# EBC Brakes on the Routan



## Lucian1988 (Mar 25, 2009)

well the time has come where I finally needed to replace the rear brakes. They were BAD. metal on metal almost.... no wonder the car was sounding like a ship when I was stopping in reverse. now i chose to do the fronts as well, as the steering wheel was shaking... this was the 3rd set of brakes, dealer replaced, but now the van is out of warranty. 

I chose the EBS slotted rotors and EBC green stuff pads. why? because it was the only thing I could find really... i didnt want just regular blanks, and wanted better pads. 

total price... around 560 shipped, not bad I hope. 

pictures, for your time. 










installed drivers side, front: 










i only had time to do that, and take off the rear, until 10PM hit, and i broke those metal shim thingies that hold the brake pads, so i have to go buy new ones tomorrow. 

what takes the longest to me, was to get the old rotors off. its like they are welded on there almost!


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## 58kafer (Jun 27, 2007)

Nice! We're almost out of warranty and I don't think they're going to warranty me another set(backs are just starting), that would be my fourth in 36K, but what ever. Please keep us posted on how they are, possibly some mileage intervals like every 3K. Did they mark which rotor goes where? as far as left or right? Just curious if the cooling fins in the middle of the rotors are arc'd or straight. Just want to see if the after market is trying to get them better than the factory. Nice job, keep us posted.:thumbup:


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## Lucian1988 (Mar 25, 2009)

They did mark the rotors, but only for the front for some reason. It makes sense though, as the slots go in the direction of motion. i took a pic of the fins for you, dont know if it helps or not. Friday i am putting new tires on, and then driving to the beach, so will post initial impressions after that.


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## Lucian1988 (Mar 25, 2009)

i am sure someone is going to search "brakes" and come across this thread, and wonder more about these discs, so im posting this so they know. 

I finally installed the others, took some photos:

Passenger side front: 










They look identical in size, but I want to say the EBC rotor felt heavier than OEM. 

Thickness comparison: 

















Seems like the EBC rotor has thicker fins for cooling, and just barely thinner discs. I would say about 1.5mm thinner than OEM. you can judge for yourself, from the images. 


Now, when I replaced the rear passenger one, I noticed the disc had grooves in it. I wonder what could have caused that, since when I took the pads off, they were perfectly work, although worn down to the metal almost. 











Initial impressions are good, but need to actually drive it first. Broke the new brakes in by doing a couple of runs from 25mph to 10 and then 45 mph to 10. Will post impressions after driving 400 miles this weekend with the van!


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## PaulAP (May 21, 2009)

So how do the brakes feel? I know a couple weeks is not long enough to know how well they will stand up over time, but how's the feel so far with these brakes? 

And are they actually black, or is that just the way the camera makes them look?


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## Volvos Rock (Oct 13, 2011)

The black is a colored zinc coating. The area where the pads touch will turn silver, the rest will stay black.


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## Chedman13 (May 30, 2012)

Thanks for posting. 

I liked slotted being less prone to cracking than drilled. 

These look 100x better than OEM. Any "sound" from braking? My slotted made a sound, but I liked it.


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## Air_Cooled_Nut (Mar 15, 2000)

Chedman13 said:


> Thanks for posting.
> 
> I liked slotted being less prone to cracking than drilled.
> 
> These look 100x better than OEM. Any "sound" from braking? My slotted made a sound, but I liked it.


 Drilled won't crack nowadays. This needs to be put to rest, it's no longer an issue.


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## Chedman13 (May 30, 2012)

Air_Cooled_Nut said:


> Drilled won't crack nowadays. This needs to be put to rest, it's no longer an issue.


 They still can crack, I've personally seen one crack to the edge of the rotor ad another a hairline fracture from the drilled hole.

Chamfer drilling a rotor and better techniques do help reduce chances of cracking.

It's safe to say rotors are more prone to cracking from being drilled. We're most likely not buying rotors cast with holes on our Routans.

It's unlikely, but wouldn't count it out.


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## Lucian1988 (Mar 25, 2009)

Chedman13 said:


> Thanks for posting.
> 
> I liked slotted being less prone to cracking than drilled.
> 
> These look 100x better than OEM. Any "sound" from braking? My slotted made a sound, but I liked it.


 
braking is significantly better now.. i think we have around 600 miles on them, and they work pretty good. pedal feel is much better, braking is amazing, and yes... there is a sound when you stop, but ive only noticed it on the highway when slowing down from highway speeds. it sounds kinda lovely though haha. 

my only irk with this set up is that its kinda dusty on the wheels. not too bad, but just a bit more than OEM. 

overall, I am quite pleased with this set up, and tomorrow im going on another trip and will be enjoying these brakes.


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## redzone98 (Jun 10, 2004)

Lucian1988 said:


> my only irk with this set up is that its kinda dusty on the wheels. not too bad, but just a bit more than OEM.
> 
> .


 Im running Hawk HPS pads and Centric rotors... Huge amounts of dust. But i dont care, Braking Performance FAR surpasses any 'looks' category.


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## Chedman13 (May 30, 2012)

redzone98 said:


> Im running Hawk HPS pads and Centric rotors... Huge amounts of dust. But i dont care, Braking Performance FAR surpasses any 'looks' category.


 Any squealing when cold with the hawk hps?


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## redzone98 (Jun 10, 2004)

Chedman13 said:


> Any squealing when cold with the hawk hps?


never.

the Pads DO dust, A LOT


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## Lucian1988 (Mar 25, 2009)

update for those whom are curious.... these brakes are awesome! still holding strong, have not heard any complaints from my mom or dad while driving it, especially during long road trips on highways where you have sudden traffic and whatnot. 

they are worth it!


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## Steveaut (Sep 16, 2010)

I put this identical setup on my '10. Braking is substantially improved, well worth the expense for the added safety. I experienced a lot of dust while the coating wore off, which happened fast. After that I don't think there is any more dusting than stock. I got only slight noise while bedding in, about 3k miles or so. Now I don't get any noise at all. Never anything squealing, just a slight grind noise if you really listened for it. Highly recommend, I will put this setup on my other vehicle when the time comes.


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## Lucian1988 (Mar 25, 2009)

providing an update on this... bc someone might search and come accross this thread and ask. 

currently, the van is making a weird noise from the rear. turns out, it has a stuck caliper. not good. also, rear brakes are done it looks like. pads are worn and discs need replacing too. fronts are almost to where they need replacing too. this happened within 30K milesish. braking was really good with this van, makes a noise when you brake harder bc of the grooves in the discs. been very happy with the set up, but kind of surprised that at 30K miles, they all have to be replaced again.


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## Steveaut (Sep 16, 2010)

Lucian1988 said:


> providing an update on this... bc someone might search and come accross this thread and ask.
> 
> currently, the van is making a weird noise from the rear. turns out, it has a stuck caliper. not good. also, rear brakes are done it looks like. pads are worn and discs need replacing too. fronts are almost to where they need replacing too. this happened within 30K milesish. braking was really good with this van, makes a noise when you brake harder bc of the grooves in the discs. been very happy with the set up, but kind of surprised that at 30K miles, they all have to be replaced again.


You did substantially better than me. My fronts went in like six months. Pads were gone. I am getting ready to go on vacation and checked my rear pads; which were fine a few months ago with lots of pad left; and discovered my right rear was starting to eat the rotor. I just swapped them out for new ceramics. I have less than a year on the rear pads. I put ceramic akebono's on the fronts a few months back and just put ceramics on the back now. The rotors are fine though. They have held up great. And braking is much much better than stock. I am hoping its just the greenstuff pads and with ceramics they will last a lot longer. I put these on less than a year ago. At least no wobbling yet and stopping is better.

EBC Greenstuff Front Pads: Lasted 10k or so miles
EBC Greenstuff Rear Pads: Lasted 15k or so miles
EBC USR Slotted Rotors: Fronts and back still good at about 15k miles, less than one year.


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## Lucian1988 (Mar 25, 2009)

of course as soon as all the brake parts come in, the noise goes away and van doesn't feel like anything is wrong. I will still check in when I have time, just to be safe...


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## Zambee500 (Jun 23, 2011)

I wonder if Yellow Stuff or Extra Duty Orange Stuff would be a better match for our vans given the weight of the vehicle and heat issues (causing the warping). Greenstuff seems more for smaller, sportier cars. And Greenstuff 6000/7000 is listed as low-dust 'modest' brake upgrades.

http://ebcbrakes.com/brakes-selector-chart/


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## cscsc (Jun 14, 2009)

Guys: I think you're just wasting money on all these supposed high-tech brake parts. Many of them don't seem to be doing too well on your vans. Remember, it's not a race car or a sports car, it's a VAN.

Yes, the brakes are somewhat undersized and the OEM rotors were poorly made, but just replacing the rotors and pads with good name-brand reasonably-priced parts should fix the problem. It did for my car. Bosch rotors and pads and it stops fine - with no noise. The coating on the non-wear surfaces of the rotors has not rusted after 12K and a Maine winter. Just rotated the tires and the rotors were not stuck to the hubs, even with no anti-seize compound. Doesn't get any better than that. Parts are available on Amazon.com


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## Steveaut (Sep 16, 2010)

cscsc said:


> Guys: I think you're just wasting money on all these supposed high-tech brake parts. Many of them don't seem to be doing too well on your vans. Remember, it's not a race car or a sports car, it's a VAN.
> 
> Yes, the brakes are somewhat undersized and the OEM rotors were poorly made, but just replacing the rotors and pads with good name-brand reasonably-priced parts should fix the problem. It did for my car. Bosch rotors and pads and it stops fine - with no noise. The coating on the non-wear surfaces of the rotors has not rusted after 12K and a Maine winter. Just rotated the tires and the rotors were not stuck to the hubs, even with no anti-seize compound. Doesn't get any better than that. Parts are available on Amazon.com


While I appreciate your thoughts, I do disagree with some of your logic that it's a van and a waste of money for hi-tech parts. 

The undersized rotors cause a reduction in performance in addition to heat buildup that results in warping. I can tell you that between my 2009 Journey and my 2010 Routan (same brakes), I have tried so many combinations of premium blank/cheaper replacements from parts stores with no LONG TERM success and absolutely no upgrade in performance. Both of which are important aspects for me. 

I ended up with the EBC slotted rotors and I believe those hi-tech parts made a huge difference in performance and thus far have shown no signs of warping or wear like other rotors have done. Unfortunately, the pads (greenstuff) were not designed for long term use on a vehicle of this size and weight and didn't last a year; you would appear to be correct in the context that the pads did not last, but I think they may have been the wrong choice for this vehicle. 

I currently have some cheap premium ceramic pads ($60ish) from Auto Zone with free lifetime replacement and they are performing as well as the greenstuff pads; which tells me the performance improvement comes primarily from the slotted rotors rather than the pads. Although both pads (EBC and Auto Zone ceramics) would be considered upgrades. So in that context, you are correct about the pads, or at least upgrading to a ceramic premium pad rather than an organic type pad. But aren't the rotors and pads you purchased also considered an upgrade or hi-tech item when compared to stock? I do believe the money I spent on those rotors was well worth it for performance and for now, they have survived longer than other premium (hi-tech) rotors that I have purchased before - like the Bosch rotors I suspect you purchased, though I may be wrong about the type you have. 

I don't think the OEM rotors being poorly made is the reason for the warping. I simply think they are so undersized they warp without something to help keep them cool; such as added venting from slots. Not too mention, the braking is much better. If stopping fine is acceptable performance, then I would say yes, you are correct and why buy better (assuming they last as long as the slotted). But stopping fine was not my goal so getting something built for racing that improved day to day performance in the van by virtue of its improved design was acceptable to me and well worth the cost. Does that all make sense? Sorry I tend to ramble.


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## NCrsx (Jul 5, 2011)

Does anyone have experience with powerstop 4-wheel brake kit? It comes with slotted and drilled rotors, and ceramic pads for $303. I'm looking for something better then oem but not trying to spend over $500 for brakes. 
http://m.autoanything.com/brakes/61A5870A0A0.aspx


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## Zambee500 (Jun 23, 2011)

NCrsx said:


> Does anyone have experience with powerstop 4-wheel brake kit? It comes with slotted and drilled rotors, and ceramic pads for $303. I'm looking for something better then oem but not trying to spend over $500 for brakes.
> http://m.autoanything.com/brakes/61A5870A0A0.aspx


Haven't tried them but I did consider them when I last did my brakes. Ended up going with something else. If you do go with PowerStop, you may want to compare prices at Rock Auto though. They are showing $253 with a $50 mail-in rebate. And you can google for a Rock Auto 5% discount code to save you ~$12 (hint: try the BITOG web-site forums under the "Product Rebates, Sales, Promotions" forum section). Just make sure you go to the "Performance" section and not the "Daily Driver" once you get into the "rotor & brake pad set" category because Rock Auto sells two PowerStop kits.


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## Trail Ryder (Jul 18, 2011)

Steveaut said:


> EBC Greenstuff Front Pads: Lasted 10k or so miles
> EBC Greenstuff Rear Pads: Lasted 15k or so miles
> EBC USR Slotted Rotors: Fronts and back still good at about 15k miles, less than one year.


We have almost 45,000 miles of "severe" use on our 2011 Routan and I think new brakes are now in order.

Although, I really like EBC brake pads on my motorcycle, they are not at the life or price targets that I am looking for on my mini-van.
*
Can anyone recommend some value conscious pads and rotors that don't generate a ton of brake dust?
*


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## cscsc (Jun 14, 2009)

In a word, BOSCH. Available on Amazon.com. Good stuff, reasonably priced.


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## Steveaut (Sep 16, 2010)

Trail Ryder said:


> We have almost 45,000 miles of "severe" use on our 2011 Routan and I think new brakes are now in order.
> 
> Although, I really like EBC brake pads on my motorcycle, they are not at the life or price targets that I am looking for on my mini-van.
> *
> ...


All I can tell you is the greenstuff pads did not last for me at all; horribly fast wear. We live in the mountains and have extreme braking on a daily basis, so I would expect my pads to wear faster than most, just not 10k and 15k. The good news, the rotors are just fine and going strong. I have the ceramics on now and stoppings is great. Time will tell if this setup will last longer. EBC is always great on my dirt bikes, just don't seem to be the go to pad for this design.


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## Trail Ryder (Jul 18, 2011)

I have great experience with Wagner Rotors and Wagner Thermoquiet Pads on my car. I may go with those on the Routan.


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