I had my brake pads replaced recently at the 15k mark. We had the 15k service done and they said we should also replace the pads as they were low. I asked and they said the average for most GE owners is 15-20k for new pads.

Is this the case fro you guys too? What pads would last longer?

 

I'd try ebc pads. They make some pretty good pads. I had the ebc greenstuff pads on my CL-S with slotted rotors and they were awesome.

 

I dont know about you but I have 30k on my stock pads and they still work. I would actually physically check the pads yourself to make sure the dealer isn't trying to scam you into getting new pads early. The only car I had to change the brake pads that early is on an Audi Q7 which have 6 piston calipers and weight 6k+ lbs and they eat through pads about every 20k miles.

 

I'd love me some slotted rotors! I did a canyon run with friends and when we hit the bottom my rotors were red hot! it was right before a fire in the area too and my friends all made jokes that I caused the fire.

 

Yea...its def. a future upgrade for me.

Fit Rotors, Honda Fit Brake Rotors - 2007-2009

 

It all depends on how hard/late you brake - the later, the quicker they wear.

I'm sure you know this, but those slots/drilled rotors do absolutely nothing for performance...a waste of money IMO but whatever floats your boat.

 

hey im approaching 15k on my fit what do you recomend i should do. tire rotations brake checks, lemme know

 

Where did you pull that out of?
First.... I had slotted rotors on my Acura Cl-S. The Cl-S had single piston calipers so any spirited driving that got the brakes really hot warped the rotors very easily. A fix to this I found was to have slotted rotors. The slotted rotors stayed a lot cooler and I never had a problem again with them warping.
Secondly... so your saying every sports car manufacturer that put slotted or cross drilled rotors on their cars are worthless? Chevy Z06's, Porches, Ferrari, Lambo's for instance. It’s a fact that venting the gas emitted by hot brake pads improves overall brake performance and helps minimize fade.

Same goes for sport bikes...do you ever see sport bikes with solid rotors???
nope
Read up...its a proven science ;-)
HowStuffWorks "Slotted Brake Rotors"

 

It's a trap! lol. The theories held true for old asbestos pads, but not with the newer pads.

Drilled Brake Rotors | Build A Faster Car

And here is further proof: a brake disc straight from an F1 car:




Sadly, a lot of companies still advertise these as an advantage so that they can sell you something. Go to the track, and you'll see that 99% of the racers use slotted blanks as the preferred choice.

EDIT: I am willing to bet that your old rotors that warped were just that - old. They were probably at the minimum thickness for material, and when you put on the slotted/x-drilled rotors, you put on fresh rotors that were thick. Therefore they didn't warp when you ran them hard again...

 

Don't F1 cars use carbon/carbon pads/rotors???

That would be a completely different animal...

 

But the Ferrari street cars have drilled carbon/carbon setups Yet their F1 cars have solid discs...In the end, the same principles apply...

I don't deny that there *used* to be an advantage. It's just that the advantages don't exist today.

 

^+1

The HUGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEE majority of your braking power comes from your pads.

 

1. Pads on a fit should last longer than 15k miles.
2. Slotted and drilled rotors do not enhance braking performance. Drilled rotors may stay cooler. Floating rotors will stay the coolest with or without slotted or drilled holes. I can't imagine slotted rotors staying cooler as there are no additional vents.
3. Slotted or drilled holes may wear your pads faster.
4. your car isnt a porsche, ferrari, etc and thus generates nowhere near the heat those 'supercars' can. I'm sure you've seen the videos or pictures of their rotors glowing red. On a fit, slotted and drilled rotors are a waste of money and will provide no performance gains.
5. if you can warp a rotor on a honda fit, I'll buy you a new one. More often than not people think they've warped a rotor when, in fact, they are experiencing uneven wear on their pads.
6. Slotted and drilled rotors will make your wallet lighter for no valid reason on our cars.
7. I have drilled rotors on my M Coupe because the previous owner put them on there. I will put Zimmerman Blanks back on if and when they need replaced.
8. Slotted and drilled rotors are bling bling I can't see through my hub caps.

 

Quoted for truth

 

That's what I thought at first too....
I put two sets of solid rotors on it.... (owned the car 5 yrs) Second set of solid rotors were brembo blanks. They lasted one trip down through West Virginia (Nopi trip)
After that trip I put Powerslot rotors (3rd set of rotors) on it with EBC greenstuff pads and never had an issue again.

Back to the F1 referance...like Wee said above..F1 cars are a total different animal.
On F1 cars to help reduce wear and tear and increase braking performance, carbon fiber discs and pads are now used. They are not slotted or drilled to keep strength and they use other forms of cooling. These brake systems are extremely effective at temperatures up to 750° C (1,382° F), even though they are lightweight. Holes around the edge of the brake disc allow heat to escape rapidly. The cars also have air intakes fitted to the outside of the wheel hub to cool down the brakes. The air intakes are changed for the different braking requirements of each track.

fmcfad01:
I guarantee I can warp rotors on the Fit. My pads on my CL-S were never uneven wear on the pad...just single piston technology failing creating warped rotors. It was a very common problem... http://tl.acurazine.com/forums/searc...archid=2204810
Honda stock brakes have never been good in my experience. If I go down to southern Ohio (Hocking Hills area) and do spirited driving my brakes quickly start to fade and start to show signs of overheating. If you can't do this on your M coupe you obviously are not pushing the car hard enough . There was a reason the previous owner put those rotors on your M...I guarantee it was to help the braking...not just for looks. You'll probably find that out if you go back to blanks and take it to the track.
One day at the track for SCCA time trials any driver will be able to tell you your brakes feel it even in a Fit.
I don't know about all of you...but I know that slotted rotors helped my past experiences with braking (Integra and CL-S) In both experiences they helped my braking tremendously. I can't convert your views but in my eyes they are def. worth it.

 

How about something closer to our cars perhaps? A Spec Mazda Miata - I promise they run a lot harder than your Fit down the mountain


I don't think I'll convince you either, but FWIW I run Carbotech pads on autozone rotors, and have never had a issue with fade as long as I have good pads & fluid. 20min lapping sessions coming from 110mph to 45mph lap after lap is pretty hard on the brakes I'd imagine...

YouTube - Honda S2000 vs Corvette Z06 @ MSR 1.7

Maybe you just use your brakes too much...

 

Yea I don't know but maybe the miata brake setup is just better stock. Remember mazda is known for their zoom zoom.. Plus the fact miata's are light. Knock on wood I haven't warped the fit rotors yet but hopefully with it being a lighter car I never will. I do know having a 3600lbs CL-S does take alot of braking power to stop that brick. Probably why I warped the rotors so much.
I am hard on brakes though I know this. I drive really aggressively. That's one reason I did downgrade to the Fit. Give me a 260+ hp car and I will break more laws faster that you can blink... The Fit lets me have fun but still stay closer to the limits of the law and still get good gas mileage.

 

This is the 3rd or 4th 15k dealer service story i've read about that involved pad replacement. I'm throwin the BS card on the table. I'm seeing $600 - $1000 for the 15k deal. Unbelievable...almost pure dealer profit.

Fight the power, people. Stop going to dealers for service. If ya can't or won't do the work yourself (perfectly understandable) then, please, find a decent, independent Import/Honda enthusiast shop.

To put the brake thing into perspective....I just showed a friend/co-worker how to inspect, and replace the front pads on his Toyota Corolla. Total cost....$18.26, and 30 minutes in our company parking lot. F a buncha dealership service centers..

 

Again, fade is going to be more greatly related to the pad and not the rotor. I had PBR Ultimates on both of my cars with both blanks and drilled rotors. Yes, i got minimal fade at the track in June with these pads, but nothing serious. They have a very high temp threshold while not being a track dedicated pad (932 degrees F). Seriously, very little fade. I'd even go ahead and say if you are getting significant fade and warping rotors on a track, you don't know the course well enough, when to break, you are breaking too much, too hard, and slowing yourself down. Carry the speed man!

If you can warp your rotors on your fit with the stock pads on it, show me proof...I really want to see it as I've not been able to warp a zimmerman rotor with near track caliber pads ON A TRACK...and yes, I push my car very hard. I'm not a CCA instructor, but I'm pretty good for an average 2-3 times a year kind of guy.

I know the previous owner...he put these rotors on the car because he put some CSL Replica 18" wheels on it and wanted the bling bling factor. I noticed more difference going from rubber to stainless lines than with different rotors.

It's really funny though, if you go over to bimmerforums, pretty much everyone has my opinion and experience. Must be a material/quality issue. I never even got brake fade during street driving with stock pads. I've never warped a rotor on the track.

interestingly, this website says not to use drilled rotors for racing.
BMW M Coupe/Roadster Products - StopTech big brake kits, stainless lines, pads, tires

A reason for that that we've discussed on bimmerforums is that drilled and cracked rotors can be weaker, crack, and warp before a blank. Slotted being better than drilled. It basically comes down to if you want to be flashy and if you want to spend more money on rotors. Blanks are fine and should not be considered inferior to blanks in really any way that would matter on a honda fit...or even on an M Coupe with 315hp and a 1000 extra pounds to carry around.

 

Hmm maybe I should go into the business of sellling slotted/drilled rotors. I know I'll have lots of sucke... excuse me... customers willing to give me money for them!