As a sales speci
alist at Tire Rack, I get the opportunity to test all of the tires we sell. This includes performance auto tires, Passenger All-Season tires, truck tires and more. Occasionally, I like to step outside the box and review products that don't catch as much attention on our test track as the tires. It's nice being able to recommend all products we carry to customers through first-hand experience.
Having recently purchased a Mitsubishi Eclipse to use during the winter months, this vehicle was long overdue for random maintenance. One project at the top of my list was to fix the vehicle's brake system. Following years of driving abuse, the brake pad's metal backing plate had worn its way into the OEM rotors surface prompting immediate need for replacement brake rotors.
With the issues that arose from the driving abuse putting me in the market for new rotors, I went with the
Centric Premium Rotor for several reasons. Featuring a high quality casting with a good internal cooling vane structure, these rotors help protect against warpage. In addition, the rotor face on both sides is machined to have a cross-hatch design to improve pad bed-in. Once more, these castings are completely dipped in an anti-corrosive material to resist oxidation. From my experience, this final measure is very rarely done and is not found on most cost-effective brands. Without this coating you will most often be left with a rusty rotor that isn't pleasing to the eye and is damaging to the rotor.
And, to help you choose the proper braking equipment for your vehicle, read "
Choosing Brake Components." The Centric Premium Rotors have worked well on my new Eclipse and are available at a great price for a large variety of applications.
Shop by vehicle to find the rotors that will help get rid of your vehicle's unwanted noise and vibration.
As soon as you see
ATE PremiumOne® Rotors, you know they’re different. A distinctive set of elliptical grooves have been machined into the rotor face. A satin silver coating covers the entire rotor.
The patented RotorLife® Elliptical Groove Wear Indicator and MetaCote® protective coating deliver performance and convenience unequalled in other rotor lines.
The unique pattern you see on the face of the ATE PremiumOne Rotor is the RotorLife Elliptical Groove Wear Indicator. It’s a groove cut into the rotor surface at complementary angles to allow heat and gases to escape more easily from under the brake pad when it’s in contact with the rotor. Moving the gases out quickly reduces brake fade and extends pad life.
As an added feature, the RotorLife Groove shows you when it’s time to replace the rotor. When the groove’s worn away, it’s time for new rotors – simple as that.
Most rotors look good when they are first installed. But, after only a few trips their looks start to fade. They develop rust around the edges of the rotor face –- and sometimes over the whole rotor face -– making your car’s appearance less than it could be.
MetaCote protective coating provides an attractive, durable surface that helps prevent rust and corrosion and sheds water and dirt, to maintain a clean appearance. MetaCote protects against road salt, brake fluid and other corrosives, and it looks great behind alloy wheels. MetaCote also eliminates the need to use removeable coatings that need to be cleaned off prior to use, saving installation time.
"These brake rotors are great. Way better than OEM rotors. Car stops on a dime now even at highway speeds. I am very impressed with the product and would buy these rotors for every car I buy and the price is not that expensive for a slotted rotor." -- Tire Rack Consumer Review
ATE PremiumOne Rotors all feature an application-specific design. The brake parts that ATE make for your vehicle have been engineered to work with your vehicle’s brake system, vehicle weight and handling characteristics.
Unlike other rotors that take a one-size-fits-all approach, ATE PremiumOne Disc Brake Rotors are based on the Original Equipment design and engineered to tighter tolerances.
The
process of cryogenically treating brake rotors can drastically improve the way a brake system performs. Cryogenically treated metal is cooled well below a zero-degree temperature, slowly returned to room temperature, and treated with heat to complete the process. Although you can't see the results, the metal is significantly altered and is able to stand up to abrasive wear. It's also much more durable. That means cryogenically treated brake rotors are denser and extremely smooth, both of which reduce wear and tear. And we all know how much our brake systems have to deal with.
At
Tire Rack, the cryogenically treated rotors in our inventory come from Cryo-Stop. In addition to the cryogenic treatment, the
Cryo-Stop rotors feature the company's Electrocoating finish to further protect the rotors against rust and corrosion.
"I bought a four-pack of Cryo-Stop rotors and high-grade ceramic pads. My OEM brakes were shuddering and squealing under moderate and light braking, respectively. The shudder went away when I swapped the fronts, and the squeal disappeared after changing the rear. Since then, it's been a smooth, silent and safe ride. Looks great, too. The black paint on the Cryo-Stop rotors is a nice touch, and I haven't seen any rust anywhere yet." — Tire Rack Consumer Review, Honda Accord, IL
Shop by vehicle to see if Cryo-Stop rotors are right for you.
Ceramic disc brake pads tend to lessen excess brake noise and dust, which is a common side effect of semi-metallic brake pads. In addition, ceramic pads handle high brake temperatures with less heat fade while promoting a speedy recovery after harsh stopping. Ceramic disc brake pads certainly are among the best of the best brake components out there, which is why
Tire Rack stocks a number of options from reputable brands like
Akebono,
Hawk and
Satisfied. We could go on and on about how much we like them, but we'll let our happy customers speak for themselves:
Akebono ProACT Ceramic Pads"Installed these about 3 weeks ago. Absolutely no dust, and stopping power seems to be the same as the OEM dust-makers. No noise. Changing the pads was a snap, everything fit." — Tire Rack Consumer Review, Chevrolet Trailblazer, LA
Hawk Performance Ceramic Pads"I was a little hesitant about purchasing a brake pad that promised less dust yet was quieter than OE. I'm hard on brakes and have extremely high expectations. These ceramic Hawk pads combined with the PowerSlot rotors have great responsiveness, stopping power, but have great control especially for such a heavy vehicle. 100% better than OE." — Tire Rack Consumer Review, Ford Expedition, CA
Satisfied Pro Ceramic VS Pads"These pads do just what they say. No noise, dust is very minimum, and the pads perform very good stopping from 160 mph to 0. The 300c SRT8 425 HP has no mercy on tires or break pads. Bottom line these pads are great. Thanks to Tire Rack for the great price." — Tire Rack Consumer Review, Chrysler 300C, AR
Shop Tire Rack's inventory of brake components by vehicle to see if these fit yours.
If you seek the ultimate in brake components, then you'll want a
Goodrich G-Stop Brakeline Kit from
Tire Rack. For well over 20 years, Goodrich has been supplying high performance hose and hose fittings to some of the world's best racing teams. And with a little extra research and development, they've figured out a way to convert that power to products suitable for serious streetcars.
The G-Stop Brakeline Kit provides three to six stainless steel braided hoses (depending on your vehicle) that promote a more responsive brake pedal. The stainless steel leaves your brakes feeling firm, not "spongy" which is a term commonly associated with rubber brake lines. And since the hose is stainless steel, you can rest assured that the line will resist corrosion for a long time.
"I tow a 16-inch car trailer or 14-inch enclosed landscaping trailer almost every day. Installed the Goodridge lines to replace the OEM brake lines, outstanding pedal feel. Much more solid than stock hoses. No fade rotor warping or any adverse problems." — Tire Rack Consumer Review, Chevrolet Blazer, FL
Shop all brake components by vehicle to see this and other aftermarket brake components for yours.
If your OEM rotors have seen better days, then it's high-time you
purchase replacement brake rotors. Not exactly sure what "better days" means? Technically speaking, every brake rotor has a "Worn Rotor Minimum Thickness" limit. You can find this information engraved on the edge of the brake disc, and you'll have to measure accordingly. But if you're using your vehicle on the track, it's a completely different story as brake components on a race car undergo extreme heat and pressure. They'll wear faster and should be replaced well before their wear limits (
read more).
And since brake rotors are a major component of your brake system, you'll want to make sure that only a trained mechanic does the swap out. Incorrectly installing any new brake component can seriously curb your safety.
Read more about brake rotors, then
search Tire Rack's inventory. We'll give you a list of appropriate rotors that might include ATE, Power Slot and Brembo rotors.
When it comes to OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) rotors, you're either ready to simply replace what's currently on your vehicle or are interested in a performance upgrade.
Brake rotors momentarily absorb heat produced during rapid or repeated stops. This means, of course, that they'll eventually wear out. (
Read more.) And on the other hand, many wheels feature an open design that exposes brake components. As a contributing factor to your vehicle's overall performance and appearance, many OEM brakes just don't cut it.
And that's where we come in.
Tire Rack has a full range of
brake rotors for you to choose from. We've got OEM replacement rotors and upgrade options in slotted, dimpled and drilled designs from premium brands like
Akebono,
ATE,
Brembo,
Hawk and
more.
Shop by vehicle and we'll make a few recommendations—we'll even help you
find an installer.
2009 Honda Accord Coupe