krell wrote:Well the reservoir level is below the max and the car needs more room to stop ..
Below MAX doesn't mean much, but when it gets down to MIN you probably need pads. The braking distance shouldn't change until the pads are gone. 20K sounds awfully early.
Very good point on the braking distance. There's no real reason it should change as the pads wear unless something isn't right or the pads aren't consistent all the way through.
Since you're braking hard on those weekend mountain runs, have you felt any brake fade?
If you overheat the brake pads (which is possible in mountain driving as described) then the pads will be destroyed and the brake fluid could also be "boiled" and need changing. The discs could also be glazed and need machining.
I did that once on a race track - it was an expensive lesson.
If you overheat the brake pads (which is possible in mountain driving as described) then the pads will be destroyed and the brake fluid could also be "boiled" and need changing. The discs could also be glazed and need machining.
I did that once on a race track - it was an expensive lesson.
And can be quite dangerous too!
I've seen brakes smoke and almost catch fire on a racetrack. It's important to have the right pads, right rotors, and right fluid for racing.
krell wrote:I'm going on to 20k miles now was told by the mechanic at Jeff D'Ambrosio Suzuki in Frazer that i will need pads soon, was gonna get some Hawks pads to replace the Akebono pads. Tire rack only list Akebono pads for 2011 none for 2013.
The pads would be identical for the 2010 to the 2013. There were no changes to my knowledge even between trim levels. All Kizashis have the same brake pads regardless of model year or trim level.
Also, Hawks are good but are aggressive. I used to have the Hawk HPS pads on my Impreza. They bit well, but created a lot of brake dust and blackened the front wheels like crazy. They also ate up my rotors quite rapidly.
Basically with brake pads, it's a sacrifice of performance vs. pad life, noise, and brake dust. Hawks are more performance-oriented so they will cause more of the issues I listed. I think the Akebonos are a good compromise because they perform well, but are also quiet and don't cause too much dust. However, it's likely that some Hawk pads will outperform it in braking performance.
If you need a brake pad change at near 20K miles, there is something unusual about your driving style or driving condition. I thought you live in Brooklyn, NY so you aren't on a mountain. Do you frequently brake hard? Do you ride your brakes a lot or use your left foot to brake?
It's rare where I live anyone gets more than 20k out of a set of pads, or £15k out of front tyres.
paininthenuts wrote:It's rare where I live anyone gets more than 20k out of a set of pads, or £15k out of front tyres.
I got 100k out of pads once, and I've been commented as 'being as hard on brakes as Porsche track drivers' by my buddy who was a Porsche Tech at the time.
I was changing my oil/filter today and noticed my brake fluid in the rez was super low. I have 28K miles on my 13 SLS. I ordered the Ceramic Akebono's from TireRack.com just now. I tend to brake hard, and did a lot of stop and go last year from my former job (hence the miles), but now thankfully live much closer to my new job. I really liked the performance aspect of the Ake's, so I'm sticking with 'em.
