Are the X5 Brembo brake sets on eBay any good?

[Lotus Man]

Much cheaper than factory...anyone here dealt with this seller and these parts?

http://stores.ebay.com/All-German-Parts

Parts seem to be from reputable suppliers.

Should I stock up on these?

[the head]

check out www.stranoparts.com good prices on brake parts...

OT but how do you like your lotus? I have always loved the way they look and feel...do you have many problems with it? (I ask because the nearest lotus dealer is like a 4 or 5 hour drive)

[02X5]

I was also wondering if the cross-drilled BREMBO rotors were any good off ebay..Someone with experience or knowledge of them please reply.

Thanks

[Zulu95]

I bought 2 sets from stopchek on e-bay. A little slow in shipping but he promised me a set by a certain date and paid for overnight shipping to get them to me on time. (They weigh 85 lbs. shipped!)

[asawadude]

IMHO, rotors are rotors are rotors. If they are the same size as OEM, whether they are Brembo, Stoptech, EBC, or Zimmerman, they are all pretty much the same. You're not going to get any signficant performance gains if all other parts remain the same.

I don't see any need to stock up. Discounted rotors are always available on eBay and other locations.

Where you're going to get your performance gains are by going with a high performance brakepad (i.e. Axxis Deluxe), going with braided steel brake lines, and high performance brake fluid.

[streetsoffire]

This guy agrees with the guy with the gun.

[Lotus Man]

Originally Posted by the head

check out www.stranoparts.com good prices on brake parts...

OT but how do you like your lotus? I have always loved the way they look and feel...do you have many problems with it? (I ask because the nearest lotus dealer is like a 4 or 5 hour drive)

Been a Lotus owner for the past 11 years, and I'm on my second Esprit. I've learned that it follows the "use-it-or-lose-it" rule...you drive the car all the time, and it'll reward you with many trouble-free miles. You let it sit, the switch contacts start to corrode, and gaskets dry up...contributing to electrical gremlins and leaks. So those people afraid of problems, keep their Lotus garaged year around -- contributing further to the self-imposed prophecy.

Thanks for the link to stranoparts!

[Lotus Man]

I guess the basis of my initial inquiry involves the "cheap" rotors that run rampant online...widely advertised and distributed to fit many OEM applications. Problems with them: Many are made in China, they arrive straight and true, that is...until they heat up during normal use and get that first splash of winter slush. Then you have one useless warped rotor. Heat treatment/cryo treatment to relieve internal material stress from machining and temperature shock is important -- the labor involved in this process, I believe, is the reason behind higher-priced rotors. That said, I'm just wondering if these "seemingly" cheap rotor and pad sets from Brembo (off eBay) are genuine Italian Brembo rotors and German pads...or if they're knock offs.

As for cross-drilled vs. slotted vs. solid rotors, you can learn the truths and myths all here:

http://www.superchargersonline.com/content.asp?ID=98

[The Cleaner]

Originally Posted by asawadude

IMHO, rotors are rotors are rotors. If they are the same size as OEM, whether they are Brembo, Stoptech, EBC, or Zimmerman, they are all pretty much the same. You're not going to get any signficant performance gains if all other parts remain the same.

I don't see any need to stock up. Discounted rotors are always available on eBay and other locations.

Where you're going to get your performance gains are by going with a high performance brakepad (i.e. Axxis Deluxe), going with braided steel brake lines, and high performance brake fluid.

Rotors are as important as Pads, they are a match set. Steel has millions of possible compositions and the castings, finish work and balancing is critical for run out. The Rockwell hardness of a rotor is specific to the pad material. This is why using Axxis or other pad without TUV approval will degrade performance is one or another category.