I have a 07 Fit with around 42,000 miles on it. For quite some time now I have noticed that my brakes 'pulsate'. This is especially noticeable when I am just lightly holding the brakes to come to a slow stop. It feels like the pads will catch, then release, then catch, then release, etc. I have done some searching on this forum and it seems like others have had a similar issue.

I have never replaced the pads on this car, so I know I'm about due for a pad replacement. My question is, should I go ahead and replace the rotors as well? Or could new pads potentially eliminate the problem? I have read the debates about replacing vs turning, and for the cost I'd rather just go ahead and replace them if necessary.

Finally, I have never replaced my own pads or rotors before, but after looking at a few online guides it doesn't seem to difficult. Are there any huge pitfalls I should watch out for if I do my own replacement?

Thanks!

 

If you replace the pads go ahead and replace the rotos too. There's not enough metal to turn the rotors these days!
I replaced mine with drilled rotors and ceramic pads and it only took basic tools to perform thr job. The bolts are TIGHT 12mm and the retainer for the front bearing is fun too, but thats about it.

 

just replacing the pads will not cure your pulsations...my discs got replaced under waranty twice for the same reason. If you have the sport model or 15" wheels on your car, you can do this brake upgrade like I did...it works great now

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...tallation.html

 

its a pretty straight forward job. If you got it all apart to do the pads, do the rotors too while your at it. Cant hurt.

 

Thanks for the input. Should I just buy OEM rotors and pads, or will the cheaper pads and rotors from Autozone or somewhere similar be okay? I'm not sure how much longer I will keep the car, so I don't want to shell out too much money to upgrade my brakes. I'd rather just keep them as good as stock.

 

if you're not gonna keep it for too much longer than throw the cheap ones on there and call it a day.

that's just my .02

 

If the rotors are new(ish), having them resurfaced is definitely the more economical option. At 42k miles on them, there's a chance there isn't enough material left to do it - but there may be. The service manual lists a maximum refinishing limit of 19mm . . . so if you've still got more thickness than that, turning them is perfectly safe. Getting both front rotors turned is cheap - any brake place (e.g. Midas) can do it in minutes.

All of that said, rotors aren't that expensive, and assuming you've got a good impact driver to remove the set screws, replacing them while you're doing the pads doesn't take long at all. Don't bother with cross-drilled or slotted, it's a waste. I know plenty of people who track their cars on a regular basis, and all they use are the cheap solid rotors from Autozone.

 

i had the same problem on mine... i just went to the dealer and they turned them under warranty... Daemione is right, drilled rotors are useless, they act like cheese gratters on ypur pads and cracks can form around the holes, they do cool faster, put they also get hot faster as there is less material... when i decide to change mine, i will probably put plain brembos...

 

@pegreene;
this is a pretty good article on the mechanics behind what caused your problem. it maybe way TMI, but if you're interested I think it's worth a read!

Good luck resolving your problem.

StopTech : Balanced Brake Upgrades

 

Just wanted to say that when I had this issue, all I needed to do was replace my pads. Also switched them to ceramic. And no more pulsating. Can't speak for everyone but that is how mine went. I still had lots of metal on my rotors too so they have been left alone.

(posting this for anyone else possibly researching the topic.)

 

EBC 3GD Discs with Hawk HP+ and Gulf competition Dot 5.1 Fluid...

I will be installing them tomorrow!!

Marko!!

 

^ nice setup Marko that should def. take the wiggle out of your stopping. Come on back and let us know how it feels after the change out
And pix of what ya do!

 

My brakes were pulsating/shaking a little under hard braking. I replaced everything with some AutoZone cheap stuff. It feels soooo much nicer now. The pulsating is usually a sign of a warped rotor.

 

It's awesome!!! No more pulse, amazing stopping power but they are noisy... Noise wasn't a concern for me as long as the brake pulse was long gone!! I'm a happy man now!!

Marko!!

 

^Nice! hey i'll be upgrading my brakes to! but i'm going with totally different stuff! It will be interesting to see how it compares... I went with Ferodo DS2500 brake pads, Power slot slotted cryo rotors, ATE premium blue DOT 4 fluid, and T1R SSBL...