Are Brembo brakes actually worth it? Or are you paying for the name?

"JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!" (jqj213)
06/20/2016 at 14:07 • Filed to: None

My C30 doesn’t need brakes yet. They were new when I got the car about a year ago so I wasn’t even thinking about upgrading. But then, K-Pax comes out and does a half price sale on all brake rotors! These rotors are slotted and are actually brembos, just without the name. Being half price means I can get all four corners for under $400. That makes them less than Volvo OEM. But, will I see any difference? Yes, I will upgrade the pads too. Just curious if I’ll feel a difference, especially since the brakes aren’t great now.

DISCUSSION (14)

Party-vi > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/20/2016 at 14:17

You won’t feel a damn thing unless you flush your brake fluid and install some braided stainless steel lines in place of rubber lines. Pedal feel is different from braking performance.

You know what you’ll see? Lots more dust as those slots scrape away layers of pad material

Also, if you can lock up your tires or engage the ABS, then your existing brakes are as good as they can get, and are limited to the grip provided by your tires.

ETA: This came across as dickish, and was not meant to be. I wasted money on shit like this a decade ago on my car, and the only thing fancy brakes improved was how light my wallet became. Spend your money elsewhere for a better driving experience. Besides, without repeated braking events (like at a track or autoX), you’re not getting to use the rotors effectively. They look cool - if that’s worth the money, then go for it.

nucciOMG > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/20/2016 at 14:19

Brembo rotors? No probably not... Brembo 18Z... yes.

OR Brembo brakes off of an S60R? on a C30? Oh yes.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/20/2016 at 14:24

If Centric makes blanks for you car, get those (no slots, no dimples) and call it good. Centric owns Stoptech, so they make the same rotors but you pay less for the same part because it doesn’t have Stoptech written on it.

I used Centric blanks on my SVT Focus for years and never had any issues at all.

Unless you are running tracks days, you do not need bigger calipers than factory.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Party-vi
06/20/2016 at 14:28

They weren’t something I ever considered because they cost a lot. The only reason they came into play now is because they are cheaper than Volvo OEM.

I guess I’d need the “Big brake kit” to actually notice anything else.

They do look cool, but I don’t need brakes yet. I can throw that money towards the tune instead.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Party-vi
06/20/2016 at 14:32

so... objective achieved. Add lightness !!!

I paid extra for some nicer tires (cooler looking treads) and unlocked the same achievement.

Party-vi > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/20/2016 at 14:34

You will get some kickass pedal feedback if you upgrade to braided lines.

Sam > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/20/2016 at 14:35

The only difference you’d likely see would be if you are running it on a track. The biggest difference will be much less fade. On the street they will be exactly the same, and will go through pads faster.

Textured Soy Protein > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/20/2016 at 14:55

If your rotors are fine I would wait until the pads need changing and do it all together.

As for performance, any rotor that’s the same size as stock won’t really affect performance. Your real improvement in stopping power will come from better pads, and higher-temp fluid.

You can improve the pedal feel and consistency by going with braided stainless lines, and some cars you can get upgraded caliper guide bushings.

Rotor coatings will make it so the hats don’t rust, but the coating on the disc will get worn off by the pads.

Slots and holes are really only good for shedding water in the rain, which they help with a little, and looking cool. Slots have less downsides than holes. Drilled holes are bad because they weaken the disc surface. Fancy OEM rotors with holes in them usually have the holes cast in from the factory, not drilled afterwards.

Sometimes you can get 2-piece rotors that have aluminum hats which save weight compared to the stock ones. That doesn’t necessarily improve braking but less unsprung weight can help your suspension work better.

If you can find coated rotors without holes or slots that’ll at least get rid of the rusty hats, and if you want the cosmetic upgrade of some kind of non-standard rotor, stick with slots over holes.

Cash Rewards > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/20/2016 at 14:58

Similar opinion to party VI. On my previous car I had the same exact scenario: brembo was cheaper than OEM. So I got a set of brembo rotors and hawk pads. I did notice the difference, but I autocrossed the car regularly. Around town? No. And was it the much better pads, rather then the rotors? Probably. On the odd emergency scenario, yeah I could get that car to a stop quickly, but like it was mentioned, your tires are as much the limit.

greenagain > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/20/2016 at 15:03

Brembo is a big name today, and offer parts of varying quality and price, built in all sorts of different countries. Cross shop them before you buy

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/20/2016 at 15:07

You can do it if you go into it knowing the brakes are just really good (OEM quality) replacements that you might save a few bucks on. On my Fiesta, since I do track days, I do slotted rotors on the front, steel brake lines and DOT 4 brake fluid all around and.....well, the standard motorcraft pads. They wear a little faster but are much cheaper and fit perfectly every time. They don’t fade much and hold up to the temperature cycling well.

I’d say look into upgrading your brakes with the money you’d save. The steel lines are safer than rubber hoses anyways and give more feedback AND look cooler.

just-a-scratch > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/20/2016 at 15:27

Slotted is good if you’re really heating up the brakes a lot. It will not make much difference in a single hard stop. It might even be worse than a plain rotor in some cases.
by comparison, pad wear will be worse, wet performance might be a bit better, and typically slotted units cost more than plain rotors.

OCD-CO > Party-vi
06/20/2016 at 15:51

QFT!!!!

Alex Zapata > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/21/2016 at 16:53

Brake Fluid and Braided Lines will make more of a difference, do those first.

I can tell you I put Brembo pads (not the same I know but bare with me) on my Z and they are literally not even what they advertised, they say they are Ceramic pads and they are Semi-Metallic, make a fuck ton of noise and are shit when cold, which has given me a couple of scares now that it’s been rain-y over here and over all seem quite shit.

Better (probably more expesive) brakes you can get are Akebono, they are amaaaaze balls; rotors are pretty basic stuff, so you can pretty much get whatever (decent) stuff you can find on sale and they will do the job (unless you try to go carbon, but that’s just a WHOOOOLEEE ‘nother thing) slotted and drilled rotors will really only look cool and wear your pads faster, I’d say normal rotors you can go with Brembo or Ake, Hawk, Stop-Tech (those are great value), what really makes a difference is the caliper you use, Rotors are just hunks of metal.