[D76G12]

Just got done with my break-in (30-30-30) and test drive of my new front brakes! The weather today was wonderful so I installed Bendix CT-3 pads and Bendix slotted & drilled rotors (made in Canada, BTW). I've used Bendix brakes for years and always with great results. It's a slightly different set-up than my LeBaron was but not too bad. The first set took a little more than an hour - the second about 30 minutes. The calipers were still in pretty good shape so I didn't need to paint them - don't really have the time for that anyway. I did paint the rotors Memorial Day weekend. I had planned on changing the brakes then but at 98° (a local record) I passed. The silver square is where the "L" sticker was. When I painted the rotors I left the stickers on as I wasn't sure I would be fully aware when I did this. :beer:

About three months ago I was coming off the freeway on a downhill ramp and the brakes kinda' "gave" on me for a second. They had performed great to that point but after that they were never the same. Today I found out why:

You can see the wide, unworn area on the rotor and the matching grove on the pad. It looks like something got in there and just ate it up - a rock chip or something? who knows. The chip out of the rotor is where I pounded it off with the hammer. Those factory lug clips are a PITA to remove ...

 

[Ronbo]

Looks good! Can you tell me what the price is on the Bendix rotors? And where you got them from? A PM is fine if you don't want to put that info up in the thread.

 

[kavadarci]

I'm interested in the price of the rotors and what kind of pads did you use?
I never managed to find good breaks.

 

[Unreal]

Sweet! I want these rotors too.

 

[DodgeyAussie]

I might go with Bendix too... not all that impressed with the irotos. Maybe we could do a group buy lol.

 

[D76G12]

I got the rotors from Advance Auto (which may be Parts America in your neighborhood) and had to order them special, then wait a week for them to come in. Total cost was ~$165 for the pair, which included a $20 charge for the special order. These are great rotors too, beveled edges on the drill holes & outer rims and a very slight chamfer on the slots - no sharp edges to overheat and fail later.

CT-3 ceramic pads run ~$80 a set and include the ceramic grease (a high quality brake grease) you need to apply to the caliper bosses. I'll give you a performance update in about a week to let you know how I like the feel ...

 

[Captain]

! ! Y3H D76G12,
nice pictures, even nicer looking rotors!!
Hold it a sec. do you mean to say " When I painted the rotors " ?!?!? Or did I miss something?
BTW I just got my set of iRotors. As soon as I get them on I'll post some pictures

 

[Avenger]

Very nice!!! Let us know how you like em!!!

Mmmmmm, Made in Canada, my kind of brakes I used to make rotors.......but they were complete garbage material shipped in from Mexico (don't worry, they were for heavy trucks).


I had to do an emergency stop the other day with my iRotors/Wagner Thermoquiet combo.........DAMN, the car stopped so fast I was worried about getting hit from behind!!!

 

[D76G12]

... Mmmmmm, Made in Canada, my kind of brakes I used to make rotors.......but they were complete garbage material shipped in from Mexico (don't worry, they were for heavy trucks) ...

Those have a stamp in the metal that says "CANADA" (you can see it in the 8 o'clock position) so I assume the rotors are cast in Canada. Or did you mean the metal was from Mexico and you cast it?

Hold it a sec. do you mean to say " When I painted the rotors " ?!?!? Or did I miss something?

 

[MikeW]

What is the vane structure like? solid or broken in two like the OEMs? directional straight, directional curved?

 

[Captain]

I was wondering if you meant that you painted the rotors or maybe you meant the calipers. If you meant the rotors; I did not know you could paint the rotors.

 

[D76G12]

What is the vane structure like? solid or broken in two like the OEMs? directional straight, directional curved?

As far as I could tell they look like the '02 R/T OEMs on the inside but I didn't compare them side by side. I'm not sure of the details on the OEMs (lots of rust in there) nor what you mean by "broken on the inside". If you'll enlighten me I think could answer your question.

If you meant the rotors; I did not know you could paint the rotors.

I just painted the black part you see in the pic. You can paint anything that doesn't come into contact with the pads including the edging - but I'd suggest using high-temp paint ...

 

[Warlord187]

Let me put one more check next to "reasons to be pissed off at Advance Auto". If they weren't 25% of our sales....Oh hell. I'm just an engineer. I can't speak for the company on that.

They seriously charged you a "special order" fee? Those should be normal stock.

Ok. I'm done venting. For now.

Anyways...

I see you used the Ceramlub. It's also a good idea to use some on the back of the pads where they meet the caliper, on the ears where they rest on the abutment clip, and also some on the hold down clip where it rests on the caliper (outer pad as shown in the pic). Just something for future reference.

As for painting the rotors, yeah, you can paint them. I used the G2 caliper paint since there is plenty left over after painting the calipers. Even better (to get inside) is to spray it with a high temp clear. Looks really sweet.

Painted Bendix Street HP rotor --> http://intrepidrt.brianchase.us/pics/Rotor_BendixStreetHP_front.jpg
Painted iRotor rotor --> http://intrepidrt.brianchase.us/pics/Rotor_iRotors_rear.jpg

MikeW...from what I can see, the Street HP vane structure is the same as the OE (at least the OE rotors that came off my car...yes, I still have the OE pad set and rotors I took off my car five years ago ).

 

[Warlord187]

If anybody wants to know where to buy either pads and/or rotors in your area, PM me with your zip code and I can let you know. Advance Auto is usually the best bet, but they certainly aren't the only bet.

As for the group discount, let me see what I can do.

 

[saselker]

funny- they make those pads(along with MOST other aftermarket) a few towns from where I live but they can be hard to find in stock around here. Just a day wait, but I never plan that far ahead....
Oh yeah the company....Anstro Mfg., Wolcott, CT Largest supplier of aftermarket brakes anywhere.....BRANDING IS A SCAM!!! Work in the metal stamping industry long enough it becomes clear....

 

[saselker]

http://www.anstroinc.com/

 

[D76G12]

They seriously charged you a "special order" fee? Those should be normal stock.

That's what they did - said they had to get them from the regional warehouse ...

 

[Warlord187]

funny- they make those pads(along with MOST other aftermarket) a few towns from where I live but they can be hard to find in stock around here. Just a day wait, but I never plan that far ahead....
Oh yeah the company....Anstro Mfg., Wolcott, CT Largest supplier of aftermarket brakes anywhere.....BRANDING IS A SCAM!!! Work in the metal stamping industry long enough it becomes clear....

Actually, those CT-3 pads are produced in Elberton, GA by Bendix (Honeywell). Anstro does not make brake pads. Anstro is a hardware and shim supplier for brake pad manufactures, both OE and Aftermarket. They also supply drum shoe hardware.

 

[MikeW]

The OEM (non RT) cooling vane is perfectly radial, but instead of being one piece from inner radius to outer radius, the middle (~20%) is gone.

I used a (LED) flashlight and could see light coming through (when held at and angle) from an adjacent cooling radial cooling slot.

The brembo (OEM internally vented) from tirerack is a verbatim copy, the RT style was not, and was heavier (not sure if from the solid cooling vanes, or the externally vented design)

 

[D76G12]

I've been running the new pads & rotors about a month now and just wanted to post an update. The pads are GREAT for braking - very little fade and only under extreme (80 - 20 MPH) conditions. I must admit they did take a little getting used to - they outperform the stock pads hands down so it takes a much lighter touch on the pedal to avoid nosedives.

I have almost no brake dust on the wheels - a big selling point for me as it's damn hard to do a good job on the wheels in the winter. No squeaks, squeals, or other odd sounds - so far I am 100% satisfied with the results!

Now I'm wondering if they have CT-3's for my Road Runner ...

The OEM (non RT) cooling vane is perfectly radial, but instead of being one piece from inner radius to outer radius, the middle (~20%) is gone.

These are solid from one side of the rotor to the other - no gap.