Aura needs new brakes

Aura XR · 09-27-2009, 10:34 PM

I come to find that my XR needs new brakes in the rear. As with every Saturn I've owned (I had 3, my family had...I think we were up to 7), the brakes from the factory were complete rubbish. The odd thing about the Aura's brakes is that the pads only seem to contact the lower half of the rear rotors, the upper half is a rust ring indicating no pad contact at all. I've had the dealership service the brakes 3 times since getting the car, it is now out of warranty.

At any rate, I like the Hawk HPS on my SL2, they were a bit better than the EBC Greenstuff I used to run, the EBC's were excellent pads too. I find that Hawk makes both HPS and Performance Ceramics for the Aura (probably from the G6's). I have no experience with the ceramics but wonder if they're worth the extra $10 over the HPS? Any suggestions. I was also thinking about swapping in some Powerslot rotors since I'm not happy with the rust rings on the rears and usually replace rotors rather than cut them.

(BTW, the fronts are fine but I'd probably will replace them too)

MrCritical · 09-28-2009, 01:30 PM

The Aura/G6 brakes are a real mystery to me as well.

I've seen the exact circumstance you have many times, yet the wife's '06 G6 GT has over 50% left of the front AND rears at 60k miles.

The inconsistency is puzzling. She's doesn't ride the brakes but she does wait fairly late to start braking most of the time.

CadiEldo67 · 09-28-2009, 02:56 PM

My '05 Grand Prix's rear brakes are down quite a bit when compared to the front brakes. It seems weird that they go first...unless of course the previous owner replaced the front pads and I'm not aware of it.

Oh, and I'm at 49K

**BigAls87Z28** · 09-29-2009, 05:52 PM

Hawk HPS would be the way I'd go. Just break them in correctly.
I will see how my malibu does on brakes.

mbukukanyau · 09-29-2009, 06:04 PM

just replace em with brembos.

Aura XR · 09-29-2009, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbukukanyau

just replace em with brembos.

Sure....let me call up some Opel/Vauxhall Vectra VXR owners to see if I can get their calipers and stuff....afterall, it's still an Epsilon.

Seriously, I guess I will go with the HPS then. Thanks for the info.

Oh, and the car has only 26K miles on it.

kool_zx3 · 10-02-2009, 12:00 AM

Check out R1 concepts for their cross drilled and slotted rotors and pads. I have their rotors and ceramic pads on my g6 front and back and the brakes are awesome. Way better then stock, little dust and great stopping power.... Not bad for the price either.

**BigAls87Z28** · 10-02-2009, 11:46 PM

I would never go with cross/slotted brakes. You are removing surface area that you need to maximize braking.
GOOD set of HPS pads and Brembo blank rotors, and you are set.

kool_zx3 · 10-14-2009, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigAls87Z28

I would never go with cross/slotted brakes. You are removing surface area that you need to maximize braking.
GOOD set of HPS pads and Brembo blank rotors, and you are set.

My car stops 10x better then the factory scrap put on by GM for these cars and the brakes are wearing basically even all around the car and i drive pretty hard. I will buy these brakes again in a heartbeat, i love them and just about everyone over at G6 performance.

**BigAls87Z28** · 10-15-2009, 01:17 AM

How could I argue with that.
Id say it has more to do with your pads then anything else. Removing surface material from the rotor does not help braking. You might get some minor cooling and removing of some gas build up, but Id say that you would notice even more improvement in braking if you went to a quality rotor.

kool_zx3 · 10-15-2009, 08:46 AM

Thing is when i bought the car the stock brakes were done, and the car only had 35,000km's on it. So i got the shop to put all brand new brakes on it, good aftermarket rotors and ceramic pads and the car still didn't stop like it dos now with the new brakes. I can't remember now what rotors they were but they were the best the store carried for the car, and they were not cheap lol The pads were ceramic from napa i believe. Whatever it is, the car stop like a dream now. My buddy with a 05 g6 gt also bought the same set with the same results i have had. G5 perf had a group buy and alot of guys got a set of the brakes and i think just about everyone come away happy with the performance of the brakes.

09-27-2009, 10:34 PM	#1 (permalink)
Aura XR 1.4 Liter Turbocharged ECOTEC Join Date: Jan 2007 Drives: 2007 Aura XR 1994 Saturn SL2 1997 Honda Civic (w Posts: 63	Aura needs new brakes I come to find that my XR needs new brakes in the rear. As with every Saturn I've owned (I had 3, my family had...I think we were up to 7), the brakes from the factory were complete rubbish. The odd thing about the Aura's brakes is that the pads only seem to contact the lower half of the rear rotors, the upper half is a rust ring indicating no pad contact at all. I've had the dealership service the brakes 3 times since getting the car, it is now out of warranty. At any rate, I like the Hawk HPS on my SL2, they were a bit better than the EBC Greenstuff I used to run, the EBC's were excellent pads too. I find that Hawk makes both HPS and Performance Ceramics for the Aura (probably from the G6's). I have no experience with the ceramics but wonder if they're worth the extra $10 over the HPS? Any suggestions. I was also thinking about swapping in some Powerslot rotors since I'm not happy with the rust rings on the rears and usually replace rotors rather than cut them. (BTW, the fronts are fine but I'd probably will replace them too)

09-28-2009, 01:30 PM	#2 (permalink)
MrCritical 4.6 Liter Northstar V8 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: South Of The North Drives: '08 GMC Canyon Posts: 1,638	Re: Aura needs new brakes The Aura/G6 brakes are a real mystery to me as well. I've seen the exact circumstance you have many times, yet the wife's '06 G6 GT has over 50% left of the front AND rears at 60k miles. The inconsistency is puzzling. She's doesn't ride the brakes but she does wait fairly late to start braking most of the time.

09-29-2009, 05:52 PM	#4 (permalink)
BigAls87Z28 GMI Staff Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 10,657	Re: Aura needs new brakes Hawk HPS would be the way I'd go. Just break them in correctly. I will see how my malibu does on brakes. __________________ Alexander Villani GMInsideNews Editor Email Me @BigAl@GMInsidenews.com Tweet Me @Twitter.com/BigAls87Z28 2009 Malibu LT 2.4 : 1987 Camaro Z28 : 1972 Camaro RS

09-29-2009, 06:04 PM	#5 (permalink)
mbukukanyau Chevrolet VOLT Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: In front of my computer Drives: 2006 HHR 1995 Honda Pasport SUV Posts: 10,038	Re: Aura needs new brakes just replace em with brembos.

10-02-2009, 12:00 AM	#7 (permalink)
kool_zx3 Level I Members Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Canada Drives: 2006 Pontiac G6 V6 Posts: 3,995	Re: Aura needs new brakes Check out R1 concepts for their cross drilled and slotted rotors and pads. I have their rotors and ceramic pads on my g6 front and back and the brakes are awesome. Way better then stock, little dust and great stopping power.... Not bad for the price either. __________________ Fordtough.ca For Canadian Truck Owners Last edited by kool_zx3 : 10-14-2009 at 10:44 PM.

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10-02-2009, 11:46 PM	#8 (permalink)
BigAls87Z28 GMI Staff Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 10,657	Re: Aura needs new brakes I would never go with cross/slotted brakes. You are removing surface area that you need to maximize braking. GOOD set of HPS pads and Brembo blank rotors, and you are set. __________________ Alexander Villani GMInsideNews Editor Email Me @BigAl@GMInsidenews.com Tweet Me @Twitter.com/BigAls87Z28 2009 Malibu LT 2.4 : 1987 Camaro Z28 : 1972 Camaro RS

10-15-2009, 01:17 AM	#10 (permalink)
BigAls87Z28 GMI Staff Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 10,657	Re: Aura needs new brakes How could I argue with that. Id say it has more to do with your pads then anything else. Removing surface material from the rotor does not help braking. You might get some minor cooling and removing of some gas build up, but Id say that you would notice even more improvement in braking if you went to a quality rotor. __________________ Alexander Villani GMInsideNews Editor Email Me @BigAl@GMInsidenews.com Tweet Me @Twitter.com/BigAls87Z28 2009 Malibu LT 2.4 : 1987 Camaro Z28 : 1972 Camaro RS

10-15-2009, 08:46 AM	#11 (permalink)
kool_zx3 Level I Members Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Canada Drives: 2006 Pontiac G6 V6 Posts: 3,995	Re: Aura needs new brakes Thing is when i bought the car the stock brakes were done, and the car only had 35,000km's on it. So i got the shop to put all brand new brakes on it, good aftermarket rotors and ceramic pads and the car still didn't stop like it dos now with the new brakes. I can't remember now what rotors they were but they were the best the store carried for the car, and they were not cheap lol The pads were ceramic from napa i believe. Whatever it is, the car stop like a dream now. My buddy with a 05 g6 gt also bought the same set with the same results i have had. G5 perf had a group buy and alot of guys got a set of the brakes and i think just about everyone come away happy with the performance of the brakes. __________________ Fordtough.ca For Canadian Truck Owners

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