No prob. I love EBC brakes and will put them on every vehicle I own. They are the only brake company I trust my life and safety to. I'm usually a supporter of American products when available but the Brits have a longstanding reputation of quality and excellence that's hard to match. I will not screw around with cheap parts when it comes to things that are important to my safety like brakes and tires.

 

Folks that have used Lucas electrical components in the past would disagree on that comment

 

I doesn't appear you were lied to at all. I think CH did a lot of the legwork for you.

let us know how they are and yeah, a step by step would be awesome. 18k on my rotors and sometimes they shimmy a bit on highway braking and other times they feel fine...go figure...they do protest a bit on high speed stops though that may be the crap Firestones also

I won't be going to the dealer to have them cut...I'll just junk them for new rotors, possibly the EBC's



Goose

 

That's exactly my mileage and my symptoms and exactly my solution. This thread is going to sell a lot of EBC product.

 

You have to come to grips with a global economy guys. If you think you're going to "buy American" it's going to be more than a bit hard to do.

I don't know the EBC angle or who produces their product and where. I do know they are a UK based corporation but that alone does not assure you of UK based production. In fairness the same is true of Brembo (with various foundries around the world), Wilwood (while a US company, rotors are not US made-Mexico I believe), to Stoptech (a US location owned by a China based corp who also is a major supplier of oem "chinese rotors") to Baer who in addition to producing calipers bodies locally sources rotors from China and calipers from Australia.

Even big oems like Bosch and TRW who produce product world wide don't do much here any longer.

Me? Because you asked: Wilwood calipers from the USA, pads from a USA supplier, rotors from a USA supplier, hats, brackets, hoses and other goods all from USA shop. *Although original materials source may be out of country- steel, alum, hose and fittings etc.

Personally I think the bottom line is two fold:
1. The Chinese have greatly improved their quality control to the point that larger aftermarket and oem's both use them. Long gone is the day when you could openly claim this stuff to be crap.
2. The veil of secrecy has been lifted on a number of aftermarket suppliers. Most of, if not all these suppliers are using the same import parts you find offered from many of the e-bay suppliers. Just in nicer boxes. For years a good marketing campaign allowed name brand parts to be hyped up. Now with a bit more research and open investigating you'll find the same $6 rotor casting is used to produce both the $40 rotor and the $75 rotor.

None of that really should have a major impact on your purchase. The biggest problems with aftermarket rotors today remain poor pad choices and hot spotting (regardless of what brand) and the potential for failure due to cross drilling. Again; regardless of who's part it is.

Pick the right part for the right application and use and you'll get many smiles per mile.

 

Thanks for the good info on aftermarket brake parts - rear brake kit?

 

Interest from the Cobalt camp is first for those with disc rears now. No plans currently for the HHR. Can do one up with the Wilwood combo parking brake caliper if there's demand.

 

Arrived in today for some use here:

Bendix (#1 in brakes was the slogan I think)

Made in China.

 

How did these rotors work out? Did you install them yet? I'm also getting the horrible vibration when braking, which is infuriating me! I'm looking for a more permanent solution rather than visiting the dealer (only to have them do nothing more than turn the rotors). Thanks.

 

I have a 00 Saab 9-3 and an 06 HHR. I have run cross-drilled rotors on the Saab to eliminate warped rotors. Mine were Zimmermans (BMW and MB supplier) They were less than 150 and in fact were cheaper than OEM.
Huge difference in breaking distances and never a warp problem, (going on 3 years).
The HHR is getting cross drilled. I would hesitate on the cheapy "drilled em themselves" variety, but a good brand need not be expensive and no worries about cracking etc. I'd stay away from Hi-Performance pads unless you want to clean your rims weekly.
As for slotted. I can't say, I do agree with the comment about cross drilled and slotted being overkill.
I''ll let you know which brand I go with but am going to check Zimmerman.