Dear Forum,
1. I am trying to do an OE equal or upgrade brake job with rotors and pads. This is because my son told me "They saw you coming" and laughed himself sick when he heard I was charged $4,000 for the brake job. A local high end shop bid $3,000 for the Brembo parts installed. Evan (my son the BMW M3 freak) told me I should be able to do it for $1,000 including his $200 fee for doing it for me.Yes, he is an entrepreneur, and yes, I believe in paying for services rendered, and no, I cannot bring myself to try it.


I thoroughly read the threads on the brakes and have decided like Avos from Belgium to do the Centric Stop Tech rotors, PN 128.20020 and 128.200121.


1. They are offered on the Centric web site in 5 different types- the standard, high carbon-preferred, and cross-drilled OE and same in type SL and SR. Without seeing prices, I'd say the or equal would be the Original Equipment cross drilled, but it could be the SR or SL type. Can anyone help me on this one?
2. Do I need a special tool to reinsert the piston on the caliper when the brake fluid is bled off?
3. Some on the thread have said they get 60,000 miles on the rotors and that one can resurface the cross-drilled type; others say you have to change the Brembo type rotors every time you do pads. I've heard if you try to resurface for flatness the cross-drilled rotors that they "chuck up" at the hole boundaries due to the bit catching in them, and that is why one cannot change them every other time. Others say this is not true- do rotors every other time. Which is it?
4. Does the type of pad have anything to do with the longevity? EBS reds and yellows sound intriguing. Was the original equipment ceramic, or carbon/fiber? Which is better for the occasional street racer type like me?

 

Dimpled/slotted/drilled rotors all can be resurfaced, as long as they have adequate material remaining. There is a minimum thickness stamped or cast into the rotor. There is no 'chuck up', etc. when resurfacing. That would be from the voice of the inexperienced or someone trying to get into your pocket.

Brembo makes quality products and they can be resurfaced as long as they surpass the minimum thickness requirement. Personally I don't understand the ridiculous cost of rotors. They're just cast items, not forged, not some crazy alloy. Not worth much more than their weight in pig iron. That's not to say there aren't vast differences in quality but a good rotor has no reason to cost more than $20 - $30. The rest of the money is just middle men profits. Ten years ago a set of four Brembo rotors could be bought for $125 - $160.


Keep in mind that dimples, slots and holes reduce the swept area of the rotor. In my book what you gain in one area is a loss in another. I've built and raced many cars and I never saw any real advantage, maybe a smidge in wet conditions. But what street racer pushes it in the rain?

The harder the pad, the harder they are to live with on a daily basis. Poor cold performance, dusting, noise, etc. Also harder friction materials wear out drums and rotors faster. I'm guessing the original pads were either semi-metallic or organic. Very few OEs go beyond that - price being one consideration, the other being harder pads are harder to live with/warranty.


No special tool needed to push the pistons back in, however with multiple piston calipers you need to be mindful that as you push one in the other will try to pop out. Using a pair of c-clamps is a novice's best bet.

 

I have EBS yellows on my xk8 - and they do JUST fine in the South Carolina twisties. A bit of dust after a run from SC to NC & back thru GA, but that's why they invented "broke" nieces and nephews that need gas money - by washing my car ...

 

I recently ordered new pads and disks from Genuine & OEM European Car Parts | BMW Volvo Audi VW Mercedes Saab and they were fantastic to deal with, and their pricing was good too.

I originally had EBC Reds, but decided to go with Akebono ceramic pads to reduce dust.
They work fine for everyday driving, but I didn't have much trouble getting brake fade when pushing them hard. I guess it comes down to how you use your car...

I am now looking at upgrading to Brembos. I have the calipers, but need to source disks, pads, bolts and lines. I have no idea what pads I will go with next time. The EBCs were VERY dusty, but there is nothing worse than putting your foot on the brake pedal and finding the floor!

 

Thank You for your wonderful reply.-Arlie Green

 

I settled on Centric rotors and got them all for 377 USD and per the spec drawings 12820010 and 12820040, and they are not only cross drilled but also had the other parts black coated. Those came from the Centric company via autoparts.com. I chose EBC redstuff pads, using the 31110C's marked 'Corvette Brembo pkg.' for the fronts and the 311140C's for the rears marked 'Jaguar XKR rears for Brembo' for 233 USD for all, from EBC's Las Vegas central warehouse after being assured by the tech they were the right ones. As a result, I got my new brake job for $810 including labor and $50 more for a tip. I threw on a new set of hp low profile Hankooks for $847 and am changing my front upper and lower bushings at the same time ($150) from autoparts.com. Thus I was able to get new brakes and new tires for less than the Jag dealer charged me for the rear brakes only with no tires on my last brake job. Thanks again to the forum for giving me the confidence. The car drives like a dream again.
If I had to pick between my girlfriend or my Jag I really would need to puzzle that one out. Not an easy choice, that.

 

After being married to my bride for 58 years (58 years??) I can tell you, if your having a hard time deciding on the car or the girlfriend, it will be a lot cheaper in the long run to keep the car.

Anyway, I've enjoyed the brake issue. Now I know what I'll replace mine with.

If my car would stop any quicker when I have to get down on it, I wouldn't be able to stay in the car. Jaguar did a fantastic job putting the brakes on the XK8 and the XJ8L. Couldn't ask for better.

Chuck
05/XK8 & Xj8L