2000 LeSabre Brakes

[pcmos]

Just wondering if anyone would like to volunteer their opinion on brakes for 00-05 LeSabres. Basically I am planning to replace all four rotors and pads and I'm having a difficult time settling on a particular brand. As of right now I am looking at Cryo treated Power Slot rotors for the front and Brembo or Bendix OEM replacement rotors for the rear with Hawk HPS pads on all four corners. The cryo treated power slot front rotors should help to reduce warping. Unfortunately most major performance brands don't produce high performance rear rotors for these cars, probably because the factory rear rotors are not vented. I was interested in Bendix brand rotors but they seem to be hard to find online, and local availability is also limited. My goal is to eliminate vibration due to rotor warping on the front, make a slight improvement in stopping power, and ensure quiet performance. I don't care about dusting but I do like a configuration that has a lot of initial bite. Many of these high performance brakes offer better peddle moderation in exchange for a much firmer feel. It is also the case that many aggressive drivers are more concerned with performance than noise, but nothing irritates me more than noisy brakes. I have read some reviews of the common power slot rotor / hawk hps pad combination in which people claim they are dead silent and other reviews in which people claim they are the noisiest configuration you could get. I am interested in anyone who might be able to offer some commentary regarding their experiences with various brands installed on 00 - 05 LeSabres.

[maxwedge]

I used NAPA premium rotors and PG pads all around, no complaints, most pros say theses slotted /drilled rotors are of no real advantage. 2003 Les. There is no absolute guarantees to stop rotor warping, best possible rotors, proper hub cleaning before installing proper, wheel torqueing and not running thru ice puddles with the brakes hot, are about it.

[pcmos]

Generally I agree that cross drilling doesn't improve braking at all and cross-drilled rotors have a tendency to crack. In fact, most manufacturers have a disclaimer that cross-drilled rotors are not acceptable for racing. It is questionable as to whether or not slotted rotors improve braking, however, Power Slot as a brand has a fairly good reputation for making quality rotors. As an engineering student I can say that the theory behind cryogenically treated rotors holds some promise. I'm mainly interested in that process because power slot mentions that after the cryo treatment has taken place they then apply a heat cycle as a final step. In my opinion, the heat cycle may do more to improve resistance to warping than the cryo treatment. By heat treating a metal at an elevated temperature for an extended period of time (soaking) you can cause re-crystallization which works to eliminate any residual stresses from machining. Removing non-uniform stresses in the rotor that were caused by the manufacturing process can greatly improve its ability to respond uniformly to changes in temperature. Cooling the rotor during cryo treatment may serve to convert more martensite to ferrite and cementite, but typically this is done to produce a more ductile steel which is less prone to cracking. Most traditional methods of improving martensitic steel involve heat treatment cycles that result in tempered martensite. Tempered martensite still retains favorable hardness over ferrite and cementite but has improved toughness and ductility over standard martensite. It doesn’t make sense to me that a rotor design that hasn’t demonstrated a tendency to crack would benefit from a cryo treatment, but I can see how their subsequent heat cycle treatment could potentially result in well-tempered, relaxed, martensitic steel. I believe the Power Slot Cryo rotors may offer better performance as a result of the final heat treatment as opposed to the initial cryo cycle. My primary concern in my application is finding a decent pad that will give me good pedal reaction and quiet operation. I’m always interested in hearing horror stories, a pad and rotor combination that didn’t work for someone. Perhaps someone who installed pads and rotors and now has really significant brake noise.