9G Redline

I've searched forever and still want to hear opinions so please no flaming.

Aight, so I'm going to have to replace my pads and rotors here in the next 5-10k and I'm looking at some options. I don't get to track my 8 yet, but if the opportunity arrises I want to know my baby's up to the test. I'm currently on stock setup (shocking I know) but I was thinking of getting the Brembo slotted rotors at least for the front and possibly the back if I have anough $ left over. The pads of choice would be the MS set. I'm not necessarily looking to better the performance of my brakes bc the stock strength is great. I do a few quick 90mph slowdowns every now and then so I just want to make sure the extra stopping power is there in the event I need it.

My question(s) is/are:

What do you think of the Brembo/MS combo? Good, bad, indifferent (why?)
If I get the MS pads and just get OEM rotors, will the pads eat the rotors faster than normal and if so, by how much (estimates welcome).
What about just doing the rotors and pads in front and leaving the stock setup on the back?

I want the slotted rotors for looks as well. I have found the rotors for $89/rotor or $350 for all 4. The pads I can get for $136 front, $136 rear.

Thanks!!!

RX8SpdDmn

Ok, so I'm assuming you've found the best deal on rotors on the net at www.rx7store.net! I got the same rotors and HAVE had them on the track, and they did great! I used Hawk HP+ pads. These pads are great, for the price, imo, but they're very loud for street use. I think the MS pads are WAAAY overpriced. For a street pad, I've been VERY satisfied with the PBR/Axxis MetalMaster pads that I've had in my Z3. They last phonominally long, low dust, and good performance. Definitely a huge boost over stock on all accounts. I would buy them again for a street pad, over the stock pads or Hawk HPS.

BlueRenesis82

actually, rotaryextreme.com has the best price on the Hawk HP+, cheaper than 7store.net

$60 vs $69

RX8SpdDmn

"Ok, so I'm assuming you've found the best deal on rotors on the net at www.rx7store.net!"

Yeah, I know I paid a bit much for pads. Rotors were cheap, though and so I got eveything togther from Jason at the RX7store.net. I'm sure he'll match the price on the pads, too, if you call him.

Spin9k

Some thoughts for you 9G Redline.... IMHO buying replacement rotors should be at least Mazda OEM or better quality 3rd party ones....not cheap knock offs for the lowest possible price - you'll likely end up paying later with problems or early replacement again.

Study a bit at www.stoptech.com or www.racingbrake.com to understand rotor quality beyond the aesthetic specs like slots and holes, then ask questions and find out why some rotors are very cheap, it's not just markup, but quality, longevity and ultimately performance differences that matter.

Good luck, be safe.

dannobre

iTrader: (3)

The Racing Brake rotors are great. I bought the 2 pc..a bit pricy but reasonable.....and the quality is great. You also get great customer service as well.

Another RX-8 brother bought the 1Pc replacement rotors and the quality for the price is a great value

Spin9k

Guess I missed some of your other questions that I have some experience with, so here goes...

You'll have quite a long time, months if not years, unless you are already a track expert, before you'll NOT find adequate reserve in the OEM brakes (shocking perhaps!!) even on most tracks. Not to say upgrades won't help, but...

90 mph foot in slowdowns.. cake, 120 mph foot in, not bad at all. RX-8 brakes were benchmarked at RX-7 race quality brake levels during the design stage. For consistantcy at higher levels, use better pads designed for higher performance, it's that simple, there's plenty of metal to absorb the heat there.

Rears do maybe 20-30% of the braking, tops. Most leave the rears alone, or just change pads, but hey with money, go for it as well!

9G Redline

I believe I've already read those articles, but I will go back and check later today. I remember reading the differences in slotted vs. drilled vs. the combo of the two. Slotted helps keep the pads clean as well as venting any extra heat (am I wrong?) The drilled were for the pads that created gas build up and needed a route of escape from between the pad and surface of the rotor.

My question back is are you saying that the Brembo rotors offered on rx7store aren't the "real deal" or are you just stating words of caution?

It's nice to know that the brakes for our car are so great.

One of the reasons for wanting to go with the MS is for the peace of mind (I'm 22 and still in school) and since I got my dual exhaust I hold a little pride in the company due to my satisfaction with the product.

The other question I didn't get answered was, let's just say I get the MS pads and stock rotors, would those pads wear at the OEM rotors faster and if so by about how much?

I'm really hoping to buy a new toy for my car, even if it does wear down. Even with this in mind I want the best bang for my buck all around. I'm wanting quiet pads because what little noise I get is annoying.

Thanks everyone for replying. Please keep it coming.

Red Devil

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the rotors from RX7store were not Brembo's but turned out to be a generic brand?

dannobre

iTrader: (3)

You get what you pay for in almost everything in life......rotors are no exception

Spin9k

9G Redline... the reason I didn't answer more is I don't really know more lol... others will have to chime in 'bout those products. Ok may this "slotted vs. drilled vs. the combo of the two" as far as you are concerned, your have the supposed benefits correct, but!!!! .... these aesthetically pretty modifications to a 'plain' rotor are pretty much useless in practice...but they do make lots of money for aftermarket companies.

Quoting from the RB site, SCCA Club Racing rotors are simple plain one-piece rotors and are described as follows, remember it's the quality of materials and manufacturing more than the fancy pretty stuff that matters most...

"These rotors are approved by SCCA for club racings. Rotors are made of alloyed compacted graphite iron (CGI) and heat treated with tight machining tolerance in run out, parallelism, and thickness variation and have fine cross cut grinding disc surface. These rotors are extraordinary durable and can deliver much higher torque under extreme heat, we guaranteed them to outperform any competition's one-piece rotors. If you need that extra confidence to win the races these rotors are a must have."

Go for the meat not the sizzle!

BlueRenesis82

nobody has really answered the question if those rotors are brembos or generic in this thread

9G Redline

So Spin, where do I get these rotors from? Racing Beat or elsewhere? I'd like someone to answer BlueRenesis's question as well, please. I thought the price for the rotors of such "high calibur" were a little cheap. Keep it comin' guys.

9G

BlueRenesis82

don't get me wrong, they are still priced very well, esp. if they are just slotted OEM ones, but I would like to know before spending the money on em.

Spin9k

RB = RacingBrake lol, so http://www.racingbrake.com/MAZDA_RX8_s/235.htm (sport rotors for 6sp) are the basic replacement rotors.

9G Redline

Checked out the rotors and they look pretty sweet. By extra tooling what do they mean. I'm a noob to this so any and all help is appreciated. Maybe Nashirak or OldRagger can help me out some if no one else can. What type of paint should I use on the hub to protect it.

Thanks again!

RX8SpdDmn

Come on, Spin. Don't you know me at least a little bit by now? I didn't JUST get the cheapest rotors that I could find. I researched for a while and my decision came down to OEM replacements or the BREMBO slotted rotors from the RX7store.net.

The description you gave of the SCCA Club racing rotors could just as well be listed under the description of an AutoZone rotor! I'm not saying that they're no better than any other rotor, but that description sounds like sizzle for those who are turned on by techno-babble, rather than those turned on by blingy holes in the rotors.

Now, I think that Brembo is a trustworthy source in the world of brakes. They've been around a hell of a lot longer than StopTech and RacingBrake (not to discredit the quality of those guys). I WOULD NOT get cross-drilled rotors for track use. Slotted, though, I considered. The slots in these rotors DO NOT go to the edge and are beveled at the inner and outer edges to reduce stress risers (which concentrate at hard edges or corners). I did not fear these rotors and I think that RX7store.net was a trustworthy source, as I have simply not heard otherwise.

I ran these rotors at Mid-Ohio on R-compound Dunlop SP SS Race 255/35/18s with Hawk HP+ pads all around and Ate Super Blue (you probably know this already, Spin). I use my brakes hard and usually toast a full set of pads in a weekend. I have 50%+ pad left and the rotors look PERFECT.

If it is worth anything, I am COMPLETELY SATISFIED with the quality of these rotors and their performance on the street and track.

fyi, my friend completely ruined a set of brand new powerslot rotors in 3 sessions in his WRX, the same weekend at Mid-Ohio. He was running Carbotech XP8s. I was outbraking him when we were out together (he went off track trying to stop as late as me when he was chasing me )
Pics are here... his brakes are the ones called VicBrake#.jpg
http://www.scottbarton.net/anthony/Mid-Ohio/Pics/

BlueRenesis82

wow he totally did destroy those rotors!

9G Redline

Damn, that's some serious destruction. So which rotors are you guys running again?

gh0st

i have project mu B spec (i think thats what they are called) pads for the street and HC+ for the track. the stock rotor and pistons do not need to be changed. hell, the stock pads are pretty freaking impressive too. they are not that far behind the Bspecs in terms of bite either. if you plan on tracking your car hard, the stock pads do fade on high speed courses.

if you really want to better your stopping distance, get better tires and pads. maybe some steal hosed brake lines and synthetic fluids for better feel.

RX8SpdDmn

The destroyed rotors were Power Slots with Carbotech XP8s on a 300+ hp WRX on street tires. I noticed that the slots on those rotors went all the way to the edge. I don't think the slots had any effect in this case.

Go re-read what I was using. I had NO problems and was on R-compound tires (read: I was braking harder cause I had more grip)

9G Redline

Who makes them, how much, are they quiet, how much dust? Which brake lines and fluids did you choose?

Thanks once more! You guys rock. Keep the info coming please...I still have some time before I have to buy.

Spin9k

Hey RX8SpdDmn your setup sounds good to me. I know nothing of rx7xtores rotors... so how can I have any opinion? I never questioned your purchase???

Me for 2 yrs I've run (the same) OEM stock pads and rotors w/ATE SB fluid. Before the fluid change, I did toast the DOT 3 stuff, but since then no problems. Works great, no fade and I can outbrake most anything I've come across...elsewise others are chicken coming into corners . I've never bothered to figure it out exactly, but I almost always can recover significant lap time in the breaking zones using the 8's brakes. I guess I'd say our brakes are confidence inspiring.

And, just for fun and the 4.5lb weight savings per rotor, I'm switching to RB 2-piece straight slot and Hawk HP+ pads soon. Like you the slots don't run to the edge and are beveled.

It's all good.

Personally, I think WRX brakes are weak, they seem to have lots of problems. Your friends were certainly toast. I would not drive a car on the track that was that weak, but many do ?? scary to say the least!

dannobre

iTrader: (3)

^^ you'll like the RB rotors...the HP+ pads are really loud on the street...but I do enough track days I just put up with them

Subbys seem to be really hard on brake rotors?? My buddy goes through rotors twice as fast as me....using the same pads. The 8 stops better and corners too...otherwise he'd be really far ahead of me...

RX8SpdDmn

Sorry, Spin. I thought the following was aimed at me...

It's all good. BTW, how much are those RB 2-piece rotors?
I have some reservations about 2-piece rotors. Just concerns to consider... With less material to act as a heat sink, they can't hold as much heat in them. The plus side to this is that they don't conduct as much heat into your hubs (preserving wheel bearings and such) and they dissipate heat more quickly. My real concern is with a greater chance of warping. I don't have any hard evidence, but what I've heard of peoples' experiences with the Euro Floating Rotors on the E36 M3s was that they perform well, but are more succeptible to warping. I could see this as being a possibility.
If these are a bolt-together 2-piece, can you buy just the rotor disk replacement? How much are the replacements? (I guess I should really go look at their website sometime....)