# EBC Redstuff, with a question



## Rauq (Jul 19, 2010)

I'm halfway through installing my new EBC Redstuff pads all around- got the fronts on, the rears will go on tomorrow- and I have a question about the install, and then once they're all on, I'll give you guys a review. I'm looking forward to getting them bedded in, I should be able to do that in about a week.

I got the fronts on, no problem. Jacked the car up, took off the wheel, unbolted the caliper, note to self: since the bolts holding the caliper on are facing away from you, you have to rethink righty-tighty... Took the old pads out, I found out they were Duralast Gold CMax Ceramics, and they were almost completely dead. They've never been particularly impressive, but they've been almost scary lately. I put the shims on the new pads, compressed the pistons, and put the new pads in, but they seeem to be a bit taller than the old pads. On the rotors, there's the nice and smooth part, but at the very top, there looks to be a small lip of material similar to what's on the inside of the rotor. The old pads didn't seem to contact that part. At the time I assumed this would sort itself out as part of the bedding in process, where the new pads learn the rotors, so I put the calipers back on. But when I got the wheel back on, while it was still lifted, I spun the wheel, and I can already hear the pads rubbing the top of the rotor. Is this a normal part of bedding in? I can't imagine how bad this is going to sound when I get to driving again (which probably won't be for another couple days, I want to do the rear pads first and I might just wait on an answer). Just so's ya know, I'm an 04, and they *are* 04 pads. So I guess my question is, is it acceptable for the top of the pads to contact the rough surface at the very top of the rotors? Will that sort itself out in the bedding in, is that a normal part of bedding in? Or is there soemthing weird going on here?

Anyway, once they're all sorted out, I'll get back to you guys on how I like them. Not expecting to have any complaints, but we'll see.

On a side note, I ordered my pads from MarylandSpeed.com, they were quick and painless and about $30 less than anywhere else I could find them, and now that that I get onto oreillyauto.com, I see that they have a free '66 (I think) GTO die-cast model with $100+ online purchases... Of course I find that after I order $143 from MarylandSpeed.


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## Rauq (Jul 19, 2010)

I'll get back to you guys in a week or two letting you know how I like them once they've warmed up to their new home. Saving the space for that


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## motoristx (Apr 27, 2010)

i got an 05' and i have a small lip too, i took a wire brush to it and it mostly went away. i haven't noticed any negative effects from it. i went with a Carbon Metalic pad.

those duralast pads are known to wear the rotor down a bit though, i pulled them off mine, but i never turned my rotors...


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## Rauq (Jul 19, 2010)

Yeah I didn't turn mine either, mostly because I'm doing my pads in a parking lot outside my apartment so I can't exactly take them off and drive down to O'Reilly. Then again, do you think I could drive down to O'Reilly and borrow a lift or two and take them off there and have them turn the rotors while my car is sitting, disabled, in their parking lot? I'm not sure if I have the time for that.


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## motoristx (Apr 27, 2010)

Rauq said:


> Yeah I didn't turn mine either, mostly because I'm doing my pads in a parking lot outside my apartment so I can't exactly take them off and drive down to O'Reilly. Then again, do you think I could drive down to O'Reilly and borrow a lift or two and take them off there and have them turn the rotors while my car is sitting, disabled, in their parking lot? I'm not sure if I have the time for that.


 around here, they don't like you to do that kinda stuff in the parking lot... it's one this to change a wiper or add some oil... :lol: i've been chased off for doing that!


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## Rauq (Jul 19, 2010)

So I got them all on, but when I brake now, I get the expected squeal, but I can also hear and feel a grinding, and I'm 99% certain it's from the very slim rough portion of the very outside of the rotor. I can see where the rough part is being worn down a little bit. Is it ok to let this rough part sort itself it, i.e, is that a normal part of bedding in, or should I get my rotors turned? I've never done brake work before, if you can't tell


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## motoristx (Apr 27, 2010)

an expert would say, yes, turn the rotors. I didn't do mine and they are fine, although I have a vacumm issue on my booster. if you turn the rotors, your going to have a longer bedding time due to the uneven wear on your pads.


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## Rauq (Jul 19, 2010)

Sorry for the huge delay, I left to come home after the semester, helped my family move, spent a while in Kansas with no internet... Anyway, I got the rotors turned a few days after the new pads went on, and the grinding went away immediately. Turns out these new pads do contact more of the rotors than the old pads did. They squealed pretty bad for the first few hundred miles, especially when they were cold. After nearly 1000 miles of city-type driving, I went ahead with the break-in procedures that came with the pads- 5 or 6 hard stops from ~60 to ~20, building up heat all the while. Now with broken in EBC Redstuff pads...

They are a huge improvement over the stock-equivalent pads that were on there before. They grab much quicker and with greater authority, and going hard on them one minute doesn't mean I can't do it again the next. The pads that were on before were adequate, the new ones are great. I had less dust when the pads were going through the bedding in process than the old pads did during their normal life, and now that they are fully ready, dust is nonexistent. I'll probably autocross them when I get back to school, I'm anticipating that they'll be a great help.

Two thumbs up.

Any questions, just holler.


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

Rauq said:


> Just so's ya know, I'm an 04, and they *are* 04 pads.


Man, if you would of got Vette pads for the front you would be even happier! They are direct fit, and have a tad more surface area.


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## Rauq (Jul 19, 2010)

jpalamar said:


> Man, if you would of got Vette pads for the front you would be even happier! They are direct fit, and have a tad more surface area.


Does that affect brake bias at all? I'd think you get a good bit more of your bite up front, do you have any experience with the rear end getting floaty if you're hard on the brakes?


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

Rauq said:


> Does that affect brake bias at all? I'd think you get a good bit more of your bite up front, do you have any experience with the rear end getting floaty if you're hard on the brakes?


Nope. I haven't autoX my car or anything so I'm talking about my experiences with just spirited street driving.


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## Rauq (Jul 19, 2010)

Do you think anyone else can speak to this? I feel like last time I autox'd, trying to bleed off as much speed as I could from 60 in a straight line and then getting right off the brakes right at the start of the turn, I'm not sure if my rear was wishy washy or if I was imagining things. Maybe the rear was more grippy and bit gravel. But another guy there with a Shelby GT (the fake one) had a big brake kit in the front and his back end was so washy...


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## 87GN06GTO07IRL (Aug 10, 2009)

The Vette pads are great for auto x. To me, i can't have enough front brake. The only way i could see bias being thrown off is by having larger rears to the point they would lock. Everyone drives different though.


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