So I’ve had my G37 sport seda for about 2 years now. Late last year I started getting the usual shakes upon braking. So I had them and the brakes replaced on all 4. Fast forward to today however, I dropped my car off at the shop and they told me they need to be replaced again because at initial inspection they seem warped and have sharp lines on them. This issue started months ago, (the shakes) and I’ve been putting it off. I thought it was a tire and or wheel issue because no way I’d need new set of rotors less than 10k miles in. For what it’s worth, I don’t drive it like I stole it. There are the occasional hard braking when getting cut off on the highway and most of my driving lately has been city driving but is this a common thing with anyone else here?

 

I have a 2015 Q40 currently and I have to replace front rotors about every 12-18 months. I have only used generic OEM rotors so far - actually, I am looking for a good recommendation for this round of replacement, I am hoping to find something that lasts beyond 20K miles.

I also had a 2009 G37 and it seems to me that the original OEM rotors lasted forever, but once I replaced them they seemed to warp every 20K or so.

My sons 2013 G37xS with the BBK doesn't seem to have similar issues - go figure. LOL

 

Ill let the more "seasoned" on the forum chime in but I find it hard to understand how you can warp a modern brake rotor under normal driving conditions. In my experience what causes brake judder (shuddering) is the usually the buildup of brake dust being ground back into the rotor. Other causes are hub/rotor run out is excessive, the rotor is overheating possibly due to a dragging brake pad and disc thickness variation.

In my case, I purchased my G with 11,000 miles on it. By the time I hit 20,000 miles, the brake judder was so bad it would shake the steering wheel. I had the rotors resurfaced which fixed the problem for another 10,000 miles or so then back to the vibro-matic steering wheel. I refinished the rotors one more time and again after about 10,000 miles the problem returned. At that point, I replaced all four rotors with Stoptech premium sport drilled and slotted rotors and ceramic pads. After more than 90,000 miles I haven't had any judder..

Now, admitting that I did not do any scientific research into the changing of the rotors, it could be the aftermarket rotors are better quality steel and more resistant to heat than the OEM versions, It could also be the ceramic pads are kinder to the rotor surface; or it could be the slots and holes allow brake dust to vacate the rotor surface. Im not sure and at this point since I have found a brake system I like and trust for reliability, performance and maintainability it's not really high on my to-do list

 

Oh man, so glad, and unfortunately, to be seeing such posts with similar issues as mine...my 11 sport bbk is on its 3rd set all around and 1st two were OEM and 3rd is Centric /forget the pad now as i frigging read about too many and decided to let my mechanic pick one etc and within 5k, the shudder is back...I have 2 buddy's 1 journey and the other sport like mine and dudes are cruising no issue...both still on oem rotors and just have changed pads.......SO...i think its some design flaw(or gov conspiracy) in the venting of the brakes...because i dont have any other explanation, as i drive the same way i drove all my other cars(well) and never had issues except with the G...i do the bedding process now and again and its back to nearly good for about a few days and the back again...sorry on the rant w/o a solution but man, that $hit irritates me.....good luck and please share if any solutions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

There isn't a design flaw on the G's brakes. However, there are A LOT of cheap, poor quality, crap material brake parts AND mechanics that don't do a proper job.
If you don't clean and grease the caliper slider pins, it can't move and the inner pad wears much faster as it drags on the rotor, which can over heat it.

On my 2011 G37, I am just about to replace the original front rotors that have 114,000 miles on them. In that time I have used up 2 sets of pads, with most of the pad wear from 2 track days.

My replacement pads and rotors will be from the dealer.
They are not cheap, but the quality is good and they last a long time, so the overall cost is less than multiple brake jobs with cheap parts.

 

Are you sure the brakes aren't sticking? I had to replace pads quite often until I figured it out and replaced the calipers. If I had to do it again, I'd make sure to have at least some pins so the mechanic can replace these that look like they could go.
In my case, the sticking wasn't very obvious until it stuck more and more. Look for hot rotors after a highway run. One rotor shouldn't be hotter than the other - when it was sticking, I could feel the heat radiating from my hand. Don't touch it when hot.

Used centric blank rotors and they've held up well. Hawk HPS in the front. Centric pads were kinda meh and didn't quite have much bite. Fortunately they were the ones that were chewed up from the sticking...

 

My first set of centrics lasted 1 year
My second set lasted 200 miles with OEM shims and properly greased.

I tried to do a proper bed-in procedure on the pads and nothing.

Fast forward 4 month later doing 3 digits, had to come to a hard stop and noticed the brakes were feeling different. When I got home they pads were smoky and since then the rotor look and surface seems to have improved.

My theory is the centric pads are garbage and are not biting properly causing them to glide a bit and clogging the pad which overheats the pad and warps the rotor slightly.
The rotors themselves are stout and hub surfaces flat as can be.

I might buy another set of Centric rotors but go with a more aggressive pad sucks to spend $200 and feel the same way in 200miles

 

The front rotors run hot on these cars (see the car and driver 370z lightning lap debacle). IMO Look for an entry level Track/Autox Pad which can deal with hot rotor temps and be more resistant to pad transfer. Budget or "normal street" pads will not cut it. Its not a rotor issue which is why the issue resurfaces.

Pad transfer is the cause for the brake judders which has been documented by various brake manufactures. Rotors do not physically warp, its merely terminology now for the pad transfer.

I would Recommend looking at Stoptech 309 Pads (Max rotor temp 1300F), yes they are a dusty pad. You can find alternatives but again look for something that has "Light track or Autox" listed. You can also inquire about maximum rotor temperature for pads you are looking for.

 

+1
I've had Stoptech pads and rotors on my car for the past decade. Of course, in that timeframe, the car has only accumulated about 60,000 miles but that's 60K with no judder

 

i've tried multiple stoptech/OEM pad/rotor combos and brake judder always came back, along with subpar braking performance and the infamous brake squeal.. coupe and sedan. nothing has worked better than z1 2p sprinkle slotted w/oem akebono pads, and a good bleed. no judder/squeal, low dust. strong bite throughout cold or hot. baller'ish too but cry once. many people like stoptech blanks, it didn't work for me.

 

I'm glad you found a solution that worked!

Those Z1 rotors are significantly better at cooling than the OEM rotors so no doubt that helps!

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That's what I'm thinking. Because fast forward to now, and I need another replacement. Which is insane! I definitely have off-axis spinning. I'm just not sure if its hub or caliper related.

 

I believe the issue is more hub/bearing related than the brakes themselves.

Year/miles of incorrect alignments and or use of spacers and heavy wheels with crazy positive or negative offsets will put strains on the bearing.

Once your bearings develop some wear you should start seeing this reflect onto your rotors since they will be slightly closer towards a side more than others and or wear both pads in an angle which also affects rotor wear.

I consider myself capable of completing a brake job on Akebono's and seeing this makes me second guess if the quality was really that bad or more issues with my bearings and or spacers.

 

That’s very helpful, thanks! New parts arriving later today, and I’ve got a service appointment scheduled for later as well. I’ll have them take a close look at the hubs and bearing in addition to the slider pins