[TXRLU]

Well I started getting that annoying brake sensor sound going telling me that it might be time for new brake-pads (I'm assuming they're pads/shoes but I'm sure if they aren't I'll be corrected here ). Anyone have to get new shoes yet? What kind of sticker shock am I expecting? I think I'm going to get some higher performance brake shoes instead of the stock ones. I'm thinking I'll probably pay atleast $200 if I install them myself. Any recommendations?

 

[alredline04]

$200 sounds expensive, but I havent looked into prices yet. I am going so have to change mine shortly also. Does 9,000 miles seem a little early to have to change brakes? Its the inside pads on the front that are worn bad. Ihad the same problems with my dakota. The inside front would wear down to nothing with the outsides nearly half worn. Are my brakesout of balance? Or am I just a really hard braker.

 

[alredline04]

One other question.
Does anybody know where drilled and slotted rotors are available for our cars? Saturn motorsportshas some for the L- series. Wouldnt those fit our cars?

 

[Kirtsky]

$200 sounds expensive.

I just want to change mine, because the stock pads create dust from hell.

As far as slotted rotors. The stock brakes are awesome. The gain might be from a lighter rotor though.

 

[JPK]

One other question.
Does anybody know where drilled and slotted rotors are available for our cars? Saturn motorsportshas some for the L- series. Wouldnt those fit our cars?

http://search.ebay.com/ion-rotors_W0QQfkrZ1QQfromZR8

 

[Sp00ner]

$200 sounds expensive.

I just want to change mine, because the stock pads create dust from hell.

As far as slotted rotors. The stock brakes are awesome. The gain might be from a lighter rotor though.

If you put a lighter rotor on that can't hold as much heat, your braking will suffer unless the reduced unsprung mass is that much better. Cross-driled and vented rotors are not much better unless they can hold as much heat as the originals, AND are designed well. Too many ebay idiots drilling holes through stock rotors and selling them... Just make sure you go with a reputable company with proven product lines. I heard from someone on the Cobalt forums that Stainless Steel Brake Company might be making some parts... not sure though.

 

[Sp00ner]

http://search.ebay.com/ion-rotors_W0QQfkrZ1QQfromZR8

Keep in mind that these are for the regular Ion, and are an inch smaller than our rotors...

 

[alredline04]

You are right it says Ion non redline

 

[dL_RL]

cross drilled/slotted rotors dont help you brake faster, they only help you brake repeatedly without overheating. They dissapate heat better hence you can slam your brakes more without losing distance.

 

[Sp00ner]

cross drilled/slotted rotors dont help you brake faster, they only help you brake repeatedly without overheating. They dissapate heat better hence you can slam your brakes more without losing distance.

No, that's not true at all. The idea is that the cross drilling helps the gas, created by your pads vaporizing, escape without building a pressure buffer between the pad and rotor. Most pads now-a-days don't suffer from this problem as much as they did when the technology was invented. The single greatest factor in how well your rotors help the brake system stop, is how much rotational energy they can convert to, and store as, heat. Look at Nascar rotors, they can hold so much heat that even when glowing red, the car is able to stop, and stop fast. Yes, the pads and calipers are part of it, but if we're talking about just the rotors, then it's how much heat they can store, and how fast they can absorb it. The cross-drilling and venting is more for looks now, than anything else.

 

[korax123]

$200 sounds expensive, but I havent looked into prices yet. I am going so have to change mine shortly also. Does 9,000 miles seem a little early to have to change brakes? Its the inside pads on the front that are worn bad. Ihad the same problems with my dakota. The inside front would wear down to nothing with the outsides nearly half worn. Are my brakesout of balance? Or am I just a really hard braker.

I thought you should get just about 30k on factory break pads...unless your really breaking hard that much. My uncle is a mechanic has been for a long time. He told me you should get between 30k and 50k from them depending on what kind of traffic and how hard you break.

 

[alredline04]

I would have to admit that Im a hard braker. That is a habbit I really need to brake . I never thought that I was a hard braker but every car Ive had has gone through brakes fast.

 

[EvenStar]

Well it always helps to downshift alot, too many people I know with manuals are so lazy that they only use the breaks and clutch! It puts alot less stress on the brakes when you downshift..and never screws up the tranny as people say.

 

[alredline04]

Does engine braking put excess wear on the trans parts? someone told me that it causes your synchro's to go bad quik. I dont know anything about that stuff so.....

 

[TXRLU]

Does engine braking put excess wear on the trans parts? someone told me that it causes your synchro's to go bad quik. I dont know anything about that stuff so.....

I've heard similar items myself about wearing out the clutch/transmission assembly. I think I'd rather have to change out a brake pad prematurely than have to deal with the headache of the transmission and clutch. I'll ask my Saturn service advisor in a few weeks what he thinks about the condition of my brakes in general. I think they had to resurface the rotors a few weeks ago because of some steering wheel shaking problems I had a few months ago.