So I think after a few weeks of dealing with some heavy traffic, my G is ready for some new shoes (or socks maybe?)... I think I need brakes.

I read some threads on the Akebonos big brake kit but still have a few noob questions:

How do I know I need brakes? and if I do, should I get front & rears done at the same time? Right now they're not screeching or making any sort of noise, but sometimes I swear I can feel a grinding of sorts coming from the pedal but not sure if it's from the road or not because it doesn't happen all the time. I don't know if I want to upgrade to a BBK but just want some good daily driver brakes. I don't care about dust, just want long lasting performance.

How do I know what brakes I have on it? I know they're ceramic since they leave that tan color brake dust, but don't know the brand.

Where should I get them from? I found the link for discountinfinitiparts.com, I know of rockauto, are these the best (priced) sources?

What do I need to do the brakes? Just pads, or the rotors too? When should I change out my calipers?


Sorry for being such a noob but I don't want to pretend like I know anything and want to take really good care of this car. Thanks everyone!

 

Akebonos are mostly for looks on a daily driver. Unless you are planning on taking it to the track, Akebonos aren't necessary. Regular brakes work just as well in daily driving. If you are experiencing grinding when braking, it could be that your rotors are warped. Brakes are usually changed by the axle, meaning both fronts at the same time or both rears at the same time. I got all 4 of mine done at the same time.

I had to change my rotors last year, since they were warped (I was experiencing the same vibration through the pedal while braking). I was also considering Akebonos for an upgrade but they were simply not in the budget. I figured it wasn't worth $1500 so I picked up a standard brake upgrade kit from Z1 Motorsports for about $500, and that included drilled/slotted rotors, ceramic brake pads, brake fluid, and stainless steel brake lines. There are comparable kits from other vendors such as Concept Z Performance.


Some will say that drilled rotors are more prone to failure/breaking, so most people go with OEM blank rotors or slotted rotors. My drilled & slotted rotors from Z1 have been fine over the past year in mixed daily driving.


Hope this helps!

 

Are there grooves in the rotors?
The the rotors have pronounced lips on the outer edge?

To check the pads, you should be able to eyeball a slot on each side of the caliper to see the pad thickness. Check the FSM link to determine minimum pad thickness. It should be a couple of millimeters.

As to warped rotors, they rarely warp. Pad material build-up and localized overheating cause the pedal vibrations. Three or four hard stops should take care of that.

 

Most of the OEM type pads will have wear prongs that will lightly scrub against the rotor when your pads need to be replaced, they will make a light scratching sound and will go away when you press the brakes. Like mentioned, check your pad thickness. And you need to provide your model of G to insure you get the right parts. The base RWD/AWD sedans use the same parts, the base AWD/RWD coupe a different set, and the Sport models (except the AWD Sport Sedan) have the big Akebono set. Centric Premium Rotors and Centric Posi Quiet pads are a good place to start, and if you want more braking bite look into the Hawk HPS 5.0 pads (if your model allows them).

 

Helps a lot thanks! I guess I was under the impression that the Akebonos were the stock replacements lol. Don't think I need the drilled rotors either, just trying to get the G going through typical NY highway traffic. Will look into what I can afford though.

Any brands you recommend to either use or stay away from?

Not yet there aren't! Yup got the manual I'll take a look!

Good to hear the rotors aren't warped. The grinding feel isn't wobbly at all or affect my steering so I didn't think they were warped. Relieved to hear they aren't!

So far so good then! No noise yet. I have a G37x sedan and will be sure to keep that in mind when ordering parts.

Are there any site/locations where you guys recommend getting parts from? I can do the work myself probably or with someone I know, I'll take them to a good shop if not but trying to save where I can. Will of course pay for good quality brakes though.

Thanks for the info/tips!

 

Akebono brake:





Non-Akebono or standard brake:

 

Lol ICE^^^Those Akebonos look SO much nicer Your G37X Sedan will have 320mm front rotors and 307mm rear rotors, just keep that info on hand when ordering. Check KNSbrakes.com for some nice pkg kits, they're a solid on-site vendor. Rockauto.com is also a good source.