of rotors sent to be cryogenically treated, you dont need to buy the "frozen rotors" brand.
-
diamondj30
- Posts: 830
- Joined: Wed Aug 21, 2002 10:49 am
- Car: Not to low , not to high , just right .
- Location: 3rd world seattle
- Contact:
-
diamondj30
- Posts: 830
- Joined: Wed Aug 21, 2002 10:49 am
- Car: Not to low , not to high , just right .
- Location: 3rd world seattle
- Contact:
im just saying that i know the Q has big troubles with the front stock rotors warping, and i have not heard it being as common in the J30 (probably because the J30 is lighter).
diamond, i guess your J30 does carry around a litle more weight than a stock J30, i had momentarily forgotten all youve done with it.
indeed, if a cryo treated rotor survives well on diamond's J30, it would probably fair well on a pre-96 Q as well.
by the way, diamond: how do you like that r4s compound? does it take time for the rotors and pads to warm up to get the best stopping power?
diamond, i guess your J30 does carry around a litle more weight than a stock J30, i had momentarily forgotten all youve done with it.
indeed, if a cryo treated rotor survives well on diamond's J30, it would probably fair well on a pre-96 Q as well.
by the way, diamond: how do you like that r4s compound? does it take time for the rotors and pads to warm up to get the best stopping power?
-
diamondj30
- Posts: 830
- Joined: Wed Aug 21, 2002 10:49 am
- Car: Not to low , not to high , just right .
- Location: 3rd world seattle
- Contact:
i really like the r4-s compound,im leaving to cali today,and i cant wait for another drive up hiway 1 and the redwood highway .i have yet toheat them up enough to fail.the very first stop was soft but no problem stopping,had them make brake lines and now its really good,still touch soft but,as i say no problem.i9m turning the rotors for the 1st time when i get back.oem i had trued up once a rear almost,within 6 months i could feel it coming on.i forgot when i put the porters on its been at least 3 years,and yes im overdue.minimal dust/no sqeek at all.diamond.as of today 3rd set sz50-eps.my first didnt have the ep:ylsuper