GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Front brakes are shot. I put about 35-40,000 on this set of Powerslot Rotors and Stillen Metal Matrix pads. I had them on my Civic, and my Saturn. So I figured they would be good combo for the Matrix. Guess I was not 100% on. The pads wore out really fast and the rotors have hot spots on them and need to be replaced.I am doing a change around as this setup is not really going so well. I am putting Brembo blank OEM style rotors. They are OEM size, but made with better thicker materials to withstand warping and wear out.I am also heading for the first time to EBC pads. They make one called the Ultimax which is an OEM type pad made with mix materials and has a break-in liner on the front of the pad for easier break in periods.I will update on how this works and let you all know what I think. I was not any harder on the Powerslots than I was on any other car, but given the added weight of the Matrix over the others the pads just didn't hold up and I don't have another $150 plus for just rotors.Total cost here will be $170 shipped from http://www.buybrakes.com Free shipping offered and the price with pad offerings was better than Tirerack.com whose comparable price on rotors and a different not as well known set of pads came to $208.

Well,I just replaced my brakes.Used Stop-Tech drilled and slotted rotors and Axxis ceramic pads.And let me tell you,these things stop so well,I'm very impressed.Second best thing I've done to the Vibe.

I had the Ultimaxx pads on my old subaru, and I REALLY liked them, it was already set up with decent brakes, and those pads bit a little better...Just a note on a few things.New pads and new rotors shouldn't be seasoned/bedded together.... If you REALLY want to do the process properly, use the old pads to season the NEW rotors, let them cool for as close to 24hrs as you can, then swap in the new pads and proceed to bed the pads in properly... I posted a thread on this some time back, you should look it up and read some of the things posted... I tell you this because I had a set of KVR cross drilled rotors on my old subaru for, crap, 6-7 YEARS... I feel this was possible because I did the proper procedure first....