unfortunately i've been dealing with brake problems for the last 3 years or so and don't remember all the details but here is what I remember:

basically it all started with when i did a full brake job where a reputable vendor installed stainless lines, new pads (ferodos), new DBA rotors for me, change the fluid and also swapped my calipers with a set of calipers from one of their cars because they had cosmetically destroyed my stock ones by spilling brake fluid on them during a previous service.

a little less than a year later i had severe shuttering on braking. assuming they had given me a bad caliper, I took it to another shop which told me they couldn't confirm that but since it was almost a year, it would be hard to prove that they had given me a bad caliper. since they weren't sure and the previous vendor claimed ignorance, the new vendor just machined the rotors and threw another set of pads on for me.

a few months later, again, i had brake problems. i took it to the second vendor again, and they said most likely it was the caliper because there was a lot of uneven wear on the rotors and pads so they took them off and had them checked at a machine shop which confirmed something was wrong with them. that vendor then got a new set of calipers, had them machined and rebuilt, put a new set of rotors on all around and a new set of pads on all around.

now i'm back to the same point. shuttering on braking, especially when the car has a full load of 4 humans.

could there be something else wrong with my car that is causing these brake problems?

the only thing I can think of is that these crossdrillled/slotted rotors and slightly more agreessive compounds wear out faster than the stock combination because that is the only real change that I made since the first brake change and because theoretically i have a new set of calipers on my car after the last major service. but that doesn't make sense to me at all.

help me out.

Thanks.

 

sounds like you keep getting un even pad deposits

break in procedure is very important but if your not driving your car hard enough to justify performance brakes I would get a pad compound that is less prone to un even pad deposits.

 

I would also say uneven pad deposits caused by bad bed-in, except you're saying the problem takes a year to show up...

Check everything in your suspension and brakes for tightness. Have your rotors checked for run-out as well.

 

when i got the first set of pads/rotors installed, i had the intentions of doing more track days which is why I got something more agressive but also one that I was told was also streetable. but also I followed the brake-in/bed process that was recommended.

same goes for the second except that my car was worked on in SF and then driven back to me (about 50miles), so the bed in process didn't happen immediately.

the third time, the rotors and pads are nothing special. but again, the car was driven back to me so they weren't bed in immediately after installation.

 

For a basic OEM level pad/rotor combo, the bed-in process is pretty straight forward. Any shop doing brakes would know how to treat new brakes...

Have your rotors checked for runout and make sure you have nothing loose on suspension/brakes.

 

maybe the second vendor wasn't that great then.....when i asked them about bedding, they said they hadn't done anything special.

the only difference with the latest setup and stock is that the latest are slotted

 

If it's an OEM-level setup, bed-in would be nothing special. Have the rotors checked for run-out, and report back.

 

I would have taken it back to the original shop that gave you the "replacement" caliper. At least they would probably look it over and maybe try to make it right for you. Most shops don't want to get a bad rep and treat return customers better. (most of the time)

 

2slow4now, looking back, i agree that was the right plan of attack. however I did talk to them and they assured me that it wasn't the caliper and they said they wouldn't do anything for me because it had been almost a year since I was in there.

I don't think they were really concerned about their reputation because to get them to replace it, I had to get the state and also mods from a forum that they were sponsor for involved.

 

Wow! So pretty much they are a bunch of d bags. I don't blame you for going somewhere else. I've been pretty lucky with building a relationship with a few shops. One of them since I have bought tires from them so many times they put on some trailer tires for me for free. I tried to pay but the owner refused. I hope you find a shop like that.

So about once a year you have to replace your brakes? What kind of mileage do you drive a year? I wonder what kind of rotors and pads the second guy put on.

 

i was hoping to build a relationship with the second company because they were local, but they ended up moving to a different city and then going out of business.

mileage is about 10-12k per year.

The rotors are stoptech and the pads are centrics.

i suspect there is something else awry with my car thats causing the braking issues vs my mileage/driving causing their short lives

 

Do you have any junk calipers? I'll pay you for one that is completely useless I want it for a project! Thanks!

 

i should have 2 coming to me shortly...but no guarantees because i've been waiting for a year for them. if i get them, i'll send you a PM.

 

so the company that went out of business that did my last brake job didn't make good on getting me back my stock parts. sorry about not being able to help you out with that.

i've had my car looked at twice now regarding the braking issues.

first time they suggested re-bedding the brakes. i did that, things were ok for a few days and then the problem came back.

i had it looked at again, they said the rotors are warped to the point where they can't be machined, they need to be replaced.

i'm at a loss as to what to do. sounds like my car is just going to keep eating rotors and pads once ever year to year and a half. (with daily driving!)

open to any suggestions.

so far it looks like my options are:
1. put some rotors and pads on and just accept they will be smoked in a year
2. put some rotors and pads on and tighten things up. (what needs to be tightened)
3. have a shop put rotors and pads on and do an inspection and tighten things up. hopefully they would warranty their work for at least a year in case the problem comes up. at least the place that i'm going to now has been around for awhile and isn't a fly by night operation.

 

What's your style of driving? racing, granny, spirited, normal??

You do most highway or city driving?

How many miles you put in your car monthly?

This will get us a better answer for your issue.