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Brembo Blank Rotors = Do Not Buy!

14K views 45 replies 28 participants last post by  TrippinBimmer 
#1 · (Edited)


Hey fanatics! The time has come for me to post my assessment on the Brembo Rotors which I bought from ECS Tuning.

First and foremost, I would like to say that ECS is a GREAT vendor, specifically my favorite, and this bad review has nothing to do with ECS themselves. They are great. Fast shipping, great prices, and all their parts have pictures and descriptions, which is unheard of from other vendors. :thumbup:

Secondly, I would like to point out that Brembo probably is the most well-known name in America when it comes to braking, and these guys are specialists in high performance Big Brake Kits, not to mention that they totally revolutionized the braking field years ago with their various products. HOWEVER, I urge you to get this supremely ingrained brand dedication out of your head, being that in my own opinion, these rotors I had SUCKED.

Why did they suck, you say? Well, let me tell you. They got old and rotted FAST. Unlike other rotors out there on the market, these rotors are not coated whatsoever, so after a little bit of weather (especially the winter), these things will become rust magnets and you can't prevent it. Some guys have applied WD-40 Anti Corrosion, or a special liquid called Frog Lube which is made for gun barrels. I didn't try this, and I shouldn't need to. If you do, make sure you do not apply on the braking surface. Just the hat and rim. But back to the topic. If you are south of the Snow Belt, then these might be a great buy for you, but if you live in a region that gets a lot of rain or snow; look for something else! I recommend the Zimmerman Coated Rotors!

I've had the Brembos for 2 years, and they were already rusted within the first 3 months. No good. I definitely suggest that Brembo start coating rotors, or specifically say that they are for cars that don't see the elements! They have great stopping power, and made no noise, and didn't distort. They also are probably great rotors, but the fact that they rusted so quickly (and are now deterrioating), totally killed my experience. Do not buy Fanatics.
 
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#3 ·
Are you talking about surface rust, or deep pitting? Surface rust would not concern me. If the rotors fail before the first set of pads wear out, you have grounds for complaint, and a lawsuit.


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#4 ·
I think he is talking not about the face of the rotor where the pad makes contact but the hat of the rotor,which is the part that sticks out and looks like a hat, lol, and the outer ridge area. This sounds to me like mainly a cosmetic issue which I can understand your frustration OP. The face of the rotor when it sits in the elements will get a little surface rust on any brand rotor because there is no coating on this part, but easily comes off with a few hard braking runs. The other areas should not become rusted and ugly looking with a brand like brembo. I can't believe that they don't coat their rotors. Nothing worse looking than a nice clean car with a rusted out set of brakes on it.


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#7 ·
They all do that. It's just cosmetic. You need to get painted or CoatZ rotors if you don't want them to rust. Very, very minor IMHO, and not worth dismissing rotors for. If they stop your car well, don't vibrate, and last a long time, then they're good rotors.
 
#10 ·
Yeah, they literally kill the whole exterior of my car. I have amazing Chrome Style 220M's on my car, and those rusty rotors just destroy that flawless appearance. These things need taken off my car asap. Makes it look like an old Honda. I'm extremely displeased.
 
#11 ·
I seriously considered Brembo blanks when I purchased my pads and rotors back in April. Ultimately I went with Zimmerman CoatZ rotors, I think I''m glad I did. When I did my research I found many were very satisfied with the Zimmerman's compared to others. Slightly dull finish, but as long as they don't look like those in the picture I'm glad- that looks absolutely terrible!
 
#20 ·
You also have the option of painting the center part of the rotor with silver VHT spray.
You could just paint them before installing. Brake cleaner on it then rattle can it with high temp paint.
I simply painted mine with rustoleum silver and a brush and they have looked great for months!
if it bothers you that much, take the wheel off, sand off the rust, spray it with high heat brake caliper paint. VIOLA!!! itll be black or whatever color you please and wont rust.
+5, should have known about paiting them before or clean and do it now. Crisis fixed. :woot:
 
#13 ·
The fact that Brembo doesn't paint the rotor hats is common knowledge. A simple search reveals this. Nothing new here. You could just paint them before installing. Brake cleaner on it then rattle can it with high temp paint. The "rust" is just surface discoloration and has no effect on the rotors other than aesthetics. Yes it doesn't look great but this thread makes it sound like the rotors are junk which they aren't. Thread and thread title a bit too sensational for what it is.
 
#18 ·
The brembo discs are made of a cast steel that has the best properties for brakes but unfortunately is more prone to rust than the high-grade steel that cheaper discs use. Among conaisseurs, the rust of the brembos is a quality feature. You got to pick sides: do you want great function or do you want great optics. With brakes its hard to get both.
 
#21 ·
As long as you're painting rusty metal why not go for the faux carbon fiber look?

Transform your Brembos into Krylons



It's a three step process:
(1) paint it primer gray and let it dry
(2) obtain the foam shelf liner they sell at Target in the kitchenware aisle.
It's got this little checkerboard pattern, (squares are about 1/8th inch in size, with matching holes) and lay the foam on top of the surface you just
painted with primer. Using flat black, spray through the foam just like using a stencil. Carefully remove the foam. You will see tiny primer squares on a black field background. Respray piece, and fog the piece gently, in layers. With each layer (light fogging, please!) the piece will get darker and darker. Once you get it dark enough (carefull, you don't want any runs) stop painting and let dry.
(3) After it's dry, spray it with clear gloss or super gloss, and finish it out like a normal paint job. Three or more coats of gloss gives best overall results.

(Process first published at www.volusiariders.com)
 
#22 ·
I've gotta fix this on mine too... I ordered front and rear sets of dimpled and slotted rotors for my car. The rears came in as incorrect. The fronts fit fine. They were coated rotors. Anyway... I needed to get the brake job done so I had to buy a set of rear rotors locally... They were all uncoated. So now I have grimy silver in the front and rusty red in the rear. I plan on painting them black all the way around this fall.

It is just a fact of life... All uncoated rotors will rust very quickly...
 
#24 · (Edited)
IN 2013, Rotors should be engineered to not do this. Especially if I am paying good money for them. All of you old members can keep hating, but for my age, I know what the automotive future is heading to, and I know that in the future, these things will be rust free, as they should be. Look at other companies like Zimmerman taking the initiative. Even ECS' cheapo rotors are coated!! And honestly, who wants to spend an extra 3 hours painting their rotors? Not to mention it may stick to the wheel which is a bad call. SO, I am suggesting for you not to buy them and go for something else. I'm not saying they are terrible. I am saying buy the alternatives, just like Mango has done in 23739493439 threads, and the rest of you as well. If you don't have anything else to say, keep lurking and go somewhere else. God forbid someone makes a decent thread once in a while. I'm tired of Mango's numerous cooling threads taking up the General Forum that he makes weekly. So you all can chill. And Alex, we all don't have deep pockets and a lot of time to fuuck around with these things like you, so hold your peace.
 
#26 ·
My cooling threads help people. Your whining about a non-issue does not.

You see the difference? :hmm:

And it doesn't take 3 hours to paint rotors. You literally rattle can the hats. Takes you about 10 seconds per rotor before putting them on. As many have said, this is already well known about Brembo rotors. :read:
 
#27 ·
Brembo manufactures a number of rotors for BMW as the OE supplier. They certainly are not junk. They are made from a higher carbon steel than most replacement rotors so they are better than the typical stock replacement too. And in fact if you purchase Brembo rotors from us for an E46 325i they ARE coated. I can't speak for 2 years ago but now just about every Brembo rotor blank manufactured in Italy is coated. They also make rotors in Asia and in the US also but the majority of our stock comes from Italy. It's almost a gunmetal color coating too. Looks nice.

Non-coated rotors really aren't a problem except for cosmetics. I have non-coated rotors on the front of my car and they rust a little every time I wash it. But the first time I hit the brakes it's gone. Sure they are rusted around the edges and on the hats a little. But it's a non-coated chunk of iron. Of course it's going to rust!
 
#30 · (Edited)
so let me get this straight,

you're going to buy all new rotors, because the ones you have got a little surface rust on the hats? :facepalm:

Go spend 400-600 on new rotors, instead of spending an hour and $10 to fix the ones you currently have. this is one of the things i hate about my generation. "oh this could be fixed easily, but instead ill spend more money to buy a whole new one that i don't need."
 
#32 ·
Understandable frustration. But, such as most things in life, it's just an experience thing. Most people's brains aren't wired to think "I wonder if these rotors are prone to rust" before purchasing".

With that said, the actual rotors seem fine. If it really bothers you that much, buy new rotors or sand and paint the ones you got.




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