Excessive braking wear G35x

[Fkeough]

I purchased a 2005 G35x in April, 2005 and recently had the 24,000 km service completed. The service techician at the dealership called to advise that front brakes and rotors had to be replaced. The brake pads were down to 1mm and the rotors had been creased. I was told that the rotors could not be machined.

The reason given for the excessive wear was:

1) the VDC system utilizes the brakes to regulate tire speed2) the brake pad material is soft to provide more responsive braking3) the G35x model is heavier than the base model.

I have enquired further and the M class model (a heavier car) does not appear to suffer from this excessive brake wear problem.

Has anyone else experienced this problem?Has a solution been suggested to correct the excessive wear?

[AZhitman]

Welcome aboard, Mr. Keough!

Doesn't sound unrealistic... Everything I've read / heard points to the 03-04 as being the "brake eaters", for which a class-action suit was required (Infiniti wound up giving free rotors and pads for 3 years / 36K miles).

I've heard nothing similar about the new sedan, but the dealer's explanation sounds reasonable.

One must remember, these cars stop shorter than almost anything else on the market - They're hard on pads and rotors.

Letting them get down to 1mm pad depth is likely the problem, but if the rotors have never been resurfaced, it seems they'd do that first.

For future reference, have a set of rotors setting aside, as the dealer charges WAY too much for them. We can get them for you here far cheaper.

[RED_DET]

I would buy aftermarket pads as well. Mine put off way too much dust. But the 05 brakes are suppose to be better than than 03/04's as far as brake wear and dusting.

[Q45tech]

Since 1990 Infiniti has used soft fast wearing pads to squeeze the last foot out of braking distances.

Every model launches with great brakes and slowly declines to average as customers complain about dust.

My 1990 Q wore thru sets every 15,000 miles until the "woman real estate agent" pad compound was developed in late 1991.......then came the late 1993 "can't stop pads"............finally back to the mediocre U91-U-93/U85 compromise "good enough for ignorant driver pads"

Customers buy these cars for their great brakes then degrade them when they find the true costs of great brakes.

Same with tires!

[Q45tech]

The orginal oem 1990 Q pads with Michelin SPORT XGTV tires stopped in 129 feet dry from 60 by 1994 the stopping distances were up to 140+ feet with longer wearing pads and inferior tires Dunlop D80V4.

Of course 11 feet may not be important unless you rear end someone.

However the wet stopping distances may be much more signifiicantly worse than the dry.

[nine11c2]

Front brake rotors has been the only concern I've had with Nissan and Infiniiti. I had issues with the rotors on an early 300zx repeatedly. I read that the car couldn't be sold in Europe because the brakes couldn't take abuse from higher European speeds. My 2001 Pathfinder needed the rotors cut. While the pads last 53,000 miles (I do mostly highway) the rotors warped after two successive quick stops from 80. Nissan simply tries to cut it close on front brake rotors and sometimes gets it wrong - or someone just drives past the brake capability.

[Q45tech]

True had a 85 300zx, 87, and 88 Pathfinder SE before the Q.

For street cars it's all about ROTOR WEIGHT and very few manufacturers use heavy enough rotors .............50% heavier front rotors will decrease the rotor rise temperature by 40%.

Most people drive just over the speed limit so 4 rapid [no cool down time] sequence stops from 60 mph is enough capacity.

Real dicotomy that people think just because a car can go 150 mph that it should stop. If you think about it stock brakes already have more than twice the HP/torque of engines..........accelerate in 6 seconds, stop from same speed in 3.

The problem is where do you put the extra weight......thickness and diameter..........the widest rotors are 34mm and 14 " diameter these don't weigh 30 pounds [to cheat they use lighter bolt on hats] when you need 40 pounds to solve the heating problems.

Look at the rotors on trucks/SUV.........something off a 6,000 pound vehicle as a starting point.

Adding 100 pounds to a cars weight [especially mostly on the front] just for ocassional use?

[zippysedan]

The dealer excuse is party-line BS. The pads are garbage. Mine are gone after 13,500 miles. The lawsuit changed nothing; the pads and rotors for '03-'04 are identical to '05. I WILL SAY IT AGAIN THE '05 PADS ARE THE SAME PART NUMBER AS '02 AND '04.

I picked up slotted drilled rotors and semi-metallic pads for $250, all 4 wheels. If the car stops as well and the pads wear out just as fast, I have saved 75%.

[Q45tech]

Owners are allowed to redesign the vehicle brakes as they see fit..........only between you and the courts and your insurance company in the event of an accident.

Nissan loves it, they can have themselves removed from the suit when you modify any component of their design.

Without scientific measured rigorus testing hard to say how much further a modified brake system will take to stop.

Test done on 2003 Police cars proved that out of a dozen performance aftermarket pads NONE improved on OEM pads a few got close to oem performance and most were significantly WORSE both in stopping distances and rotor temperature rise........

Always hard to beat oem in simple 60 mph braking since they must report this and meet Federal standards.

Slotted rotors eat pads faster than conventional rotors and are much noiser.

[infinititech1]

yes the part numbers are the same but the pads have been updated and are new pads. they are not the same as the ones that originally came on the car. Neither are the rotors.

[wkim711]

so just wondering what kind of mileage i can get out of stock 06 brakes before the pads and rotors need replacing

i had a honda accord before this and i replaced the pads and had the rotors cut at 25000 miles so i guess i am kinda hard on brakes or honda brakes sucks

so if i kinda drive hard what can i expect from the brakes

thanks

[Q45tech]

Use the brake light signal connection to drive a loud buzzer every time the brakes are applied you will reduce your brake system wear. Install a counter to record applications per mile. Big stiff spring to increase pressure and gain a stronger right foot.

The system doesn't wear unless you use it.

[infinititech1]

the 06 brakes last alot longer than the 05's and down...

[zippysedan]

LIES AND PROPAGANDA

The G35 comes with substandard overpriced brakes. The front rotors and pads cost $470 at my dealer. I am holding drilled slotted rotors in my hand that I purchased for $250 for the front and rear. The explanation offered at the dealer is pure crap. The pads wear out because of the high clay content, the automotive equivelant of meat by-product in hot dogs, fills space and is bad for the machine consuming it.

The Hawk pads they "hawk" are slightly better, but the rotors will need to be turned and you might as well get new ones. Now that you are in the market for pads and rotors, open your mind and look at your options. There are plenty that do not involve replacing the more than adequate calipers, lines, etc. You could even get ceramic pads and regular aftermarket rotors (I would recommend slots at the very least, and cross-drilling will help with the NYC taxicab squeak).

The class action suit was settled by extension of the warranty on 02-04 models to include brake components. They did not change those clearly inferior parts. It is cheaper to litigate than produce a quality product.

I have R1 Concepts products I am installing today. They are available on eBay.

jb

[zippysedan]

I repeat the parts for the '05 models are IDENTICAL in every way to '02-'04. Inferior product, pads are mostly clay.