Time to replace rotors. Which brake upgrades?

[BennyLava]

My rotors on my 2009 Yaris sedan have finally worn out. They have that "rotor shimmy" that tells you its time to either replace the rotors, or have them shaved. I'm kind of on the fence about having them shaved. They're going to lose thickness, which technically makes them out of spec with what toyota intended. So I'm not sure I'm really for "turning" rotors, as some people call it. Others call it shaving them. My local orielly's or autozone will turn them, but I'm thinking a brake upgrade is in order. So here's my questions:

1. So what is a good brake rotor upgrade, that won't break the bank? Perhaps those EBC slotted rotors that come in black? I don't think I really want drilled rotors, as they do have a tendency to crack. But which rotors would last a long time, and definitely be an upgrade to stock rotors?

2. I'd also like to do some braided stainless steel brake lines. If I'm right about this (and I could be wrong) my Yaris should have rubber brake lines that actually connect to the caliper itself. Same thing that is on my old 1987 Silverado. Well, as I'm sure you all know, if you replace those with braided stainless steel upgrades, those lines can no longer "bulge" or flex, from the inside out. Which is why they make the braided steel ones. And thus, your braking is slightly improved. Does anyone make such a thing for the yaris? And if so, which ones would you recommend? I'm probably going to go ahead and change the brake fluid, since it just hit 150k miles on the odometer. Might as well switch over to stainless steel lines if I'm going to have to change the brake fluid.

3. Pads? Is there a pad upgrade, to the stock toyota pads that my car has? When I got the car, it only had 40k miles on it. So I'm sure it still had the stock pads and rotors still on there. But now since I'll be replacing the rotors, I'm going to replace the pads too. Is there an upgraded pad, that will actually perform any better, perhaps last just as long, and maybe not produce much brake dust? I have my doubts that there is actually a better pad, than the stock toyota pads, for the yaris. But I just thought I'd ask.

Anyway, thanks for reading!


EDIT: I'm thinking maybe something like this for the pads and rotors. Any reason I shouldn't go this route? Not sure about the pads...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/EBC-Brakes-S2KF1257-Stage-2-Sport-Brake-Kit-07-12-Yaris-Incl-Rotors-and-Pads-/182118858473?fits=Model%3AYaris&hash=item2a67213ee9:g:cIYAAOSwrXdXKfV5&vxp=mtr

[bronsin]

First of all, most rotors have specs for how much material can be removed to refurbish them. So turning them doesn't necessarily put them "out of spec".

[BennyLava]

Necessarily? So do you know whether or not it would?

[bronsin]

I ll be 60 this year and have fixed my own cars since I was 17 for myself, family and friends.

The only car I ever came across the manufacturer said DO NOT resurface rotor is MB.

IVE NEVER HAD A problem doing it.

[invader166]

My rotors on my 2009 Yaris sedan have finally worn out. They have that "rotor shimmy" that tells you its time to either replace the rotors, or have them shaved. I'm kind of on the fence about having them shaved. They're going to lose thickness, which technically makes them out of spec with what toyota intended. So I'm not sure I'm really for "turning" rotors, as some people call it. Others call it shaving them. My local orielly's or autozone will turn them, but I'm thinking a brake upgrade is in order. So here's my questions:

1. So what is a good brake rotor upgrade, that won't break the bank? Perhaps those EBC slotted rotors that come in black? I don't think I really want drilled rotors, as they do have a tendency to crack. But which rotors would last a long time, and definitely be an upgrade to stock rotors?

2. I'd also like to do some braided stainless steel brake lines. If I'm right about this (and I could be wrong) my Yaris should have rubber brake lines that actually connect to the caliper itself. Same thing that is on my old 1987 Silverado. Well, as I'm sure you all know, if you replace those with braided stainless steel upgrades, those lines can no longer "bulge" or flex, from the inside out. Which is why they make the braided steel ones. And thus, your braking is slightly improved. Does anyone make such a thing for the yaris? And if so, which ones would you recommend? I'm probably going to go ahead and change the brake fluid, since it just hit 150k miles on the odometer. Might as well switch over to stainless steel lines if I'm going to have to change the brake fluid.

3. Pads? Is there a pad upgrade, to the stock toyota pads that my car has? When I got the car, it only had 40k miles on it. So I'm sure it still had the stock pads and rotors still on there. But now since I'll be replacing the rotors, I'm going to replace the pads too. Is there an upgraded pad, that will actually perform any better, perhaps last just as long, and maybe not produce much brake dust? I have my doubts that there is actually a better pad, than the stock toyota pads, for the yaris. But I just thought I'd ask.

Anyway, thanks for reading!


EDIT: I'm thinking maybe something like this for the pads and rotors. Any reason I shouldn't go this route? Not sure about the pads...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/EBC-Brakes-S2KF1257-Stage-2-Sport-Brake-Kit-07-12-Yaris-Incl-Rotors-and-Pads-/182118858473?fits=Model%3AYaris&hash=item2a67213ee9:g:cIYAAOSwrXdXKfV5&vxp=mtr

#1. I would personally stay away from drilled rotors, and I would say "maybe" towards the slotted. They look cool, but i don't believe they perform as well as regular rotors because there is a lower contact area between the pad and rotor. The slots are believed to extend pad life, however I personally would trade longer life for better stopping power. That's really all your call though.

#2. Definitely one of the best times to upgrade! Plenty of manufacturers to choose from. You can't go wrong with either of them.

http://www.proimporttuners.com/parts/toyota/yaris-stoptech-stainless-steel-brake-line-kit.html

http://www.frsport.com/GOODRIDGE-21086-STAINLESS-STEEL-BRAKE-LINE-SS-BR-07-08-Toyota-YARIS_p_12298.html

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-Yaris-Stainless-Brake-Lines-FULL-SET-2007-2012-/171844198811?hash=item2802b6619b:g:bdMAAOSw~gRVlGj J (personally have and use this set, one of the best braking upgrades I've made!)

#3. In terms of pads, I would suggest looking for some that offer good brake fade and low dust characteristics. Carbotech have some of the best fade resistance pads with a low dust formula. (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Carbotech-CT1184-1521-High-Performance-Brake-Pads-Front-Toyota-Yaris-07-11-/172097063042?hash=item2811c8c882:g:wKEAAOSwll1Wu7h A)

Many people on this forum also run Hawk Performance pads on their cars for the same reason. (http://hawkbrakesdirect.com/p-377-hps-performance-street-brake-pads.aspx)

Hope all this info helps! :smile:

[BennyLava]

I ll be 60 this year and have fixed my own cars since I was 17 for myself, family and friends.

The only car I ever came across the manufacturer said DO NOT resurface rotor is MB.

IVE NEVER HAD A problem doing it.

I've seen em crack, twice. One was a friend in high school on his old chevy, the other on my grandfather's lincoln. BOTH after having them turned. Thats what makes me question it

#1. I would personally stay away from drilled rotors, and I would say "maybe" towards the slotted. They look cool, but i don't believe they perform as well as regular rotors because there is a lower contact area between the pad and rotor. The slots are believed to extend pad life, however I personally would trade longer life for better stopping power. That's really all your call though.

#2. Definitely one of the best times to upgrade! Plenty of manufacturers to choose from. You can't go wrong with either of them.

http://www.proimporttuners.com/parts/toyota/yaris-stoptech-stainless-steel-brake-line-kit.html

http://www.frsport.com/GOODRIDGE-21086-STAINLESS-STEEL-BRAKE-LINE-SS-BR-07-08-Toyota-YARIS_p_12298.html

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-Yaris-Stainless-Brake-Lines-FULL-SET-2007-2012-/171844198811?hash=item2802b6619b:g:bdMAAOSw~gRVlGj J (personally have and use this set, one of the best braking upgrades I've made!)

#3. In terms of pads, I would suggest looking for some that offer good brake fade and low dust characteristics. Carbotech have some of the best fade resistance pads with a low dust formula. (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Carbotech-CT1184-1521-High-Performance-Brake-Pads-Front-Toyota-Yaris-07-11-/172097063042?hash=item2811c8c882:g:wKEAAOSwll1Wu7h A)

Many people on this forum also run Hawk Performance pads on their cars for the same reason. (http://hawkbrakesdirect.com/p-377-hps-performance-street-brake-pads.aspx)

Hope all this info helps! :smile:

Thanks for the help! But I wonder why the first set of braided lines is half the price of the other two. Half the quality? lol

[bronsin]

I guess if I saw one crack I'd feel the same.

[BennyLava]

I guess if I saw one crack I'd feel the same.

I can't say for sure that both those rotors weren't chinese junk, that got put on the vehicles at some point along the way. But it gave me pause. I would like to know the rest of the details. Like how thin a rotor can really be before it cracks, what effect a thinner rotor has on braking (if any) etc

[bronsin]

Its very rare that i wear out a set of brakes because i drive so I seldom make much use of them. Ive ridden motorcycles for decades and never had issues with the discs and discs on a mc are MUCH thinner than auto discs. O fcourse mc s are 1/4 the weight of cars...

[Rigaud]

Drilled rotors = NO
Slotted = NO
On the track no one uses them!!!! Plenty of information on rotors if you google.

[ex-x-fire]

I'd have the rotor turned, the oem ones are made from better materials then the cheap rotors all the parts houses sell.
I heard that the braided hoses should be replaced often too.

[BennyLava]

I'd have the rotor turned, the oem ones are made from better materials then the cheap rotors all the parts houses sell.
I heard that the braided hoses should be replaced often too.

This is also a concern for me. However those EBC ones I linked, probably exceed the OEM quality. That's just a guess though, but EBC is known for high quality on their expensive rotors. They do have less expensive offerings though. I'm going to call the toyota dealer and get a price on OEM ones.

[BennyLava]

Does anyone happen to know the brand (if its not just "Toyota brand") that toyota uses for rotors on the 09 yaris? Or perhaps a part number? Its the sedan, if that matters.

[mimelio]

I used Wagner Brake BD126409 ThermoQuiet Disc Brake Rotors a couple of years ago when I serviced my brakes. They are OE qaulity

http://www.opticatonline.com/part/wagner-brake-bd126409-disc-brake-rotor

For pads I used Wagner Brake ZD1184 Quick Stop Disc Brake Pads

http://www.opticatonline.com/part/wagner-brake-zd1184-disc-brake-pad

[BennyLava]

I used Wagner Brake BD126409 ThermoQuiet Disc Brake Rotors a couple of years ago when I serviced my brakes. They are OE qaulity

http://www.opticatonline.com/part/wagner-brake-bd126409-disc-brake-rotor

For pads I used Wagner Brake ZD1184 Quick Stop Disc Brake Pads

http://www.opticatonline.com/part/wagner-brake-zd1184-disc-brake-pad

Thanks for the links. I'd just like to ask how you know they are OE quality. Just curious

[bail_w]

Centric Premium Rotors with Centric POSIQUIET pads is a good combination. Many people reported that they had good experience with Centric rotors and pads.

[joell]

Does anyone happen to know the brand (if its not just "Toyota brand") that toyota uses for rotors on the 09 yaris? Or perhaps a part number? Its the sedan, if that matters.

Probably Aisin manufactures those for Toyota, Advics Co. Ltd. (http://www.advics.co.jp/eng/product/lineup/foundation.html) is a big supplier of braking components part of the group. Is better to check online with your VIN for the exact part # if you want the Toyota brand ones.

[BennyLava]

Its better to check online with your VIN for the exact part # if you want the Toyota brand ones.

This is something I never really figured out how to do. Is there a reliable website where you can enter the Vin, and see all par numbers?

[joell]

I used ToyoDIY . com in the past but it doesn´t have the diagrams anymore, but you can search under the powertrain group the word "brake".
Also many dealerships with online stores do the same and show the parts assembly diagrams, even the price.

[47_MasoN_47]

Both of the rotors on my Yaris warped like crazy. I've never had rotors warp like that on anything else. I've been using the el cheapo ones on my truck for the last 4 years and haven't had any trouble out of those, so that's what I went with on the Yaris too.

I use Wagner Thermoquiet pads - http://www.amazon.com/Wagner-ThermoQuiet-PD1184-Installation-Hardware/dp/B0014B63KK?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01

And these rotors - http://www.amazon.com/Centric-Parts-120-44143-Premium-Coating/dp/B0016OO61I?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00

[brushforhire]

If you are looking to go performance you could always swap on the Yaris S stock rotors with a set of xD/corolla calipers and pads. I just did that with the MI stainless braided lines, and wow. I wish all my vehicles stopped like that. I hardly even have to press on the brake pedal anymore to get response.

[BennyLava]

Yeah I am looking for a bump in braking performance. To me the car doesn't really brake well with the stock components.

However, while I would like to gain some braking performance, I'm not sure I want to change the pedal feel much. I like actually having to feel it go down some. And I think you can increase braking power, without having an over sensitive brake pedal. I used to have an 03 Volvo S80 and it was like that for some reason. You breathe on the pedal and it would jam on the brakes. Didn't like it. It would make your foot sore, because when you'd want to hover over the pedal for a bit, you couldn't just slightly rest your foot on the edge of the pedal.

If you did that the car would be braking pretty hard. Harder than I thought it should for the amount of foot pressure that you put on the pedal. So if possible, I'd like to avoid that outcome with the Yaris. And it seems to me, there should be a way to do it. Perhaps its just a pedal adjustment.

[brushforhire]

I wouldn't say that it is over sensitive at all, more so responsive. It actually feels right. I don't feel like I have to put weight into braking now. It still has plenty of pedal movement, without being touchy. It just brakes effortlessly. I like it that way.

I rest my foot on the pedal without issue at all.

In my previous comment, I didn't mean to make it sound like it was twitchy, just really does what I want.

[BennyLava]

Anyone happen to know the brake fluid change interval? Probably in my manual but I heard toyota can be a bit weird about this so I thought I'd ask. Just in case there are any odd requirements to changing the brake fluid in my 09 Yaris.

The car just reached 150k miles, so I was going to go ahead and do a brake fluid flush while I'm doing all this work to the brakes.

[tmontague]

I don't believe the manual states a regular interval for brake fluid bleed.

I would change it out due to your mileage, I change mine every 2-3 years and it looks fine at 2 years. The fluid will absorb moisture over time so even if it looks fine it should be changed periodically.

You can purchase an electronic tester which will measure the moisture in the fluid as well.

[47_MasoN_47]

Mine has the original fluid from 2008 in it. It still looks brand new.