A&Q about 350Z
Q:
Hi everyone,
Three days ago, I had "green stuff" brake pads (I think the manufacturer's name is EGP or something like that) installed on my front wheels.
When I took the car to the brake guys, they asked me if I would like to have my rotors "machined". They showed me someone's wheels who had hotspots on the brake rotors and that the rotors needed to be smoothed over ("machined") for an improvement in braking performance. He asked me if I would like to have mine machined, and I said no since the car only has 29k miles on it and since I don't have hotspots on my rotors.
Now that I've had the pads on for a few days, they are squealing like crazy. It's supposed to take 300 miles for the pads to get seated, right? Is squealing part of this "seating" process? Is it normal for them to scream so much at first?
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guns and guitars, bikinis and fast cars - slide behind the wheel and GO!!
A:
I've heard that with performance pads or other aftermarket brake setups comes squealing, but supposedly some can be cured temporarily with the help of this gooey stuff from Auto Zone, etc. formulated to prevent brake squeal. I'd call and ask them about it.
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Pete1978z: "It's not that I think stupidity should be punishable by death, I just think we should take the warning labels off of everything and let the problem take care of itself."
A:
Mine has never squeeld, put them on myself at about 3000 miles
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04.5 DB Performance
Typhoon Intake
Injen SES Straight Tip Exhaust
Blue Z-Xtreme Grounding Kit
Kenwood MP3 Player
EBC V4 Greenstuff Pads
Clear Lens
Carbon Fiber Piller Covers
20% Tint
5 Coats of Zaino
......
'01 Yamaha R6
A:
Very easy, I changed the fronts myself in about an hour. All you need is a 14mm socket and a C-clamp to compress the caliper. Good luck.
2004 Pike Peak Touring AT
A:
It would have been a good idea to have the rotors turned when installing new pads.
-Josh
www.350z-tech.com
Post Edited (Aug 9, 4:33pm)
A:
I have had my EBC Greenstuff pads on for about 5K miles now and love them. I installed them myself. My pads came with specific instructions on how to brake them in.
I think I threw out the instructions but they are something like this:
Go for a short drive of about 5 miles normal easy braking.
Then due 4-5 firm but not hard stops from 35mph.
Drive for about 5 miles allowing brakes to cool.
Then do two firm stops from 50-60mph.
After that they say drive normally trying not to slam on your brakes for 500miles. They even give you a tag to put on your rearview mirror to remind you to take it easy.
There is a break-in coating on the pads to help with the break-in. The pad will actually dust a little during break-in (still a lot less than the originals).
In my case it could have been old built up dust somewhere. Even though I washed out the inside of all the rims and sprayed brake cleaner everywhere. Cleanliness is key on brakes believe it or not.
I made sure I used the shims off of the old pads as the instructions stated and greased up the slides exactly as they recommended.
I would probably would have turned my rotors if they were at 30K to get any glazing off of the rotor. But, since I had only 7K on my rotors I didn't feel the need to.
It is said that if you do not turn your rotors the pads will wear faster due to the grooves that are in the rotor. However, I believe that is only in extreme cases. IMHO.
So, I would take it back the shop that did the work and have them check for the shims and regrease the slides. And hope they haven't thrown away the shims. If not, they are cheap enough. You'll just need to get some at the local parts store.
I LOVE MY EBC's !!!! They are one of the best upgrades I have done so far!
"Racing is life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting"
Quote - Steve McQueen
'04 350Z Silverstone 6spd
Previous owner of 240, 280, and 300 Z's
A:
Lube the spring clips that hold the pads with some good copper lube and then seat the pads as described above. I did that with Hawk HPS pads without turning the rotors at 12,000 miles and they have ALWAYS been as quiet as can be, even after sitting after rain.