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Big Brake Upgrade

6K views 33 replies 12 participants last post by  Piloteer359 
#1 ·
#2 ·
I need to find out if this picture is a stock photo or the actual brakes in the kit because they show a two piston caliper which depending on the size would be a nice upgrade.
However I've been recently been using the top premium full 100% ceramic pads from Autozone and they make it feel like it has drilled rotors. They are lifetime guaranteed too so free pads when they wear out!
 
#3 ·
Drilled and slotted rotors are overkill, IMHO, unless you're taking it out to the track every weekend.
Yellow Vehicle Asphalt Screenshot Line


Otherwise, as an improvement to the Pilot's underachiever brakes, this set has kept me very happy ever since I finally put it in several years ago.

 
#14 ·
Drilling will do very little for fade resistance. While it technically will allow some heat to escape through the vanes, good pads, rotors, and fluid will do more for you in terms of fade resistance. Drilling has more of an impact on keeping the surface clean and allowing gases to escape resulting in slightly better friction. If you’re concerned with downhill braking, you need to use engine braking and reduce your brake usage to keep them from overheating.
 
#5 ·
Since your Pilot is an ‘07, be sure to clean out the pad mount areas on the brackets. The rust will have to be filed or scraped out to re-establish sliding clearance for the new pads. A rotary wire brush will just polish the rust, and your new pads will bind and stick.
 
#6 ·
That’s not a big brake kit. It’s simply a slotted/drilled rotor with pads and OEM sized replacement red powder coated calipers. Those calipers aren’t larger.
I have those Z36 pads in the front and they are significantly better than OEM. Still have pretty good bite when cold as well.

No point replacing the caliper if it’s good.

Don’t bother with slotted/drilled rotors. Drilled rotors are prone to cracking due to the constant thermal cycling of everyday driving. On a track, they’re hot for longer periods then slowly cooled down at the end. You won’t gain any performance from it. Slotting can help but can also be a little bit noisier. Slotting helps clean up any gases/debris between the rotor and pad.

Either way, not really necessary on a car like this and you won’t notice a difference in stopping distance. Put your money towards the best tires you can afford. They are significantly more important.

I’d definitely recommend the Z36 pads as well as the Z23 pads in the rear. Just go with a good quality rotors. I’ve been a fan of Bosch Quietcast. I’m on my second set of pads. No warping and still plenty above the minimum thickness.
 
#10 ·
You’re about to waste a lot of money. You will see absolutely no benefit from it. Drilled and slotted rotors were designed for the track where you are repeatedly hard braking. Not only that but they will warp sooner. Save your money. Seriously. You won’t see any benefits. I use Bosch Quite Cast rotors on my Pilot and MDX. Paired with Akibono brake pads. Exceptional braking, minimal dust and absolutely no noise
 
#12 ·
Amen. I’ve had a great experience with Bosch as well. The OEMs seem to warp easily. I like the Bosch anti rust coating as well. I live in the Midwest where rust is an issue. I just hate seeing people waste money. Drilled and slotted serve a purpose but not for a Pilot. I was once thinking of doing the same for my Pilot but thankfully I reached out to my buddy who is a master mechanic and actually builds and owsno drag cars. He was the one who set me straight that I’d be wasting money. In addition those brakes need to be hot to achieve braking performance. Driving around town you won’t get them hot enough to achieve the desired results.
 
#16 · (Edited)
I have those on my Ram diesel. They do make a significant improvement in braking performance. Silent with minimal dusting. To be honest though our '07 stops really well. The pads alone with stock rotors would be plenty on a Pilot. I have Bosch rotors and had their pads. The rotors developed pulsation in less than 10K. My independant shop machined them on the vehicle and recommended stock pads as the sacrificial lamb. I've got 35K on them and they're smooth and quiet.
 
#21 ·
Install what you want on your car but to think that drilled and slotted rotors are going to provide a better driving or braking experience is just downright hysterical. I had this debate with a guy who had a highlander and found that aluminum stabilizer links from a Ford fit the highlander. He thought for sure he would experience a difference in handling. Oh and the torque was 42 ft pounds but because the nut kept falling off he torqued it to 75 ft pounds. Now he hears a banging noise but will NEVER admit it’s the stabilizer link.
 
#22 ·
I have 268K miles on my 05 Pilot. I've replaced the brakes several times. Until I put slotted and drilled rotors on the vehicle the brakes always warped. I live on a small mountain and have to drive down a one mile rather steep road. I suspect the slotted and drilled brakes dissipate the heat much better than normal brakes. I heartily recommend them.
 
#23 · (Edited)
To each their own…the Pilot isn’t a race car. My other car has 6 Pot Wilwoods and I still run solid discs without an issue even beating them up on the mountain roads out here. Experimenting with different pads made the biggest difference for me on that car.

My Pilot has had the Bosch disks with 31” tires and heavier wheels, a lift, and lots of gear. I go up to the mountains quite frequently and have never faded/warped these brakes. I did warp cheaper brand disks though. The Bosch’s have been solid for 3 years. I still think the important thing with these pilots isn’t whether they’re slotted or drilled…it’s just whether they’re quality disks. It’s a heavy car with small disks. Pads helped a lot with bite but I never had them fade from heat. Even the cheaper brand pads.

If you want better cooling, doing some simple ducting will blow away any potential gains of cooling from slotting and drilling without the noise of slots and the risk of potential cracking from drilling. 🤷‍♂️

 
#27 ·
Just curious for the folks that prefer drilled / slotted if they change their rotors everytime they change pads or just when they need replacement?

Might make a good poll.

I typically do my own brake jobs so if I'm getting dirty you better believe I'm doing it all.
Worst part is the disc brake retainers (rotor screws), I ever met the person behind that... All my drinks on their tab.
 
#29 ·
Waste of money. Complete waste of money. Drilled and slotted serve a purpose for corvette, Porsche but not a Honda. In fact it may be counter productive because those are only effective to disperse heat caused by going fast and hard braking. You don’t do that in a Pilot.
 
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