Hey guys!


The time has come to replace my brakes on my '99 XJR and figured I might as well do my rotors while I'm at it. I would like to get some drilled rotors but want to get some recommendations before purchasing. I also would like to keep it fairly cheap as I am a college student on a tight budget. Thanks in advance!

 

I just did mine and went with CENTRIC High Carbon Alloy from RockAuto.
I couldn't see spending double the price on drilled, and some say they can be problematic.(crack/warp)
Another nice thing is the come with Black E-Coating. So I didn't have to spend the time painting.
I did upgrade to the AKEBONO ceramic pads.
Just my $.02.

 

I asked the same question about my '98 XJ8 VDP, here:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...stions-151360/

I received a response from Vector that helped. Thought I'd pass it along.

firstchoice

 

Measure the rotors to see if they actually need replacing. Drilled/slotted rotors don't improve performance, it's purely for bling.

Put the extra money in your beer fund.

 

Thanks for the replies guys! Yeah I know the drilled rotors are basically just for show, or at least in the sense for how I'm driving, but since the rotors are quite visible with my penta rims was considering sacrificing some of my beer money on em. Any other website suggestions aside from RockAuto I should look into?

 

There are some good package deals on ebay.

 

Yeah I saw some but also don't want to buy some cheap crap. Found these, reviews seem to be good as well. Anybody try these out?


Brake Rotors Front Rear Kit Powersport Drilled Slotted Ceramic Pads BZ02221 | eBay

 

I installed drilled and slotted rotors front and rear on a 2009 Ford Explorer. They are a noticeable improvement in brake performance over stock, however they are quite noisy. I don’t think I would do it again. I was considering them for my XJS and XJ8 but have reconsidered, the noise is not worth the extra performance. Besides the brakes on the Jags are far superior to begin with. I have EBC red stuff on the XJS and EBC Green stuff on the XJ8.

 

Most likely the improvement came from different pads, not the rotors.

 

Correct, I'm sure the pads were more of the noticeable difference.


Did you notice the noise while braking or were your pads rubbing? Maybe your size was incorrect? Also, were they like the ones on ebay I provided the link for?


Certainly would like to avoid that situation as well though.

 

The noise referred to is quite common and not restricted to one supplier or type of car.

I'd spend the money on beer and drink it till the urge to buy bling rotors wears off.

 

haha I like the way you think!

 

http://www.tirerack.com/content/tire.../homepage.html

they have quality parts at good prices

 

The noise is constant and progressively louder with speed, though not by much. The brakes do run cooler with no fade in highway traffic. These rotors are zinc plated and show no rust except the light surface rust on the contact area if the vehicle is not used for several days. I have heard from others that it is the slots that create most all of the noise. Don’t know for sure, I have not had drilled only rotors.

 

I normally get two pads out of the front OE rotors -- so over 50k. The rears -- I can't remember the last time I replaced a set of rotors. I just replaced my 01's original rear pads at 70k -- They were getting so old I felt new pads and a service would be a good idea.

IMO -- slotted and or drilled rotors are silly ... if my 911t came with solid why does a 15 year old sedan need them?

I think the last rotor set was $275 wholesale --- the pads less then $100. I don't think thats a bad price for balanced rotors

 

Thanks for your insight guys!


Yeah, I agree with you guys completely but the fact that my penta rims make the rotor's quite visible is really the only reason I was considering it. Will most likely go with solid unless I can find some just drilled at the right price.

 

There's something seriously wrong if your brakes were overheating and fading on the highway.

Slotted/drilled makes NO difference whatsoever in normal or even spirited street driving. The rotors/pads need to be pushed to the point where they create a thin layer of gas that lessen the contact area between the two. If you're driving hard enough to induce this, get off the street and find a race track.

 

I put a set of Beck/Arnely TrueFriction pads and rotors on my VDP and I really like them, really great bite, not overly expensive. A little on the dirty side (nowhere near as bad as factory pads though) but not as clean as factory pads. Ceramics are nice, but honestly I think the semi-metallic are the best combo of affordability and performance.

 

There's something seriously wrong if your brakes were overheating and fading on the highway.



Yes, there was a problem is why I changed them. 42,000 miles and front rotors would shimmy when heated up after repeated slowdowns in fast moving highway traffic. The Explorer was left to my wife by her step-father, he purchased it new. As long as it started and got him somewhere it didn't need a fixxin.. The first time it was washed was when I drove it the day I took him to the hospital for surgery which he didn't survive.

 

The shimmying was caused by pad material (binder) adhering to the rotor surfaces. Nothing to do with rotor overheating/fading, but by poor quality pads.

I've towed a 4,000 pound trailer behind my family's 2008 Explorer. No brake fade or shimmying whatsoever. Ford OEM rotors and pads.