R1 Concepts Brakes and Rotors

[nfpgasmask]

Under hard braking I can feel the front end "pulse" a bit which I'm assuming is a result of carbon build up on the rotor, or maybe some slight warping.

Well, just wait until your ABS craps out like the rest of us and then you won't have to worry about any pulsing any more!

--Dangers of buying cheap drilled/slotted rotors--
Depending on the process used to manufacture the rotors having holes in the rotors could go from being something unnecessary to something quite dangerous. Higher quality name brands such as Brembo actually build the holes and slots in the original cast, these are, of course, cleaned up in the final machining, cheaper brands build a plain rotor and drill the holes and mill the slots after the fact... the problem with the latter is that the drilling/milling process causes uneven heat stress at certain spots in the rotor, at a microscopic level the rotor is no long even and it can lead to cracking of the rotor, around the holes and slots... which is never a good thing.

So what you are saying is that my cheap R1Concepts rotors are probably dangerous? SWEET!

Bart

[twistedsymphony]

[Gussie2000]

I did replace the stock rotors for the R1 concept rotors,then i bought a canadian-brand ceramics pads,the result hasn't be so desappointed.

After a while i had the squeezing noise,but that happen because i hard to brake had when a couple of eldery were driving and seemed to be lost at that moment,they made a full stop in the middle of no where at 55 mph,my brakes were installed about 60 miles ago and as we know the brake pads needs to adjust it's self for the 1st 1000 miles.

However the squeeze noise is only heard once in the morning when i pull out the garage.

[MSHardeman]

OK, real stupid question but I have to ask it. When anyone with an ABS light issue has replaced their rotors, did you move the ABS sensor ring from the old rotor to the new one? Even after switching out everything (rotors, pads, and lines) on my VX I have not had a problem with the ABS light coming on.

Just a thought.

[etlsport]

OK, real stupid question but I have to ask it. When anyone with an ABS light issue has replaced their rotors, did you move the ABS sensor ring from the old rotor to the new one? Even after switching out everything (rotors, pads, and lines) on my VX I have not had a problem with the ABS light coming on.

Just a thought.

i know my abs troubles are not caused by sensors.. it was diagnosed by isuzu as the abs controller in the engine being bad

[clive goodridge]

My brake/abs problem didn't bring the warning light on but due to the 'cheap' pads no matter how much brake pressure I applied the abs wouldn't work on the road as the pads weren't gripping the rotors enough. If I tried it on gravel/loose surface or cobbles/shiney surface the abs worked fine. Fitting standard pads brought everything including the pedal pressure back to normal. (My mechanic did originally leave the rear, I think, abs sensor rings off which did bring the light on & confuse us even more for a while though!).
Thanks to 'twistedsymphony' for the tutorial on braking systems but new cheap 'bad pads' can cause pedal pressure problems.
Clive

[Ldub]

Well, just wait until your ABS craps out like the rest of us and then you won't have to worry about any pulsing any more!
Bart

Bart, as an aside (OK thread jack), did your ABS crap out before or after you left Chi?

[nfpgasmask]

Bart, as an aside (OK thread jack), did your ABS crap out before or after you left Chi?

Yes, that is correct. I want to say my ABS light came on about a year ago, was kinda on and off for several months, and now it is constantly on. But personally, I like the feel of the brakes with the ABS off, especially when wheeling. On the ice and snow with a steep downgrade in Reno is another story. I have slid a lot in the snow here and I have to be very careful when driving in the winter here. I have had 2 very scary slides where the VX just didn't want to stop on the downhill. I don't think the ABS had anything to do with it though. Reno does not plow in the winter, and with the drastic temp changes from day to night, we can have it raining in the day, which quickly turns into a nice sheet of ice as soon as the sun goes down, and then it snows on top of that creating wonderful driving conditions.

My ABS light came on AFTER I replaced my brakes and rotors for the first time. I don't know if that had anything to do with it, but who knows.

Bart

[twistedsymphony]

Did you ever do any diagnostics on the ABS module to determine why the light came on?

[nfpgasmask]

Did you ever do any diagnostics on the ABS module to determine why the light came on?

Nope, but it is a very common problem with the VX...

Bart

[etlsport]

mine came on after the stainless steel lines went on.. but a good long time after. it seemed to be affected by temperature.. the colder it was the more the abs worked.. until one day it just stopped working all together.. i have the module.. but no real motivation to install it since i have never had a close call due to lack of abs

[clive goodridge]

I lost my VX's abs when I fitted a new set of drilled and slotted rotors which I bought from the US, can't remember the supplier's name though.
It wasn't the rotors fault but the pads they supplied with the rotors and my mechanic who chose to ignore my instructions to fit a pair at a time and fitted all 4 at once.
Everybody had their own thoughts as to why the brakes had gone 'soft' and no abs, they were so bad as to be dangerous as no matter how hard I stood on the pedal it would take far too long to stop, but I suggested fitting 1 pair of the old pads to a front brake to see and suddenly the brakes started to come back!
After fitting the old front pads and a set of new rear standard pads everything was fine again and still is 2 years later.
The supplier, whose name I shall post when I find it, denied this could happen suggesting that we had done something wrong but wanted me to return the new pads to the manufacturer in the US as it was his problem not theirs!
As I'm in the UK shipping costs and no guarantee of a refund prohibited this.
Anyone else experienced 'bad' pads?
I never have in 30+ years of car dealing, racing included.