When your Brakes Break

[Targa Tom]

Funny thing about motorsport... NO warranty!!!

Follow all the tempering rules you ever learned and know to work, 3 days into a realy tough event and thump...thump...thump...thump...thump...thump...thump...

Not just one but two cracks on each rotor.

These are sold as high performance.... I forget what brand they are!

Guess I need a bias bar and some days testing now. More power is good, pulling it up is a problem!

TT

[Duncan]

damn, I guess the you didn't want the extra slots

[Roy]

EEEKKKK!!! That cant be good! :Oops:

There no good to you now, so id at least send them back to the retailer/manufacturer with a letter stating what happened.

Your not likely to get anything out of them, but at least they will be aware of the limits of their rotors and MAY (?) change the metallurgy or heat treatment they use for that range of rotor...or qualify there claim of high performance

[Clint32]

i popular brand or replacement rotors are they? the same as i have on the front of my car by the look of the slots, not good.

the slots may be good for cleaning the pads but give a high stress point by going out to the edge of the rotor

[Guest RedLineGTR]

dam, must of been abit of pressure for them to crack...any specifics on what brand they were??

[Targa Tom]

i popular brand or replacement rotors are they?  the same as i have on the front of my car by the look of the slots, not good.

the slots may be good for cleaning the pads but give a high stress point by going out to the edge of the rotor

No drama with fronts Clint... They are much wider(Thicker - more heat dispersion). And yes, even though I dont work for a brake company, I would say the cracks started in the slots.

Used OEM for rest of the event with no drama.

Redline

I forget what brand they are!

TT

[R31Nismoid]

the same as i have on the front of my car by the look of the slots, not good.

I know what you mean, i've seen that pattern before somewhere...

And funnily enough the front rotors look the same as to what are set to be going onto my car.

And i aint seen that pattern anywhere else yet....

Are you sure you dont remember TT? Just not saying to be diplomatic?

Even PM me if you like rather than post it openly.

[Sydneykid]

Shoot that's impressive TT, I have never seen a Skyline rear disc do that. Where they hardened? What pads? Same compound front and rear? Do you have an adj pressure (limiting) valve on the rear? Was it showing signs of excessive rear brake bias?

[Targa Tom]

Shoot that's impressive TT, I have never seen a Skyline rear disc do that.  Where they hardened?  What pads?  Same compound front and rear?   Do you have an adj pressure (limiting) valve on the rear?  Was it showing signs of excessive rear brake bias?

Standard Brake config.. ie no bias adjust, no limit knob, no hydraulic h'brake etc.

Pads in rear ebc green stuff, fnt = Red Stuff (V3) - ebc cant supply RS for rear. Drove on the street for 2-3 weeks. 50 dyno runs, and a day at Baskerville (12 laps). But never servere on brakes - my style tends to be float 'em in rather than stop turn shoot (lack of power dictates that) Then Day 0, 1, 3, and this happened at the end of day 4.

If we keep the car I will go dual with bias adj for next year, and dial it in on the heat paint/infra thermometer.

As for bias indicative symptoms, at the end of symmons plains straights, (damp) it picked up the fronts slightly, without locking the rears.

I don't like the slots to the edge... will use oem style on the rear next time. Unfortunately with the wheel size cannot make enough gains to warrant bigger discs (commercial decision). Thats why we are looking to move to an N1 BNR32.

Oh, and it does it when cooling. They are fine until cooled - maybe in Tassie they cool too quick??

[Sydneykid]

Do you "rock it" until the brakes cool?

[Merli]

For those asking what brand those discs are, that's a pretty distinctive slotting pattern

[dbasteve]

Funny thing about motorsport... NO warranty!!!

Follow all the tempering rules you ever learned and know to work, 3 days into a realy tough event and thump...thump...thump...thump...thump...thump...thump...

Not just one but two.

These are sold as high performance....  I forget what brand they are!

Guess I need a bias bar and some days testing now.  More power is good, pulling it up is a problem!

TT

Not a good result Tom.

For those that couldn't work it out from the hints, they are DBA rotors and this is very rare.

If you dont mind emailing me Tom I will replace the discs with new ones if I can get these broken discs back for testing. We take pride in our work and do replace "No Warranty" items if we can't offer a reasonable explanation. You just need to ask the right people...

Thanks!

Steve Gavin

Disc Brakes Australia

[email protected]

[lwells]

Nice -- good to see a company standing by its products

Edit: out of interest, what sort of cost is associated with DBA rotors, and would people recommend the 5000s over the 4000s, etc?

LW.

[Whoneedstherapy]

Nice -- good to see a company standing by its products

Edit: out of interest, what sort of cost is associated with DBA rotors, and would people recommend the 5000s over the 4000s, etc?

LW.

LW, i'm a big fan of the dba 4000 series after the experience i had with my soarer. It did have a bit of power behind it and after changing to the DBA 4000 series rotor's up front it stopped miles better than before. Stopping repeatedly from high speed was a real option where as before on the standard discs you'd get some bad fade after a few hard stops. If it can stop a tank like that every time without any fuss I'd definately reccomend it for a 32R I'll let you know when mine go on which should be sometime in the next month or so.

[Targa Tom]

Not a good result Tom.

For those that couldn't work it out from the hints, they are DBA rotors and this is very rare.

If you dont mind emailing me Tom I will replace the discs with new ones if I can get these broken discs back for testing. We take pride in our work and do replace "No Warranty" items if we can't offer a reasonable explanation. You just need to ask the right people...  

Thanks!

Steve Gavin

Disc Brakes Australia

[email protected]

Thanks Steve,

I will email you for details... Even though I didnt expect a replacement, as you can understand - being a relatively low budget operation - we are very greatful. (And I wouldnt have named them)

Every now and then during racing you have a product that for what ever reason does not perform to your expectation. Given the many variables, it is refreshing and almost unheard of to get this response.

For all those wondering, we also run the same model front rotor, without any problems, in fact same car or different car, I will use the same product in Targa 2005...

That is not just because I like the way they do business, but I am convinced they have a good product. (Some top brands sold in Oz are branded - I believe - by dba for their clients).

Regards TT

PS. Yes Gaz, We always roll the car while waiting for time cards etc... even If we have to reverse back to get it. Also you get 200-500 meters of run down, which gives a fair bit of knock off time.

[Merli]

Not a good result Tom.

For those that couldn't work it out from the hints, they are DBA rotors and this is very rare.

If you dont mind emailing me Tom I will replace the discs with new ones if I can get these broken discs back for testing. We take pride in our work and do replace "No Warranty" items if we can't offer a reasonable explanation. You just need to ask the right people...  

Thanks!

Steve Gavin

Disc Brakes Australia

[email protected]

Well.... That was unexpected!

I'm running 330mm DBA discs on alloy hats with AP Racing 6 Pot Calipers and am about to upgrade to 365mm discs as I've decided to go exclusively 18" wheels for track and road.

With that kind of response and product backing how can I not go for DBA discs again?

Wonderful to see a company back their products like that and genuinely interested in product testing and research.

[R31Nismoid]

Nice -- good to see a company standing by its products

Edit: out of interest, what sort of cost is associated with DBA rotors, and would people recommend the 5000s over the 4000s, etc?

LW.

5000's are a two piece rotor.

4000's are a single, both are the same 'rotor'

It's just that the 5000 cost more initially, but cost less to replace.

The 4000 are cheaper, but cost more to replace.

Get what i mean?

And DBA Steve, with that comment, my faith in my brakes on the car has been lifted. Definately going to stick with the custom 5000's and the 4000 on the rear (which are there now with no breaks yet )

[lwells]

5000's are a two piece rotor.

4000's are a single, both are the same 'rotor'

It's just that the 5000 cost more initially, but cost less to replace.

The 4000 are cheaper, but cost more to replace.

Get what i mean?

Certainly do. What sort of cost is involved in the purchase though -- I had a quick look and couldn't actually find any prices online.

LW.

[Duncan]

dbasteve you've just raised the reputation of DBA even further!

[R31Nismoid]

LW, they are on the web-site... im sure of it.

Somewhere! lol!

if not, just call a brake place. They'll know

If you got a Race Brakes they are a good bunch