[JonRobbinSS]

Last week I finished the install of my new brakes on the car. I really like them so far and am looking forward to putting a few miles on them and seeing how well they perform on the autocross course. They felt very nice after the bedding process.. pedal feel is great..

I had an issue with the right front Brembo rotor coming to me bent - so very slightly 0.0035 runout for about 3-4 inches of the rotor's circumference , but that was enough for some pretty severe brake judder. Rockauto was quick to stand up and send me a new one and took the return of the defective part with return shipping included. With the new rotor on all the judder went away.

I really like them so far and am looking forward to putting a few miles on them and seeing how well they perform on the autocross course. They felt very nice after the bedding process.. pedal feel is great..

First my part numbers and sources.. (prices from March 2013)

Rockauto -
Brembo floating 2-piece front rotors AC Delco 1771145/6 $290 each

Kore 3 -
DBA plain 4000 series rear rotors 42031 $232 each

Amazon -
Russel SS brake lines 692210 $136
Brass banjo washers AC Delco 21012386 $6

14mm drill bit BISRSD14.0MM $18
09 CTS-V 6 pot AC Delco calipers 172-2487/8 $334 each
10 Metric Bolts M14-2.0, 40mm B006HYFXIW $12


04 CTS-V 4 pot rear calipers (swapped crossover tubes)172-2308/9 $69 and $78
10 Metric Bolts M12-1.75, 45mm B006HYFUB2 $10

Permatex 24125 Ceramic Extreme Brake Parts Lubricant, 8 oz. $16

Hawk HPS pads HB649F.605 $125
Brake caliper pin kit Carlson H5843 $13

Hawk HPS pads HB194F.570 (trimmed pad) $96
Brake caliper pin kit AC Delco 18K1970X $16

2 liters ATE Super blue fluid 706302 $21
4 brembo vinyls B003ENA2EO $4

Hardbrakes -
Stainless 1mm thermal backing plates for rear pads TS-S-D0592 $44
(used to make up rotor being 2mm thinner than standard rotor)

Before and after photos to follow...

 

[JonRobbinSS]

Old front/New front

Old rear/New rear

 

[JonRobbinSS]

Overall

 

[Silver Bullet]

She looks good man! Gotta love how mean those 6 piston fronts look.

 

[BriSoG8]

Those 6 pistons are sexy, I want them bad...

 

[TsingTsaoNYC]

Awesome thread. This should be a sticky!

 

[RossD]

I did the same upgrade last year and they performed flawlessly at the track. Nice job!

 

[AuggieDosta]

why did you get rid of the slotted rotors for flat/smooth?

 

[Jeff92se]

Nice! Sell me your old step up

 

[JonRobbinSS]

why did you get rid of the slotted rotors for flat/smooth?

Hard to match a Brembo front rotor and DBA rear rotor, unless you get the rotors machined yourself.

My understanding is that DBA is "thinking" about producing a 2-piece front CTS-V rotor but they are not there yet. Maybe ready when my next set are needed...

 

[JonRobbinSS]

Nice! Sell me your old step up

I have gotten a few PMs about this already. So here is the answer for everyone.

I am probably going to put together a for sale ad sometime soon, and will be attempting to sell the 4 DBA rotors and the Hawk Pads along with the GXP front calipers.

New the rotors and pads are about $850 (marylandspeed) and the calipers are $570 (rockauto)

There is plenty of good life on the rotors and pads and the calipers look good so I am thinking about asking $800 plus shipping for the lot.

I am also thinking about adding my FE3 suspension struts, GXP rear springs and rear sway bar. So tack on another $250 and with that someone would get most of the GXP specific suspension and brake parts in one lot.

Of course with that much stuff shipping might be problematic, and a local buyer might be what I am looking for.. But I am not afraid to ship if someone is willing to pay.

 

[ghodge]

What shock/strut/spring combination is pictured?

 

[JonRobbinSS]

What shock/strut/spring combination is pictured?

Here is the install thread but the short answer is Bilstein strut inserts and shocks with King SL HD springs.

 

[mlittleton]

Awesome work man. You put together an incredible kit for a ton cheaper than the Brembo BBK's. nice work man!

 

[JonRobbinSS]

Update --

I had been battling the same rear brake squeal many others here have seemed to be fighting with.

Using these HSV rotors, Cadillac calipers and Hawk HPS pads seems to be a recipe for loud squealing at low brake pressures and slow speeds.

I tried a couple of things, making sure to lube all the moving metal to metal parts and bedding the pads per Hawk recomendations- noise still there.

Then cleaning and using the CRC Disc brake quiet product (an anaerobic glue for brakes) on all pad,shim, brake cylinder interfaces and lubing just the pad abutments and pins - noise still there.

Then after this last attempt I went out to my best pad bedding road (about 15 miles of unused Mexican country road where you don't have to stop and can get good speeds) and bedded the crap out of this system.. About 10-15 stops 60 to 30mph, than 2-3 stops of 90 to 10mph, than about 10-15 miles of no brakes 40-50 mph cruising to allow the rotors and pads to cool off evenly.. And --- the noise is "mostly" gone. In the 50 miles since there have been only 2 quick squeals and the rest silent running. Much improved over the cringing noises that could wake the dead on every stop I started with.

 

[NPh2005]

I'm in the process of gathering parts to upgrade my brakes, but staying with the stock front Brembos. My question is how did you remove the V on the rear calipers? Did you clearcoat over the new Brembo sticker once on? I've got some brand new V calipers(bought from Amazon too) sitting at home and want to do the same by adding the Brembo sticker to match the fronts.
And it looks great BTW.

 

[JonRobbinSS]

My question is how did you remove the V on the rear calipers?

I used a wheel sanding disc to remove the V, repainted the sanded bit with some silver caliper paint and applied the Brembo sticker. I didn't bother with any clear coat, I'll wait to see how long it all lasts.

 

[NPh2005]

I think I have some of those for my Dremel. I'll give it a shot and see how it comes out. Thanks.

 

[TrainReq]

Damn I wish I had money laying around to do this. Looks amazing.

 

[Bo White]

#1 brake complaint for the gxp is the rear calipers lol. Should be brembo front and back stock.