Brake fluid question

wishiwasfast · 2008-11-30 02:26:30

So today my buddy and I went out to run our cars at a little track we found, I started out slow and built up speed as the laps went up. By the 10 (and fastest lap) I had massive brake fade, basically no braking at all. Now I have read somewhere that if I just do a simple brake flush with DOT4 or higher fluid that it will help brake fade. Is this true? I don't expect it to stop like a bbk every turn just a little better for now. My buddy has ss lines, dot 4 fluid, hawk hps pads, and DBA rotors. He has an integra. He can stop repeatedly with no issues at all.

eric02SpecV · 2008-11-30 02:29:01

Yes the synthetic fluid is necessary to help decrease fade, but also (and only in heavy use/track use) drilled/slotted rotors, great pads, SS lines will ALL make brake fade almost nill.

armadnigeneral · 2008-11-30 02:30:34

Take a look at your brake fluid, is it dark? If so, it's definitely time for it to be replaced. It's actually supposed to be done every 2-3 years, or whenever it's contaminated or gets really dark...but for some reason no manufacturer bothers to put this in the owners manuals.

Use ATE Super Blue or something else nice and expensive. It has a ridiculously high boiling point and, dude, it's blue and it's awesome to look at.

Oh, except you might fail inspection in Florida because of the fact that the fluid is blue...in which case, ATE makes another fluid that is pretty much identical in specs but is the normal clear/amber color.

You can't expect this to take care of all your problems though, especially if you're running stock/street pads and etc. And please, no drilled rotors. Slotted = good though.

Last edited by armadnigeneral (2008-11-30 02:30:59)

eric02SpecV · 2008-11-30 02:33:54

BUT if your strictly tracking the car, drilled rotors WILL work better to dissipate <sp? heat. However on a daily driven car drilled rotors will never heat up to optimal temperature, thus decreasing your cars ability to brake.

armadnigeneral · 2008-11-30 02:34:28

eric02SpecV wrote:
BUT if your strictly tracking the car, drilled rotors WILL work better to dissipate <sp? heat. However on a daily driven car drilled rotors will never heat up to optimal temperature, thus decreasing your cars ability to brake.

Yes indeedy. <3

Black04SpecV · 2008-11-30 08:31:27

eric02SpecV wrote:
BUT if your strictly tracking the car, drilled rotors WILL work better to dissipate <sp? heat. However on a daily driven car drilled rotors will never heat up to optimal temperature, thus decreasing your cars ability to brake.

Slotted rotors are just fine... Drilled rotors are more prone to cracking, slotted rotors won't crack...

My setup is;
Powerslot Rotors
Hawk HP+ pads
SS brake lines
Valvoline DOT 4 brake fluid

Few years back while the car was still N/A, I attended a track event. After three 45 minutes track sessions I had NO brake fade. The brakes felt the same at the beginning of the session as well as at the end of the session...

wishiwasfast · 2008-11-30 09:41:21

My current setup is cross-drilled and slotted rotors, hps pads in the front. The front is only a 10in rotor still. and I have the rear disk conversion.

nissan_guy240 · 2008-11-30 10:15:01

everyone covered the basics with fluid, ss lines, and drilled rotors. another thing to think about is to get wider rotors cause they will help with heat dissipation.

just a suggestion you probably could upgrade to a Q45 front brake setup (this is a 4500 luxury car), two piston calipers and thick rotors that will clear 15" wheels, with really thick pads stock so you can get a lot of life out of them. this was a direct bolt up on my 240sx.

the sentra and the 240sx front brakes are similar so it should fit. the only things necessary for this swap that i know of is to get the rotors redrilled for 4x114.3 cause the Q45 is 5x114.3. and the caliper bracket bolts are too long so reuse yours and it should fit. the connector and bolt for the brake lines is the same between the Q45 and the 240sx.

could be low budget alternative for non-brembo sentras and specs, cause this is all OEM parts.

wishiwasfast · 2008-11-30 10:22:38

Im upgrading to titan calipers in the front and quest calipers in the rear. So brembo rotors up front and specv front vented rotors in the rear....This is all happening in feburary.

Last edited by wishiwasfast (2008-11-30 10:23:24)

fun times · 2008-11-30 10:23:01

i know drilled rotors are more prone to crack but what about dimpled. thats what i have. its only about half the depth of the rotor so wouldnt think it would be prone to crack, while still offering the same benifits at a drilled rotor.

wishiwasfast · 2008-11-30 10:24:57

My drilled rotors are ebay specials, over 60k on them in a year and a half. No cracking, no warping, nothing.

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