370gt Brake Pads

[snowysea]

Hi guys,

Just had brake pads changed and disks machined on my 2007 370GT coupe, and soon I am starting to have the annoying squeal noise at low speed to full stop and reversing particularly. Do you all have the squeal noise? What brake pads would you recommend for good performance and quietness?

Any advice is much appreciated.

Cheers

Leon

[The Max]

I use DBA 4000 series slotted discs and EBC red stuff brake pads. Excellent performance for the wild driver (me) and no squeal.

[snowysea]

I use DBA 4000 series slotted discs and EBC red stuff brake pads. Excellent performance for the wild driver (me) and no squeal.

eBay? Thanks Max

[The Max]

Nope. Brake Master in Campsie.

[snowysea]

Nope. Brake Master in Campsie.

How much did you pay? I work in airport and might drop by..

[Lakes101]

A1rm's for performance and bendix or oem for quietness

[colin.ssc]

I use DBA 4000 series slotted discs and EBC red stuff brake pads. Excellent performance for the wild driver (me) and no squeal.

Is red stuff very dusty?

[The Max]

Can't remember now. It was a while ago. Give them a call on 9790 1229.

[The Max]

Colin, very low. Much lower than the Green stuff and lasts much longer under my heavy foot.

[colin.ssc]

Okay. I'll get red stuff once my current ones run out. Oem too much dust. Meh

[The Max]

They're an awesome pad and along with those discs, it's the ideal combo. I've been using these discs on all vehicles, the old Maxima back in the day, the crappy Ford BA wagon and this guy.

[snowysea]

Sorry about the stupid question, how do you know the dust? Can you see it from the disk? Mine is brand new Akebono pads ( not bad reviews), not sure if it is the dust that causes the squeal noise. Normally in the morning it is the worst when reversing, as it goes and warm up, still has the noise but gets better.

[colin.ssc]

Some pads make squealing noises. Usually those pads are high performance and have a usable range which is higher and that's why in the morning you hear it the most. You should get pads which are usable from low heat range to high where possible. All depends how you drive as well. I drive like an asshole so my brakes are usually always pretty hot.

[The Max]

Yep, what Colin said. As for how do you know the dust, I'm guessing you mean how do you know how much dust the pads are producing. It's pretty simple really. Just look at how dirty your rims get a few weeks after cleaning them. If there's not much dust, then they don't produce much dust.

[snowysea]

I use DBA 4000 series slotted discs and EBC red stuff brake pads. Excellent performance for the wild driver (me) and no squeal.

Max, I have decided to go EBC red stuff! After two months it is still making the noise when cold, time to change. I don't want to change the full set yet as only the rear are having the noise. My front Akebono pads are only two months old. Is it ok to just replace the rear with EBC red stuff?

Thanks for your input.

[The Max]

If it's only when cold, chances are you might still cop it with the EBC brakes too. I bought them for their stopping power and minimal dust under abuse. So far, I've been fortunate to go squeal-free but on a cold morning just rolling out of the garage, they do give a little vibration until they've warmed up after a couple stops.

If you still decide to go ahead with them, no harm in just replacing one end for the moment. It'll feel better than what you already have but once you do the fronts, where most of the braking power is, you'll want to stop more than you speed.

...not really.

[snowysea]

Oh no.. was having all my hope on this.. Guess it is common for the performance pads. My Akebono pads are the same and it still stop after few hard foot. I will do more research then. Are your slotted disks better than the original for heat? I also remember you have said your Megan racing muffler sounds amazing in another thread. It is on my list as well. I am following you.. haha.. Thanks for your help Max!!

[The Max]

Oh no.. was having all my hope on this.. Guess it is common for the performance pads. My Akebono pads are the same and it still stop after few hard foot. I will do more research then. Are your slotted disks better than the original for heat? I also remember you have said your Megan racing muffler sounds amazing in another thread. It is on my list as well. I am following you.. haha.. Thanks for your help Max!!

It isn't a definite thing with performance pads but it is certainly possible. Like I said, I've gone squeal-free with mine, even when cold, but others have had the slight cold squeal. Unless it's happening every time to apply the brakes across the entire temperature range, it's hardly annoying enough to be an issue for me. As another example, I use Bendix Ultimate pad on my shitbox Ford wagon with DBA4000 series discs. I get zero squeal out of them. However, a friend did the same to his XR6 ute and he gets a squeal at low speed. He breaks balls about it because mine doesn't do it but he doesn't seem to understand that it's just luck of the draw.

Slotted discs are beneficial for removing dust that normally gets trapped between the pad and the disc, giving your pads better bite. I don't know if they do anything for temperature so much because on my roughest days, I've managed to warp a set of DBA4000 slotted after around 12,000km on my Maxima back in the day.

If you want to keep the temperature down, you use cross-drilled discs. HOWEVER, don't waste your money on cross-drilled. You're not driving a race car, smashing your brakes in from > 200km/h at bends every 200m. The holes inevitably develop fractures which is a sign to throw them out not long after. Slotted is the most you ever need to go in my opinion, even if you drive like a bastard like I do at times. It used to be all the time, which is why I managed to warp those discs so soon, but traffic these days is bad enough in Sydney such that there's nowhere to speed your bum off anyway.

As for the muffler, beauty is in the ear of the beholder. I like cars that sound tough but I can't drive them all day with that horrible drone in the cabin. The Megan Racing muffler gives the vehicle a nice note without being obnoxious. Others here have other preferences which you should check out too.

[snowysea]

You are the legend Max.. I would never expect someone from the forum share such detailed knowledge and experience to help others.. salute!

I have paid a rear set of the EBC red stuff from eBay and will keep you updated how I go. Thanks again!

[The Max]

Relax dude. We all share our experiences here. No difference. I'm not always this verbose, typically when someone doesn't bother searching through existing threads, much to their offence. Screw 'em.

Edited October 13, 2015 by The Max