[giantsnation]

I'm starting to look for new fronts brakes as I'm about to pass the 30K mileage point. Anyone heard of disc italia brakes? I did a google search and found a lot of positive reviews with Chrysler people.

Any suggestions for ceramic pads? I'm not a fan of EBC as I have had bad experiences with them.

As for rotors, I'll probably go with the basic Centric Premium rotor. I wish Brembo made an OEM replacement for the cruze but they don't.

 

[Patman]

Here you go: www.disc-italia.com/CeramicBrakePads.aspx I located the website but at work so no time to research further

 

[giantsnation]

I saw that and all look good to me - just nervous because I have never heard of this brand before and I can't find any other cruzers with these pads.

 

[Smurfenstein]

Just my $0.02, ceramic pads on a car that wont see north of 160mph is a complete waste of your money, and I'm here to explain why.

Ceramic pads have less bite/braking power as non ceramic, which means that you will actually lose braking power compared to a decent quality non ceramic. The main function of ceramic pads is that they manage heat MUCH better than non-ceramic, which is why you see them on all the crazy top of the line sports cars, because when you're braking from high speeds you need brakes that wont fade.

Now, as for what pads you should buy, I HIGHLY recommend Hawk HP or HP Plus pads if you really use your brakes.

 

[jblackburn]

Just my $0.02, ceramic pads on a car that wont see north of 160mph is a complete waste of your money, and I'm here to explain why.

Ceramic pads have less bite/braking power as non ceramic, which means that you will actually lose braking power compared to a decent quality non ceramic. The main function of ceramic pads is that they manage heat MUCH better than non-ceramic, which is why you see them on all the crazy top of the line sports cars, because when you're braking from high speeds you need brakes that wont fade.

Now, as for what pads you should buy, I HIGHLY recommend Hawk HP or HP Plus pads if you really use your brakes.

The standard pads that come on the car are ceramic (Akebono).

Generally people like ceramic because they're low-dust, don't fade too much, and don't make noise. At the same time, they don't grip as strongly as semi metallic.

Hawks are very grippy but they're messy, noisy, and have a crap lifespan.


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[Daryl]

I don't mean to thread jack, but would the ceramic pads help from warping the rotors or build up on the rotors? I have Hawk HPS pads on my Wife's Cruze, and they weren't any better than the stock ones. Her brakes are shaking again. She drives over two mountains every day that require ALOT of braking because there long slopes, and her car doesn't hold itself back at all.

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[jblackburn]

I don't mean to thread jack, but would the ceramic pads help from warping the rotors or build up on the rotors? I have Hawk HPS pads on my Wife's Cruze, and they weren't any better than the stock ones. Her brakes are shaking again. She drives over two mountains every day that require ALOT of braking because there long slopes, and her car doesn't hold itself back at all.

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Yes, but you should look into larger rotors to help dissipate the heat off a larger surface area. Also look into a different brand of rotors than stock AC Delco ones - they're junk.



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[Zach.K]

Warped rotors are a myth. Plain and simple.
It's just pads that where not properly bedded.

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[jblackburn]

Warped rotors are a myth. Plain and simple.
It's just pads that where not properly bedded.

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Not improperly bedded, but have baked onto the surface of the rotor from stopping hard and leaving the pads in contact with the surface of the rotor.

Warped rotors CAN happen, but it's usually from hitting a puddle with very hot brakes.


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[Daryl]

The rotors I went with were EBC with the Hawk pads. They were properly bedded. I followed Hawk's instructions to the letter. Does anyone make a kit for bigger rotors?

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[dsmskyline]

ZZP makes a bolt on 12" brake kit. Utilizes 12" rotors and 2 piston calipers.

replacement rotors would need to be redrilled for the cruze bolt pattern or purchased from ZZP.

 

[Daryl]

ZZP makes a bolt on 12" brake kit. Utilizes 12" rotors and 2 piston calipers.

replacement rotors would need to be redrilled for the cruze bolt pattern or purchased from ZZP.

Thanks for the info, I will be looking into this.

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[Wyre]

Personally I have been using Centric brake parts for ages. I highly recommend the Cryo treated steel rotors and the Centric Posi-Quiet ceramic pads.

 

[iTz SADISTIK]

Since we're on the topic, I don't want to highjack, but it falls in line with what you're asking. EBC Brakes USR Series USR1747 - Disc Brake Rotor | O'Reilly Auto Parts These are the ones I've been considering. Couple questions. First, are slotted or cross drilled better and why. Second, do these rotors stay black through their lifespan, seems silly but I like the look of the black rotors. Finally, ceramic or non ceramic with slotted/cross drilled rotors?

 

[giantsnation]

Finally had a chance to come back to this thread - stay away from slotted and/or cross drilled. They're terrible for daily drivers.

As for ceramic pads versus others, I have done a lot of testing (not on the cruze though) with versus types of materials and I really like ceramic. Yes, they don't have the best initial bite but once warmed up, they grip nicely and the fade is minimal through the life of the pad. Additionally, they're low dust.

 

[Ger8mm]

cross drilled. They're terrible for daily drivers.

not all the time, they were perfect for my truck hahaha

 

[giantsnation]

Yes all the time. Unless you have a track truck.

 

[Zach.K]

Yes all the time. Unless you have a track truck.

Nope

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[Daryl]

What's wrong with slotted/dimpled? I've had them on my pickup, and never had a problem with them getting hot, shaking, and fading on the mountains like I have with just plain rotors.

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[Smurfenstein]

What's wrong with slotted/dimpled? I've had them on my pickup, and never had a problem with them getting hot, shaking, and fading on the mountains like I have with just plain rotors.

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There is nothing wrong with slotted/dimpled rotors, aside from lower pad life. In terms of braking power they work wonders by improving initial bite, however it comes as a cost of pad life as with more bite, comes more wear. This is why most people will steer (lol) away from slotted/dimpled as it means replacing pads more often for a slight increase in breaking bite/performance.

@Germ: They are terrible for daily drivers, and here's why (instead of simply noting anecdotal evidence);

Drilled rotors are, exactly as they're written, drilled rotors. This means that after the rotor is made and cured, they drill into it countless times. Now this creates a neat effect where air is allowed to freely move in/around the rotor face, allowing the brakes to cool faster and take longer to build up heat. However by drilling into a metal object, you weaken the overall integrity of the object, thus making the rotor prone to cracking, which has been known to happen before the rotor face is worn away through braking.

Now, as for your truck, I have no doubt that they were wonderful, amazing brakes, because cool brakes on a daily vehicle will never see overheat gitter or brake fade. Its like having a 500whp car and only using 200 of that power. It will do its job, and it will do it very well, however you are still risking rotor cracking, and with holes in the surface, the rotor then becomes the equivalent of a slotted/dimpled rotor in terms of pad wear.