PBR/Brembo 500mile report card

[mayagman]

Well, about a month or so ago I did a full brake job, replacing stock components with several upgraded parts.
Brembo CnC X-drilled OEM sized front rotors
Brembo Solid OEM sized rear rotors
PBR Ultimate Ceramic front pads
PBR Deluxe Ceramic rear pads

After putting some miles on the new parts, im confident I can give them a report card. My biggest concern was proper seating, and possible grooving of the rotors. To be sure they fit right, I used a dremel-grinder to expose a fresh layer of flat, perfect steel on the caliper cylinders, and coated it with anti-seize/squeak gel. Everything installed in a snap, MUCH easier than my friends maxima that we did an hour earlier. GREAT design at work here.

The performance of these brakes is pretty good. Compared to OEM, they have somewhat less initial bite while they're cold. However, once you drive on them for a little while they start to grip a little better. Still not as good initially as OEM, but MUCH less fade. Ive taken the car out to the strip and run consecutive 120-0 runs, and there is no noticeable change in performance. Once the brakes are hot, they are just great. Much less dust too. There is a squeak from the front pads, but only at speeds less than 5mph when you're just grazing the brakes. This is common, and it doesnt bother me too much. There are no issues with the rear fitment of the rotors. I would suggest this setup to anyone seeking improved high-speed performance, less dust, and better sustained corner-braking. They also have the nice side effect of looking pretty. I would also suggest getting some new lines. The rubber lines from the factory are really pliable, and some new steel or kevlar replacements sure up pedal feel and provide better modulation.
Hope this helps.

Sources:
Pads: MBAparts.com
Rotors: 935, ebay seller (custom fitments available)
Kevlar Lines: Local fabrication

[nokia8860]

when doing your stops from say 75 to 0 do you notice any brake pedal modulation? Or any steering wheel shake?

I have a set of brembo xdrilled and some proterfield and do notice have 6000 miles if I get on the brakes at that speed there is some shake.

I only have my stock chevy malibu to compare this with (dont laugh)

While I have alot of pads left the rotors look a bit groove. I have heard porterfields being rough on rotors but wanted to see if you have felt anything with your pad set up.

[mayagman]

The first thing I did after a few good runs was let the rotors cool, and feel them for grooves. As of now, they're as smooth as glass. I know my friend had an Intrepid R/T with green stuff on, and his rotors looked like the surface of the ocean, some deep, gnarly-ass grooves.

Right now, no shimmy, no shake, no grooves. You just have to make sure if youre using a soft-composition rotor (like Brembo), you are using a pad that wont chew it up too hard.

Ive never used the porterfields, but the PBRs are wearing just fine up to this point.

Edit: Also, when I first installed them, I seated them realllly gently. I was real light on them riding over to the strip, and when I got there I started some go-stop cycles. 20mph-5, 30-5, 40-5, 50-5, 60-5, etc. This supposedly lets the pads get a good initial seat on the rotor. I never completely stopped, kept rolling at 5mph and let them cool down a little.