There are no real benefits in upgrading rotors and currently no one makes a rotor for the Brembo brake option. Brembo and StopTech have announced to callers they are close to releasing one, but upgrading will not have near any benefits of upgrading pads.
That was with the windows up I think... the squeal is literally painful with windows down.. and they make zero noise when they're cold.. once you get them to street driving temps, they squeal like that... and it gets worse the hotter you go, up until low track temps and they get nice and quiet again and REALLY start to bite.
For auto X use, you do not get the brakes hot enough for any high performance pad to really be of much benefit. use a pad that has good cold braking and maintains a consistent pedal up to a few hundred degrees. in 60 seconds, you'll never get the rotors over 3-400 degrees, and that's an absolute maximum. pads like the Carbotech XP-8 aren't made for stuff like that and will actually eat away at your rotors until they get to several hundred degrees. I have a set in my track box for those days, but otherwise they stay there...
For a good pad, look at Axxis/PBR ultimates, or Ferodo DS2500. They both work well on low temp stops and have consistent friction levels all the way up to hard-braking road course temps. don't bother with Axxis Metal Master, as they need a bit of heat to start working. your first few stops of each run will have problems with the cold temps..
As for drilling and slotting, again, stay away.
Drilling is for show only, or $200,000 Ferraris with $15,000 brake systems. on a street car that sees tons of thermal shock like autocrossing on cold rotors and sudden stops on the street when grandma cuts you off, you're better staying away from drilled rotors. they tend to crack.. The weight savings is minimal. maybe an ounce or two on each rotor. At that point, you can get the same weight savings by skipping breakfast the day of your Auto X event, or shaving your tires a couple 1/32" or a gallon less gas in the tank, or _________________. the weight savings are minimal.
slotted rotors are fine, but again, only for show.
Modern pad compounds don't have issues with outgassing like they did even just 15 years ago. no reason to have slotted rotors on a street car unless you like driving through deep water and need the cheesegrater effect to scrape the moisture away. otherwise there's no need...
for Auto X/street use, you want good quality solid rotors. nothing else will work any better. Your brake pads are the most important part of the entire system for Auto X use, no matter what anyone else tells you.
As for the SS lines, they are NOT ALLOWED in stock class. http://scca.org/_filelibrary/File/2005SoloRules.pdf
look on page 66.
sec 13.6.B
"B. Substitution of clutch and brake hydraulic lines with solid metal or
braided metal is allowed on all cars manufactured before model
year 1992."
Since yours is an '05 model, it does not fall into that category and thus the mod is not allowed in stock classes.
If you go to Street Touring, Street Prepared, Modified, etc.. they all allow the SS lines. only one that doesn't is stock class.
If you're competing on only a local level, then usually they don't care about something as trivial as this, but if you're competing on a divisional or national level, you'd best follow the rules to the letter.
i want to thank everybody for helping on matter, i have learned/heard quite a bit. i have been reading the forums for quite a while, but had to join to ask this question.
as for the rules for my auto-x. i am only competing in a local club, and you are correct...they don't really care about the ss lines.
so here is what i am going to do based on your opinions:new nismo pads, slotted rotors, ss lines, and motul 600 brake fluid. thanks again.
don't waste your money on Motul either... buy a bottle of Valvoline synthetic from autozone for about 1/4 the price.. it has a higher boiling point than you'll ever need to see on the street or auto X, and is about $4.50/quart.
Drilled Rotors are prone to cracking. Many race teams USED to use them but have since switched over to Slotted rotors because they don't have as much a chance of cracking and they work very well.
Slotted rotors are not just for show. They look good and they will perform. They effectively clean the brake pad as they turn. Removing gasses and such. However they will eat pads faster then a blank because of this.
Slotted and drilled (cross-drilled) are strictly for show. Drive on the street with them or race with them for a certain amount of time and they WILL crack. Plus 9% of the braking surface is removed. That's quite a bit...
Drilled Rotors are prone to cracking. Many race teams USED to use them but have since switched over to Slotted rotors because they don't have as much a chance of cracking and they work very well.
Slotted rotors are not just for show. They look good and they will perform. They effectively clean the brake pad as they turn. Removing gasses and such. However they will eat pads faster then a blank because of this.
Slotted and drilled (cross-drilled) are strictly for show. Drive on the street with them or race with them for a certain amount of time and they WILL crack. Plus 9% of the braking surface is removed. That's quite a bit...
Stop buying into the hype of Powerslot. Good drilled rotors on the street will NOT crack. Even on light track days, they are fine. They are not reccomended for heavy track days.
Stop buying into the hype of Powerslot. Good drilled rotors on the street will NOT crack. Even on light track days, they are fine. They are not reccomended for heavy track days.
Yes, they do crack. I've got a pair of $400 Brembos in the back yard that I can stick my thumbnail through the cracks. and they were just 10,000 miles old. didn't even go through one set of pads. And they were cast into the rotors AT Brembo, none of this "buy a brembo and machine it" crap like powerslot or Stillen.
Now, if you have a Ferrari or Porsche ro something with drilled brakes from the OEM, then that's a different story. but you simply can't buy that kind of quality part for a Nissan.
Did you use them for track events? I am yet to have a problem with my StopTechs and I do not know street users who have had problems with good drilled rotors for the street. Brembo says directly on their site not to use them for track events.
Unless you do stress-relief on every hole drilled, you are opening yourself to experiencing cracked rotors. It's a freaking fact. Gas dispersion is not an issue in autocross.
I spent two seasons autocrossing my SE-R with stock brakes and never felt a need for more stopping power. Locking all four was done more than once by accident..
You'll get your greatest benefit with seat time and tires. SCCA Solo II allows certain DOT race tires (at least they did when I ran), they're worth 3 seconds per lap, give or take. I found a four-point harness to be worth almost a second per lap.
__________________
Bruce in Houston
'94 Nissan Sentra SE-R w/ $tuff, converting to ITA
'98 Suzuki Bandit 1200S w/ $tuff
'02 Dodge Dakota SLT 4-dr tow beast, stock!
Did you use them for track events? I am yet to have a problem with my StopTechs and I do not know street users who have had problems with good drilled rotors for the street. Brembo says directly on their site not to use them for track events.
Stoptechs are comparable to the OE quality. that's a different subject.
and no, I did not use them for any track events or even autocross. they were street driven only, with axxis MM pads on them from day one. lasted me a whole 6 months.
when those cracked, I put the 100k old stock fronts on it and ran them for about a year until I totalled that car. no warpage, no cracks, braking was just as good as with the drilled rotors.
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