mx5cartalk.com

Looking to upgrade brakes with KRudd's stimulus money, found this on ebay from the uk, 4 slotted rotors with ebc greenstuff pads. package seems very cheap compared to sourcing it locally, even with 100 pound postage, converting to roughly $550...
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=360145395760
i know the brake pads are fairly good from what i've gathered on the forum, but does the brand of rotor matter much? when i asked the seller, they said the brand was 'brake engineering', which i have not heard of before, but they have a flashy website to buy or not to buy?!

doogle wrote: but does the brand of rotor matter much? when i asked the seller, they said the brand was 'brake engineering', which i have not heard of before, but they have a flashy website to buy or not to buy?!

"you get what you pay for" is a mantra that many of us chant to ourselves and to each other.
The EBC pads themselves are worth $80-$100 pounds for a full set, so that means the rotors are worth about $80 pounds ($150AUD).
$150AUD for four rotors is freakin cheap! so I would say it's freakin crap.

There are many things you have to consider in rotor design, three important things being:
- metallurgy
- balance
- fit

I doubt these rotors would meet Australian Design Rules standards.

I wouldn't buy them, certainly not if you are going to take your car on the track.

And besides.... how many slots do you want on a rotor??

Try pricing genuine Brembo, OEM replacement, rotors and you'll be pleasantly surprised at how affordable they are.

So my answer is: Not to buy

i didn't think of australian standards, but you may be right there. but you raise some good points too. thanks for a quick response.

consider the question answered!

ebc pads and rda rotors:

http://rdabrakes.com.au/index.php/home.html

rda's are good quality, * made rotors, i' very hapy with the performanace of mine. i got them from just brakes in campbellfield melbourne, for a very good price. i think you'll find the prices will compare favourably with the link you posted.

* edit - actually i think i got mixed up saying they were aussie made. nonetheless, they seem well made.

doogle wrote:Looking to upgrade brakes with KRudd's stimulus money, found this on ebay from the uk, 4 slotted rotors with ebc greenstuff pads. package seems very cheap compared to sourcing it locally, even with 100 pound postage, converting to roughly $550...

I paid close to $600 inc shipping and supported a local business

to suit my NB8A

RDA Slotted Rotors front and rear

QFM Pads A1RM front
QFM Pads HPX rear

and a Bottle of TRW Lucas Racing Brake Fluid (1L) for not much more for buying the lot

Was worth the $$ i say

On the big forums they all seem happy with the cheap no brand rotors, does the job etc etc. However pads they seem to be more fussy about.

I say its a good deal especially the shipping man those rotors they weigh a ton. (I know a place where you can get them shaved down if you want)

Mazda OEM for the road.
DBA 4000 for dual purpose.
DBA 5000 two piece for the track (custom applications only)

The critical component of rotors are the different components used in the steel which is used. Todays brake performance is so good due to a combination of better pad and rotor technology. With the pricing of base metals being a worldwide index, you will most certainly get what you pay for. Rotors are most definitely not just rotors.

I would go with 1red5. The rotors are an absolute vital part of the brakes. Copyists can make them out of anything - they could be mild steel and you the buyer only find out when they score, warp, wear badly, pulsate etc. Local product is likely to be made to a standard.

Last I checked Mania had REALLY good prices for their DBA rotors.

Bump - So people have had good experiences with DBA's and or RDA's for their mx5's on the track?

I need some rotors now

i've been using rda grooved sports rotors on the front, and pbr rotors on the back, with hawk hp+ pads all round and this worked very well on the track for me. the pbr's are just an el cheapo oem replacement, nothing fancy.

DBA 4000's here... Noticeably better on the track than the standard disks.

nmx516, what pads to you use also with those rotors?
How long have you had the DBA's for?


Sorry for all the questions, Im shopping/researching as I need new rotors :d

evil_weevil wrote:nmx516, what pads to you use also with those rotors?
How long have you had the DBA's for?


Sorry for all the questions, Im shopping/researching as I need new rotors :d

Mazda OEM pads. They work very well on the track with the 4000's. Having said that, at QR and Lakeside there are only two places per lap where braking is required, so on a tighter circuit, more 'performance orientated' pads might* be better. Morgan Park has more braking points, but still didn't faze the OEM pads either, though it is generally a lower speed circuit. As a street pad they are very good - work well cold, little dust, quiet. A few guys around here have used bendix ultimates, and swear at them rather than by them, and I've also tried EBC kevlar which were very ordinary on track and average on the road. I think they might be a low model in the EBC range though.

I've had the 4000's for probably 18 months, and have gone through two sets of front pads in that time. That would include 8 or so track days. One point with slotted rotors - they seem to reduce pad life more than compared to non-slotted. I haven't needed to have the discs machined (mainly because of the pads used), and they are still in good shape, haven't warped etc.