Review Stillen Cross Drilled Rotors and Metal Matrix Pads
01-25-2010, 02:17 PM
#16
You or a friend can't swap out the rotors and pads yourself? It is one of the easiest cars to do. If you kept the OEM pads marked left/right, in/out, then you could put them back on and not have any issues. If you did not mark which pads went with which rotors, then you could put them back on and have minor issues until re-seated.
Update... 500 Mile Review
Brake Feel
... so its been a couple weeks since install... the vibration persisted and didn't improve beyond the 1st day of driving. The installer checked wheel lug torque and inspected the brakes and couldn't visibly see anything wrong. As per my conversation with the rep last Monday, they have never experienced such an issue before. but Stillen is sending me replacement front rotors to see if that addresses the problem... still waiting... I am also recently noticing an occassional left to right dart with the vibration... annoying! annoying! annoying!
The only issue with the return policy is that the Stillen warranty only covers parts. So I'll be paying extra out of pocket to change out the rotors...
Materials:
There apears to be a dark colored brake residue (looks like a stain) that I have not been able to successfully to get removed. Most of it gets on the hub area... The hub of the rotor is a bright color which I originally thought was great but since the residue is a bit darker, the accumulation of it and of dust etc is more easily seen and stands out like a sore thumb. Stillen might ocnsider making darker colored hubs to address that (just a thought).
As I am driving long distance on the weekened, if my replacements dont get in I may just go back to stock. I now get annoyed whenever people in front of me brake excessively. My car sat in the garage most of the weekened simply because I didn't want to drive it anywhere. I drove the wifes car instead... It's a bit more difficult to hug curves in a Pathfinder 4X4... but hey... her stock Nissan brakes felt great!
Brake Feel
... so its been a couple weeks since install... the vibration persisted and didn't improve beyond the 1st day of driving. The installer checked wheel lug torque and inspected the brakes and couldn't visibly see anything wrong. As per my conversation with the rep last Monday, they have never experienced such an issue before. but Stillen is sending me replacement front rotors to see if that addresses the problem... still waiting... I am also recently noticing an occassional left to right dart with the vibration... annoying! annoying! annoying!
The only issue with the return policy is that the Stillen warranty only covers parts. So I'll be paying extra out of pocket to change out the rotors...
Materials:
There apears to be a dark colored brake residue (looks like a stain) that I have not been able to successfully to get removed. Most of it gets on the hub area... The hub of the rotor is a bright color which I originally thought was great but since the residue is a bit darker, the accumulation of it and of dust etc is more easily seen and stands out like a sore thumb. Stillen might ocnsider making darker colored hubs to address that (just a thought).
As I am driving long distance on the weekened, if my replacements dont get in I may just go back to stock. I now get annoyed whenever people in front of me brake excessively. My car sat in the garage most of the weekened simply because I didn't want to drive it anywhere. I drove the wifes car instead... It's a bit more difficult to hug curves in a Pathfinder 4X4... but hey... her stock Nissan brakes felt great!
01-25-2010, 04:32 PM
#22
Sam Rothstein
iTrader: (9)
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Riverside/San Diego, CA
Posts: 10,435
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes
on
8 Posts
Sucks to hear you're having issues. Youre the first i've heard of with problems with the Stillen rotors.
I have almost 4,000 miles on my rotora slotted rotors paired with Hawk H2 Ceramics and havent had any problems.
Hopefully the new rotors fix your problem
I have almost 4,000 miles on my rotora slotted rotors paired with Hawk H2 Ceramics and havent had any problems.
Hopefully the new rotors fix your problem
01-27-2010, 02:29 PM
#24
Left a message with their Brake Manager a couple of hours ago to find out an update on the replacement rotors... As it has been over a week since we spoke I would have expected them to be here by now. At purchase it didn't take this long for the original rotors to arrive.
01-27-2010, 03:33 PM
#25
so. .. here we go... I am starting to get the run around... Since Stillen is slow to repond to me (of course after they have my money) I sent an e-mail to Josh informing him that I want to return the rotors for a refund. I also called Stillen Customer Service to find out what needs to be done to make this happen. As per the customer service rep they have no record of an agreement to send replacement front rotors... ok so maybe its just not documented(?) hmmm I doubt it... I explain that I have been working with Chris. He tells me that Chris is the brake manager and is very busy- that I should work with the sales rep that closed the sale- Margaret... ok WOW!
the only thing that I have dealt with Margaret about was the shipping of the original rotors and then again the shipping of the replacement rear rotors (they had shipped me the wrong set for the rear- slotted instead of cross drilled) I had left that out of my initial review because at that time it was all water under the bridge. But now its crap on the fan!
just called and e-mailed Margaret.
the only thing that I have dealt with Margaret about was the shipping of the original rotors and then again the shipping of the replacement rear rotors (they had shipped me the wrong set for the rear- slotted instead of cross drilled) I had left that out of my initial review because at that time it was all water under the bridge. But now its crap on the fan!
just called and e-mailed Margaret.
01-27-2010, 07:50 PM
#28
Registered User
are you sure upon breaking them in you inadvertantly warped the rotors? i have done this mistakenly myself on my wife's TC. i went for an aggressive break in and wound up warping the rotors....you could even see blue-ish colors around the rotors were the hot spots were. was there a specific pad break in that came with the set? did you call the brake pad company and ask them about their break inproceedures...beacuse not all pads have the same 'bedding' proceedure.
01-29-2010, 02:18 PM
#29
hmmm nah I dont think so cvt... The dealership noticed the vibration and advised me about it on the phone before I even picked my car up. When I picked my car up there was about 2 more miles on it than when I dropped it off. That wasn't far enough for them to quite reach the freeway and make it back to the dealership... Based on that they likely just took it up the street then back to the dealership just to make sure the brakes were working acceptably... Its a heavy traffic area so they would not have likely exceeded 45 MPH. Still had some zinc coating on it when I picked up the car.
The vibration was noticeable as soon as I pulled out from the dealership and made a light stop from about 40 MPH.
I finally got to speak again with the Brake Manager at Stillen about this. They finally shipped out a replacement set of front rotors on Wednesday. I have an appointment to install them next Wednesday (using a performance shop as they will likely me more in tune with break in procedures etc). Another concern now is whether the pads that have worn to the shape of the old rotors will cause issues mated to the new rotors.
I guess one bit of saving grace is that with the winter storm approaching my area, my long distance trip is cancelled.
The vibration was noticeable as soon as I pulled out from the dealership and made a light stop from about 40 MPH.
I finally got to speak again with the Brake Manager at Stillen about this. They finally shipped out a replacement set of front rotors on Wednesday. I have an appointment to install them next Wednesday (using a performance shop as they will likely me more in tune with break in procedures etc). Another concern now is whether the pads that have worn to the shape of the old rotors will cause issues mated to the new rotors.
I guess one bit of saving grace is that with the winter storm approaching my area, my long distance trip is cancelled.
01-30-2010, 01:00 PM
#30
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
hmmm nah I dont think so cvt... The dealership noticed the vibration and advised me about it on the phone before I even picked my car up. When I picked my car up there was about 2 more miles on it than when I dropped it off. That wasn't far enough for them to quite reach the freeway and make it back to the dealership... Based on that they likely just took it up the street then back to the dealership just to make sure the brakes were working acceptably... Its a heavy traffic area so they would not have likely exceeded 45 MPH. Still had some zinc coating on it when I picked up the car.
The vibration was noticeable as soon as I pulled out from the dealership and made a light stop from about 40 MPH.
I finally got to speak again with the Brake Manager at Stillen about this. They finally shipped out a replacement set of front rotors on Wednesday. I have an appointment to install them next Wednesday (using a performance shop as they will likely me more in tune with break in procedures etc). Another concern now is whether the pads that have worn to the shape of the old rotors will cause issues mated to the new rotors.
I guess one bit of saving grace is that with the winter storm approaching my area, my long distance trip is cancelled.
The vibration was noticeable as soon as I pulled out from the dealership and made a light stop from about 40 MPH.
I finally got to speak again with the Brake Manager at Stillen about this. They finally shipped out a replacement set of front rotors on Wednesday. I have an appointment to install them next Wednesday (using a performance shop as they will likely me more in tune with break in procedures etc). Another concern now is whether the pads that have worn to the shape of the old rotors will cause issues mated to the new rotors.
I guess one bit of saving grace is that with the winter storm approaching my area, my long distance trip is cancelled.