Infiniti dealership wants $1K+ for Brakes and Tires, need help

[sall4real]

Okay, so heres the deal, took in my '03 G35 coupe for an oil change and was told I need a) new brakes (rotors, brake pads, etc.) and b) 2 new rear tires.

a) They are asking $480 for the brake work. My question is, would it be a good idea to buy non-OEM parts and have them install? Does anyone have any tips on nice rotors, brake pads, etc. that will help remove squeaking sound and black brake dust for less than $480?

b) Apparently the guy I purchased the car from got 2 new tires which he placed in the front, so the back 2 tires are pretty much worn out to the max.

Here is what I currently have: Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Front: 245/40 ZR18Rear: 275/40 ZR18

My questions are, 1) the front tires make a whole lot of road noise, would it be possible for me to move the front tires to the rear and buy new front tires? 2) any tires recommended with little to no road noise? 3) the specs of the current tires are not factory specs, is that a problem?

[sall4real]

Oh yeah, the dealership was asking $324 a piece for the 2 rear tires needing to be replaced.

I just checked the factory specs of tires on the inside of the driver side door"Front: 225/45 R18 91WRear: 245/45 R18 96W

[C-Kwik]

Is your car the Brembo or non-Brembo?

[cyaa]

hey whats up I think it's realy up to you if you want dealer parts or not I myself had to replace my front rotors and pads when the dealer gave me a quote of $1400 I almost had a heart attact I priced out some after market rotors and pads and ended up going with hawk performance rotors cross drilled and performance pads for far less than what the dealer wanted I am happy with setup there is far less brake dust than the stock Brembo setupand as far as tires go I would never buy tires from any dealership they are way to pricie put it this way I have 255/35 z rated 20" and I did'nt even pay as much that quote you got for 18" you just have to shop around take it easy and good luck cyaa

[sall4real]

C-Kwik, non-Brembo

cyaa, where did you get the hawk performance rotors cross drilled and performance pads from and how much? Where did you get it installed and fork how much? Do you get less squeaking from the hawk? thanks for the info.

P.S. anyone know about my current tire setup and if I could possibly move front tires to back and get new front tires to eliminate road noise?

thanks all

[C-Kwik]

$480 doesn't actually sound so bad with new rotors and pads. Consider the cost of good aftermarket rotors and pads:

http://www.stillen.com/product...ns=AT

http://www.stillen.com/product...ns=AT

BTW, is that just for front brakes or rear brake or both?

As far as brake noise, the factory set-up tends to be noisy. But breaking in a pad properly is crucial as well.

As far as the tires, are you on factory 18" wheels? Running a 275 wide tire on a 8 inch wide wheel is way out of range for the tire.

[jhoke]

If the rotors aren't warped, you may be able to have them turned just enough to clean up. I did this then had Hawk HPS pads installed to get rid of dust problem. When I need to replace rotors it will be with a slotted rotor that is lighter weight. Look at Stoptech products or Stillen.

All performance tires tend to be noisy and get more so with miles. My next ones will be Toyo T1's.Good tire for the money, maybe not the best but good.

Match the tires to wheel size.

[Q45tech]

When I need to replace rotors it will be with a slotted rotor that is lighter weight ??????????????

Rotor temperature is purely a function of mass the lighter the rotor the hotter the surface gets...........if anything one wants a heavier denser rotor to minimize temperature rise.

2 piece rotors are different animal the rotor surface gets much much hotter but the SEPARATE HAT insulates the heat from hub and bearings.

[Logan76]

I thought they drilled/slotted rotor's for a route for heat to escape not to make them lighter.

[jhoke]

Correct. Slotted is to vent the gas. Lighter will be the result of different mass or material used.

[sall4real]

As far as the tires, are you on factory 18" wheels? Running a 275 wide tire on a 8 inch wide wheel is way out of range for the tire.

Yes, I am on factory 18" wheels...what size tires would you recommend? I want to transfer the front tires currently to the back, and get new tires for the front with less road noise. Any suggestions on tires?

Anyone work for Infiniti and know the dealer prices for rotors, brake pads? Is there a site where I can get them for cheap then have the dealer install? I was looked at the stillen website, I definitely dont have $2K+ for those, any other aftermarket options?

[joe603]

Well I'm sure you can move the front tires to the rear, but they will be smaller width-wise...not really a good idea. Your best bet is to buy a set for the rear from tirerack, then take the tires to a shop to have them mounted/balanced.

Web site to get you started....

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/...t=All

For the brakes, I'd go with powerslot rotors, and hawk pads. You can replace the front and rear rotors ($450) with pads ($120) for a little over $570. Do the work yourself to save more (not hard at all!). Here's a site to get you going.

http://www.z1auto.com/prodmore...=1945

[C-Kwik]

http://www.trademotion.com/par...gid=1

One of our sponsors. Parts price is lower than you would probably find at most dealers on a walk-in basis, but it should give you an idea about the cost.

Not sure where you got the $2K+ on Stillen's site, unless you were looking at a big brake AP Racing kit. Search just the rotors and you should see much more reasonable prices.

As far as tires, the fronts you have now are smaller in diameter than the OE rear size. To keep the VDC happy, you must run the correct size ratio from front to rear.

[Rex]

Yes, I am on factory 18" wheels...what size tires would you recommend? I want to transfer the front tires currently to the back, and get new tires for the front with less road noise. Any suggestions on tires?

That should work since the previous owner went "over wide" on the orignal wheels.

... Is there a site where I can get them for cheap then have the dealer install? ...

Keep in mind most mechanics or dealerships will charger a higher labor rate for using your parts as you've removed their parts profit. Not saying it's right, but it's reality.

All in all, given the tires they're planning on using their pricing isn't that out of line. If you can do it yourself you can save some coin.

[Q45tech]

Dealers [and independents] service departments use the some of the profits made on parts sales to keep hourly charges lower than they would be otherwise.

[IlsG35]

it really isnt that hard to replace front rotors and pads. It took me like 20mins to do my coupe and i have the brembos. go with the hawk pads and for the rotors i wouldn't get cross drilled or sloted cuz u cant turn those check min. spec for ur rotors take it to like a tire place and ask for a brakes check the should be able to tell u if ur able to turn ur old rotors or not. which ever way u go with the tires its gonna be expensive mich. pilot sport A/S for the rear i know are like $349 or so for the front they r like $50 cheaper i had this 350Z come in to my shop the other day and the guy dropes $1600 for front and rear tires pilot A/S. with an alignment, oil change and air filter.

[sall4real]

As far as tires, the fronts you have now are smaller in diameter than the OE rear size. To keep the VDC happy, you must run the correct size ratio from front to rear.

Is the diameter the 2nd number? (Current Front: 245/40 ZR18) If so, the previous owner was already running with tires with a smaller diameter

(Stock Rear Specs: 245/45 R18 96W) so will the 45 to 40 cause a problem? (Rex said it's doable)

Does anyone have any input on the Yokohama AVS ES100? Priced at 136 each for Front: 225/45ZR18. My main issue with the current Michelins is the road noise, any members here have any tires they currently use with little road noise?

About the brakes. It seems everyone is recommending Hawk brake pads. Which Hawk brake pads to get depends on which rotors I go with, correct?? Wheres a good website to order Hawk brake pads from?

From the site you mentioned, are these OEM Infinti parts? If so, I would be w/o sport correct since I do not have Brembo brakes?ROTOR, G35, w/o Sport 2003 $78.39ROTOR, G35, w/Sport 2003 $389.16

Oh yeah, I just remembered they said I need my air cabin filter changed, $90 a filter, does anyone know how many I need and where I can get for cheap?

[87ninefiveone]

I ran Yokohama AVS ES100's on my 944 Turbo and liked them. They performed well on the street, had good wet traction and had decent track handling characteristics. They're a bit dicey at the limit and don't give you a lot of warning before they give out...but they're fine for a street tire. Also, great handling and performance for a road tire at that price point. They are a bit noisy though, but all speed rated tires will be.

[sall4real]

Anyone have any thoughts on the Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS?

Anyone install aftermarket brakes on their '03 G35 coupe and get rid of the squeaking noises that are bound to happen on stock brakes?

[C-Kwik]

Is the diameter the 2nd number? (Current Front: 245/40 ZR18) If so, the previous owner was already running with tires with a smaller diameter

(Stock Rear Specs: 245/45 R18 96W) so will the 45 to 40 cause a problem? (Rex said it's doable)

From the site you mentioned, are these OEM Infinti parts? If so, I would be w/o sport correct since I do not have Brembo brakes?ROTOR, G35, w/o Sport 2003 $78.39ROTOR, G35, w/Sport 2003 $389.16

Oh yeah, I just remembered they said I need my air cabin filter changed, $90 a filter, does anyone know how many I need and where I can get for cheap?

The second number is the aspect ratio. It's a percentage of the treadwidth.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/...id=46

Whether or not it will cause a problem is more related to the tire size you run in the front. Cars with VDC require that you run the same or very close tire diameters from front to rear otherwise, the VDC/ABS may detect it as wheelslip and back the throttle automatically or apply the ABS. It will also affect your speedometer and odometer very slightly as well.

I would assume the sport brakes are the Brembos, but I'd call them to make sure you are getting the right part for your car. I believe there is an area you can put your VIN# into the site and it will list parts specifically for your car.

You can find the cabin filter on the same site or also on:

http://www.nissanparts.org/

http://www.infinitipartsusa.com/