Which Centric Rotor for my Accord?

[Phishin]

I'm going to be buying a new set of rotors and pads for my car. Everyone seems to rave about Centric rotors. When I go to Rockauto, I find several options. My car is an LX with the 2.4L. Here is a list of the front rotors by Centric that are meant for the LX model:

CENTRIC Part # 12040036 Premium One of our most popular parts
CENTRIC Part # 12140036 C-Tek Standard One of our most popular parts
CENTRIC Part # 22740036L C-TEK Sport Drilled/Slotted Disc
CENTRIC Part # 12540036 High Carbon Alloy
CENTRIC Part # 12640036SL StopTech Sport; Slotted
CENTRIC Part # 12740036L StopTech Sport; Drilled & Slotted
CENTRIC Part # 12640036CSL StopTech Sport; Slotted; Cryogenically Treated

Cost isn't really a factor for me on this car. This car is ONLY used to haul my family on the highway. So, performance is the most important.

And as far as pads go: Do you recommend Akebono? Hawk HPS? Centric Ceramics? Anything else?

 

[simple_gifts]

I would choose one of their "favorites"; leverage the buying experience of others.

Drilled and slotted; no interest there whatsoever.

 

[The Critic]

I prefer the 125 series, but 120 is all you need. The high carbon 125s are really meant for the semi-metallic pads, but I've found that the 125s have better build quality and generally less runout.

Whichever one you choose, be sure to clean the hub flange really well using a 3m hub cleaning kit and confirm that the rotor has less than 0.0015" of lateral runout once installed. I think spec is 0.002", but I try to target 0.0015 or less.

 

[Voltmaster]

I put their prem. One on my 2000 accord.

I have to say that after 30k on them they are very rusted on outside layer, theyre on par with the OE stuff. No degradation in thickness so I am a happy customer. I paid 30ish bucks for them shipped on amazon.


I will be replacing them next year with my annual maintenance (50-60k on em).

 

[redhat]

I have Centric 120s and Akebono ProACT Ceramic pads on my Accord front/back.

Front Rotors: 120.40036
Rear Rotors: 120.40068
Front Pads: ACT914
Rear Pads: ACT1336

Have over 40k on them, at least if not more than half of the pads left and the brakes work great without any pulsation. Does help that I tear the brakes apart every year and re-lube the slide pins with silicone paste and pad ears with copper anti-sieze.

 

[skyactiv]

I'd go with Centric or Stop Tech pads. If believable, all OEM pads today are made using Positive Mold technology. Centric/Stop Tech is about the only non OEM pad willing to spend an extra buck making pads that way. I had Centric rotors on a WRX I once owned.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I'm probably going to get roasted for this - but a rotor is a rotor is a rotor to me. All made in China and it's just going to rust up in 3 winters anyway. Doesn't matter if it's $100 performance rotor, OE $50 rotor or $25 centric rotor.

I always buy cheap rotors and good pads. Seems to work well.

 

[Kool1]

If cost is not really a factor I would pass on Centric and go Genuine Honda OEM.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Rotors: Centric Premium

The Stoptech slotted and drilled rotors start out as the Premiums.

Pads: Akebono ProACT or Wagner Thermoquiet

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: slacktide_bitog
Rotors: Centric Premium

The Stoptech slotted and drilled rotors start out as the Premiums.

Pads: Akebono ProACT or Wagner Thermoquiet


+1 on the Akebono or Wagner TQ.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
I'm probably going to get roasted for this - but a rotor is a rotor is a rotor to me. All made in China and it's just going to rust up in 3 winters anyway. Doesn't matter if it's $100 performance rotor, OE $50 rotor or $25 centric rotor.

I always buy cheap rotors and good pads. Seems to work well.


A BOCES (technical high school) auto-shop teacher I know put a top rated rotor on one side of a car, and a $30 one on the other side. Car stopped fine with no pull. One year latter you could not tell them apart, both rusty, but still working fine.

 

[steve20]

IMO if you get the slotted/drilled rotors, you will eliminate the Honda engineered brake pedal pulsation forever. This pulsation appears after about 7 K miles, no matter which pad or rotor you choose---the internet derived cause of this is not the rotor warping, but irregular buildup of pad material on the rotor. Makes sense, my 2004 pulsation will stop for a few days after driving thru the rain--must be washing some of the buildup off.
I am replacing mine in the next few weeks, its going to be the slotted & drilled rotors with not sure yet pads
Steve

 

[HangFire]

The difference between the various grades of Centric rotors is the guaranteed runout, it runs about .005" for the cheap ones and you pay more for every .001" after that. As long as you keep the final installed runout under .005", you may never know the difference, but the more you pay, the more the odds are more in your favor.

My Honda has the OEM dealer installed non-slotted non-drilled rotors front and back with about 40K on each with zero pulsation, so I reject the idea that slotted/drilled discs are necessary on Honda's. There are two important things to avoid pulsation. FIrst is a low runout install. Second is proper break-in- not a succession of quick stops, but a succession of quick slowdowns, with complete cooling in between, and keep rolling, don't stop with a hot brake and leave a pad impression on the disc that will be the cause of the pulsation feel.

Sadly, a lot of people follow the Internet brake break-in hokum, come to a complete stop, and initiate their brand-new brakes with uneven friction deposits.

For a family driver, I would avoid any drilled or slotted rotors, as it lowers reliability. Do a Google image search on "slotted rotor crack" and "drilled rotor crack" to see some nice low-mileage examples.

https://www.google.com/search?q=drilled+or+slotted+disc+crack

The only purpose for drilled/slotted is for quicker cooldown for racing purposes, unless you descend Pike's Peak or Mt. Washington daily you'll be better served by normal rotors, which are centrally vented anyway. Solid rotors actually provide better single-stop performance because they have more surface area, and they're not really solid, they're still centrally vented.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: HangFire
The difference between the various grades of Centric rotors is the guaranteed runout, it runs about .005" for the cheap ones and you pay more for every .001" after that. As long as you keep the final installed runout under .005", you may never know the difference, but the more you pay, the more the odds are more in your favor.

This is not correct. The more runout you have, the faster that you will develop disc thickness variation - which will lead to pedal pulsation,

The OEM spec has gotten a lot tighter over the years. 0.005 may have been acceptable on some older vehicles, but most cars (and certainly not Honda) do not allow more than 0.002. More and more are capping it at 0.0015 now.

Also, remember that the hub has some runout as well, so you need to take this into account. That's why you need to clean the hub flange super well and measure the runout once the rotor is installed onto the vehicle.