Need to get new pads and rotors and unfortunately dont know exactly what im looking for. Wondering if anyone has any insight on a good site to get them from. I have heard that ceramic pads offer decent grip without creating too much brake dust. What are some good brands and characteristics to look for in a good / long lasting budget pad and rotor setup.

This is going onto an '03 3.2L Sport-Lux with 17" wheels, currently with stock calipers and brake setup.

Rear probably doesnt need replacing right now, so just the front will do.

Any info is appreciated, thanks! :)

How are these for pads (http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/brakes.jsp?autoMake=Cadillac&autoModel=CTS&autoYear=2003&autoModClar=Luxury+Sport+Package&make=Akebono&model=ProACT+Ceramic+Pads&perfCode=P) and rotors (http://www.autoall.com/cadillac-cts-03-04-rotors-f-r.htm)? Couldnt find any rotors at the tire rack. hmm..

The Tire Rack does sell Hawk Ceramic Pads. I highly recommend them. If you're not into looks the OEM Rotors from GMPD is a good economical bet. If you think you're ready for quality cross drilled slotted crro treated rotors, Pietro Raimondi at Cadillac MotorSports offer what I have.

The Tire Rack does sell Hawk Ceramic Pads. I highly recommend them. If you're not into looks the OEM Rotors from GMPD is a good economical bet. If you think you're ready for quality cross drilled slotted crro treated rotors, Pietro Raimondi at Cadillac MotorSports offer what I have.

know of a website where i can find these? what is the price?

whats the link for cadillac motor sports?

I've been asking for the same thing Ought, what's the web site address??

know of a website where i can find these??

You need to e-mail Pete Raimondi. His website is still under construction. Tell Pete I sent you:yup:

Pete-work
E-mail Address
sales@cadillacmotorsports.com (sales@cadillacmotorsports.com)

i know we've distinctly talked about this before, but what did you end up spotting for the set of rotors? they are sexy and i want them. think he might be interested in a group buy if we can get some members to go in?

i know we've distinctly talked about this before, but what did you end up spotting for the set of rotors? they are sexy and i want them. think he might be interested in a group buy if we can get some members to go in?

I'll send Pete an e-mail and ask.
PJ also bought a set off of Pete and has been pleased.
I post what Pete has to say.

Bob

i know we've distinctly talked about this before, but what did you end up spotting for the set of rotors? they are sexy and i want them. think he might be interested in a group buy if we can get some members to go in?

if so... im in on a group buy to save some ca$h for a poor college student.

if so... im in on a group buy to save some ca$h for a poor college student.

A poor college student might not be able to afford these even with a group purchase buy. Because of the craftsmanship these will be very costly.

A poor college student might not be able to afford these even with a group purchase buy. Because of the craftsmanship these will be very costly.

Yep, don't be confused by the cheap $179 Chinese rotors on Ebay. They are absolute junk. I know Pete's rotors are $600+. But compared to the Big Brake Kits you see some of the V guys and few of the CTS guys install at over $2000,
It begins to sound cheap@ $600+

600 plus for the fronts only, right? what about the rears?

and...how much were them there calipers?

aaaaand, one more thing...with the ceramic pads do you feel much of a difference on the break pedal? i've been told that it's a longer, somewhat harder feel because of the difference in composite. how do you feel about that one, big guy?

PJ also bought a set off of Pete and has been pleased.

True! And yes, I've been very pleased...If you are shopping around for cermaic pads, www.buybrakes.com (http://www.buybrakes.com) has Hawk Ceramic pads for the CTS at $61 for rear set and $78 for front.

Brake pedal feels the same. The price I suggested is for all four (4):yup:

so 600-ish for all 4 and 61+78 for the front and rear pads? i'd probably be in. thats cheaper than what i thought...especially if we can get a slight discount

i bought 4 slotted and drilled rotors from Ebay for $200. I had it on for over 20K miles with no problems. I pull off the wheels once a month to check on these rotors...so far so good. I dont see any lost in braking distance from the stock one. I drive pretty hard in traffic every day to work.

I do not beleive paying Pete that much money.

I also got Hawk ceramic pads for all fours. If i would do it again, I would stick with factory pads from Autozone. The brake dust is still the same for me with the Hawk setup. It actually squeil more than the non-ceramic. So i got tired of the brake noise and swap the factory back on.

But the rotors look goods

i bought 4 slotted and drilled rotors from Ebay for $200. I had it on for over 20K miles with no problems. I pull off the wheels once a month to check on these rotors...so far so good. I dont see any lost in braking distance from the stock one. I drive pretty hard in traffic every day to work. do not beleive paying Pete that much money.
I also got Hawk ceramic pads for all fours. If i would do it again, I would stick with factory pads from Autozone. The brake dust is still the same for me with the Hawk setup. It actually squeil more than the non-ceramic. So i got tired of the brake noise and swap the factory back on.
But the rotors look goods

Absolutely no squealing from my brakes and no dust. It must be your budget rotors.:D There is a difference.:yup:

http://www.devtools.org/rus/mtimages/rotor-cracks-2.jpg

dude. 1 thing i can't stand is squeeky brakes. while braking, driving, turning, ANYTHING. if the shit squeeks it goes back. for 800 bucks i would hope nothing would make any noise.

robert, how is the break dust? with ceramic do you get much less? sometimes i'm a little aggressive and i find myself cleaning the wheels like once a week...

dude. 1 thing i can't stand is squeeky brakes. while braking, driving, turning, ANYTHING. if the shit squeeks it goes back. for 800 bucks i would hope nothing would make any noise.

robert, how is the break dust? with ceramic do you get much less? sometimes i'm a little aggressive and i find myself cleaning the wheels like once a week...

Here's some info:


http://www.tirerack.com/images/headers/brakes/short/hawk_ceramic.gif


http://www.tirerack.com/images/brakes/search/medium/hawk_ceramic_pads.jpg
Enlarge Photo (http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/brakes.jsp?make=Hawk&model=Performance+Ceramic+Pads#)



Hawk Performance introduces a unique ceramic composite formulation specifically developed to meet the ultra-low dust and low noise attributes of Original Equipment ceramic brake pads while maintaining the high friction levels professional brake tuners have grown to expect from Hawk Performance. Hawk Performance Ceramic Brake Pads do not compromise performance and offer a solution to many consumers' number one complaint: DUST! Performance Ceramic Brake Pads also feature a fade resistant, linear friction profile that allows your ABS brake system to work more effectively.

Hawk Performance Ceramic Brake Pads — Quiet, Clean, Safe and Fast Stopping.

Key Features & Benefits of Hawk Performance Ceramic Brake Pads


Ultra-low dust
Improved braking over OE
Stable friction output
Extremely quiet
Extended pad life
Increased rotor life
Brake pads are wear items and as such, should be inspected regularly and replaced as necessary. Pads should be replaced when approximately 1/8th inch of friction material remains on the steel backing plate.

yeah those sound like they are perfect for me. i like talking to someone who actually has them though, versus someone telling how good or bad they are when they have never even stepped on a pedal with them. i'd spot for those...especially if we can get a discount buy on those rotors...sexy breaks. all i would need now are my 18's (next season).

yeah those sound like they are perfect for me. i like talking to someone who actually has them though, versus someone telling how good or bad they are when they have never even stepped on a pedal with them. i'd spot for those...especially if we can get a discount buy on those rotors...sexy breaks. all i would need now are my 18's (next season).

Pete hasn't got back with me yet. I know he's busy preparing 3 cars for the November SEMA show and he's been busy chrome plating Cadillac grills and engine covers for dealers.

i'm not complaining...the time will allow me to save a couple quick grand for this or the next mod. whenever you hear back...granted you do, is fine. i'll leave it at that...

Pete just got back with me. He needs a minimum of 6 orders for a group buy at $600. Here's his e-mail.

Bob:

You would have to get a "head count" on how many people would be interested in a 4 piece rotor package in order for me to calculate any type of " group buy" discount.

I try to price them "out of the box" at close to rock bottom; so there may not be that much of a margin with regard to a discount. The rotors are however guaranteed and "heads and shoulders" above the OEM brembo cast economy rotor as well as the off-shore Chinese gravity-cast iron rotors.

Namely the differences are:


Our rotors are cold forged pressed from long grain ductile iron which is a premium grade carbon steel and literally costs twice the price of short grain gravity cast iron.
Our directional vane is of a proprietary design and our rotors are made to order here in the United States. We made the investment in the tooling for the impeller design which provides substantial cooling properties to the center wheel bearings over the OEM designed directional vane rotor.
Our rotors do not receive a 2 minute tin-zinc electro-plating as a rust inhibitor as most "aftermarket rotors do". The OEM brembo rotors receive no coating whatsoever; just a factory paint protectant. Our rotors receive a 1 hour bath in copper and a 2 hour bath in bright nickel. This 3 hour plating process almost insures that you could drop this rotor in the Pacific Ocean and will experience no rust formation anywhere.
The regular MSRP price of the above package is $700 plus UPS ground shipping and insurance. Depending on the number of orders and I would guess that I would need 10 orders; I could probably offer a 15% discount which would put the rotor package at about $600 plus UPS ground shipping and insurance. And quite frankly; that is really a bargain given the quality of the product.

Additional options that I can make available at standard rates:


Powder coating of the center rotor hubs in a two-stage process. Client can select the color and we will powder coat it any of 2500 different colors plus clear coat it. Cost would be $195.00. As you know, allot of folks will buy those epoxy paint kits made by G2 and they do a decent job. The powder coating process is more of a permanent process and is impervious to brake fluid and brake cleaning solvents.
We can also supply DOT certified braided stainless steel brake lines which I would highly recommend. Cost is $150 and they provide a much firmer brake pedal feel and virtually eliminate any brake fade that is associated with the swelling of the OEM rubber brake lines under ambient temperature changes.
So to summarize; the best "bang for the dollar" would be the rotor package at $600 and the stainless steel braided brake lines at $150.

We will obviously cross drill and/or gas slot each rotor. So in summary; I would suggest the following as a package:

Our cryo treated Cadillac CTS directional vane rotors. They will be cross drilled and cryogenically treated. After cryo-treatment; each rotor will be bright nickel plated as a rust inhibitor as described above. If the client wants the rotor hubs powder-coated we will offer that as an option; but quite frankly I think most would be better served with simply purchasing a G2 epoxy kit for less than $50 and applying any color of their choice to the rotor hubs. I would really rather not fool around with the powder coating, but if someone wants it; I will make it available at $195.

I would highly recommend the DOT certified braided stainless steel brake lines at $150 as an option as this feature speaks for itself.

MSRP on the Rotor Package: $700.00 plus shipping; Group Buy Purchase price: $600 plus UPS shipping
Optional Stainless Steel Braided Brake Lines: $150.00


See what you interest you might be able to stimulate and what you can put together
I would need a minimum of 6 orders in order to offer the above price of $600 as a side note. 10 orders puts me in a better position to offer you more on the back end as my costs of production decrease with regard to the cryo and nickel plating which is very time intensive.

best regards - Pete


What do you guys think?? Start posting for a count. 3x0??
Bob

wow, pete really seems like a cool guy, that e-mail had to take a little time and thats impressive it was so thorough. before we start, let me get this out of the way:

With the luxury sport package, the cts already comes with a higher quality brake line, correct?

thus possibly eliminating the need for the cable? i know it's probably nicer, but i'm guessing not necessary...

blah blah blah, i'd be in for the 6 hundie rotors. **granted we can get atleast 5 more

wow, pete really seems like a cool guy, that e-mail had to take a little time and thats impressive it was so thorough. before we start, let me get this out of the way:

With the luxury sport package, the cts already comes with a higher quality brake line, correct?

thus possibly eliminating the need for the cable? i know it's probably nicer, but i'm guessing not necessary...

blah blah blah, i'd be in for the 6 hundie rotors. **granted we can get atleast 5 more

The brake line are cool and give you a firmer pedal true But I passed to keep my price down. I have no regret. Pete delivered. So who is number 2??:)

The brake line are cool and give you a firmer pedal true But I passed to keep my price down. I have no regret. Pete delivered. So who is number 2??:)

FYI I started another thread with the group buy in mind.

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54669 (http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54669)

Robert!
STOP! Bashing product you dont have first hand experience with...I visited the guys shop on ebay and have also seen petes rotors on PJ's car. We have been through this shit before.... I have the less expensive same quality rotors on my ride....

Stealth we went round and round on this before. I don't want to argue with you anymore. I know a hellava lot more than you give me credit for bud. You don't like it here move on to another thread and take your trash with you.

am i gonna have to seperate you two? i'll pull this car right around, misters...

No Robert you move on! Your the one who always puts a negative twist on a product you dont support... Try being open minded! I dont bash other peoples products! I can pull up multiple threads where you do this! For example this thread and any thread in regards to the volant...........
Just try being open minded...................Just for the record I never said Pete's rotors were bad.......

Dubbed I never said anything to you. You came here with Vengeance and no purpose other than to get ugly.

I know where you're comin' from man.

robert..stop bashing product you have now experience with..I know you like to pay Pete's salary.

Like i said, i got some from ebay and had it on for 20K miles...just as good as factory...no flaw...This is from experience. there are no cracks or grooves...like the Robert pic. The squeak is not from the rotors but from those ceramic pads, they are too agressive. I both set of pads and rotors and try it with different combo.... SO I KNOW IT;S NOT THE PADS.

Unless you want to spend $600 each time to change rotors..it's not worth it. It is all about theory on how good Pete's rotors are, Unless you test them side by side you would never know if it was worth it.

Dubbed I never said anything to you. You came here with Vengeance and no purpose other than to get ugly.

I know where you're comin' from man.

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=14507

Rob...this after you complained about my attempt at comic relief???

Rob...this after you complained about my attempt at comic relief???

That was tongue in cheek. You're cool!:thumbsup:

As to rotors, I think John Arbuckle said it best, "You get what you pay for." When the OEM rotors sell discounted at $386 with no machining or cryo treatment and then someone offers you rotors fully machined and treated for $200..I would think a red flag should go up. They can't be the same quality.
And my Hawk ceramic pads have never squeaked nor has PJ's with our rotors.
That seems like a no brainer to me. Nuff said on the issue. I'm happy and moving on.

agree w/ dubbed....
it is fact and not fiction.

anyone out there have experience with frozen rotors? $130 a piece.. LMK what you guys think. http://www.frozenrotors.com/

anyone out there have experience with frozen rotors? $130 a piece.. LMK what you guys think. http://www.frozenrotors.com/

That's just a gimmick name for Cryo treating. The rotors are frozen for some time. It makes the molecular structure more dense and stronger. When you drill holes and slots in your rotors you take the necessary steps bring back some of that strength with the cryo treatment. My Cadillac MotorSport rotors are cryo treated.

That's just a gimmick name for Cryo treating. The rotors are frozen for some time. It makes the molecular structure more dense and stronger. When you drill holes and slots in your rotors you take the necessary steps bring back some of that strength with the cryo treatment. My Cadillac MotorSport rotors are cryo treated. Robert, that is true that it may be a gimmick name, but they are in fact cryo treated: ... Our proprietary, 60-hour cryogenic process permanently and dramatically improves the usage life and stability of brake rotors to create a distinct advantage in tensile strength, abrasive wear resistance and rotor longevity... ...By using the cryogenic process to inhibit internal oxidation and increase thermal fatigue resistance, Frozen Rotors® can last up to three times as long as untreated rotors... I understand that you are a hardcore fanboy of Pete, but for a complete front end solution from here, ~$340. From Cadillac MotorSport $600 for rotors only, and I don't even need rear rotors right now. Unless you want to cover the other $260 for me! :D I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with these, and if they are worth the money. Perhaps I will have to be the guinea pig on this one. Went to the local tire shop today and was quoted $180 for Akebono front pads and WAAAAYYY over for Brembro rotors! That didn't even include labor. So I'll probably got this route and do it myself.

I'll throw a little gas on the fire here. I asked Baer if they offered cryo treating. They said they did at one time but after extensive testing in conjunction with Alcon they no longer offer it. The testing, done with cryo treated rotors, pads and calipers showed no measureable benefits. They told me that they have cryo treating companies calling them constantly offering their services and promising 3 times the rotor life. Baer's standard response is "Great, send us the data that backs that up." To date not one company has supplied any hard data.
Granted, I now guys that swear by cryo treating. But be aware you may be paying for a process that offers no benefit. Before you pay I'd ask "Show me the Data".

haveblue...

thanks for the info...you do paid a lot more for all those fancy coating that have not data to back it up.

It just make it sound expensive.