EBC Red Stuff pads separating from backing plate
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Senior Member
Joined: 05-17-2008
Posts: 350
From: Indiana
EBC Red Stuff pads separating from backing plate
Title sez it all
Had my SS up in the air , swapping out the winter tires and installing the new sumer tires and new wheels (@ work right now, will prob post pics of the new summer "look" at a later date from home) Plan was to clean up/check brake stuff(EBC Red Stuff pads -slotted/drilled rotors all around) / paint the hub where the new wheels will meet the hub, since it's show more now and that the the back side of the rims are black, just to help freshen up adding the brand new wheels/tires. Inspected the driver side pads and saw the that inside pad was cracked (80%or so was still in one section,and had the remaining 20% in two pieces somehow just being held in place, sorta just "floating" in place.) ALSO saw that the pad had separated from the steel backing plate,and when i checked the passenger front, when i used a lil screwdriver , using very lil pressure to back the pad back so i could pull the caliper off (just a lil small screwdriver action 'tween rotor and pad, again using a VERY light touch ) I saw that THAT pad just separated from it's backing plate
.Checked the install date of rotors /pads all around and found that it was a yr and 2 days in service (dunno miles on this set, but prob around 25K)
Took rotors off and went to my old school auto parts place, who checked runout on rotors and said they were ok, close to on the money as could be,,
Replace front pads w/ Wagner ones a set up from OEM ones they sold.
Never had a pulse pedal from these rotors, so it's not what I would think could be thought of as a bad rotor beating up a inside pad and loosening it's bond of pad from plate.
Could the blame be on the slotted/driled rotors (also EBC), or the pads or both.
No REAL hard braking from me, more like normal use as any Joe Driver here (Ok, mebbe a lil more ,once inna while,cuz it's just darn fun driving a SS ,
,and had a very few stops as fast as goes 
Just wondering if anyone else had had/heard of EBC pads separating from their backing plates?
The one up from OEM Wagner's stop the car just fine now, maybe even a lil better IMO
Rears "look" ok, did not bother to delve further since my shop did not have the same level of pads for the rear in stock. Will check 'em out at a later date, when i got time to wait a day to order them in.
Also, anyone think I have a legit gripe with EBC? (ordered from Tire Rack.com FWIW) Sure, the timeframe from when I installed them and when i discovered the problem was a few days past a years time, but I know from looking at the driver's side pad, that the pad DID crack apart into 3 sections, based on how the 2 smaller sections looked compared to the bigger one( just "along for the ride" with the larger section of pad for a decent amount of time. not like it happened a week/month prior)
Sorry for the long post, but i had to tell my story and gripe a lil to those in the same scenario, vehicle-wise.
Had my SS up in the air , swapping out the winter tires and installing the new sumer tires and new wheels (@ work right now, will prob post pics of the new summer "look" at a later date from home) Plan was to clean up/check brake stuff(EBC Red Stuff pads -slotted/drilled rotors all around) / paint the hub where the new wheels will meet the hub, since it's show more now and that the the back side of the rims are black, just to help freshen up adding the brand new wheels/tires. Inspected the driver side pads and saw the that inside pad was cracked (80%or so was still in one section,and had the remaining 20% in two pieces somehow just being held in place, sorta just "floating" in place.) ALSO saw that the pad had separated from the steel backing plate,and when i checked the passenger front, when i used a lil screwdriver , using very lil pressure to back the pad back so i could pull the caliper off (just a lil small screwdriver action 'tween rotor and pad, again using a VERY light touch ) I saw that THAT pad just separated from it's backing plate
.Checked the install date of rotors /pads all around and found that it was a yr and 2 days in service (dunno miles on this set, but prob around 25K)Took rotors off and went to my old school auto parts place, who checked runout on rotors and said they were ok, close to on the money as could be,,
Replace front pads w/ Wagner ones a set up from OEM ones they sold.
Never had a pulse pedal from these rotors, so it's not what I would think could be thought of as a bad rotor beating up a inside pad and loosening it's bond of pad from plate.
Could the blame be on the slotted/driled rotors (also EBC), or the pads or both.
No REAL hard braking from me, more like normal use as any Joe Driver here (Ok, mebbe a lil more ,once inna while,cuz it's just darn fun driving a SS ,
,and had a very few stops as fast as goes Just wondering if anyone else had had/heard of EBC pads separating from their backing plates?
The one up from OEM Wagner's stop the car just fine now, maybe even a lil better IMO
Rears "look" ok, did not bother to delve further since my shop did not have the same level of pads for the rear in stock. Will check 'em out at a later date, when i got time to wait a day to order them in.
Also, anyone think I have a legit gripe with EBC? (ordered from Tire Rack.com FWIW) Sure, the timeframe from when I installed them and when i discovered the problem was a few days past a years time, but I know from looking at the driver's side pad, that the pad DID crack apart into 3 sections, based on how the 2 smaller sections looked compared to the bigger one( just "along for the ride" with the larger section of pad for a decent amount of time. not like it happened a week/month prior)
Sorry for the long post, but i had to tell my story and gripe a lil to those in the same scenario, vehicle-wise.
Senior Member
Joined: 07-01-2010
Posts: 284
From: Denver, CO
Since Red Stuff are race pads, did you bed them in according to EBC? I believe you have to do some full stops after first installing them to bed them in. Also, running high-temp-capable racing pads on the street MIGHT cause problems (although I have done this for years, first with Repco, then Axxis then EBC with no problems other than some increase in pedal pressure when they are cold). I am sure EBC would be interested in your problem if you contacted them. I have never had an issue with their products myself.
I have a set of GMPP performance rotors that I had on my Cobalt SS 2.4 for a week, and plan to see if they fit the HHR SS and was going with EBC Red Stuff (I would go with Yellow Stuff but they're a bit on the pricy side!).
I have a set of GMPP performance rotors that I had on my Cobalt SS 2.4 for a week, and plan to see if they fit the HHR SS and was going with EBC Red Stuff (I would go with Yellow Stuff but they're a bit on the pricy side!).
Senior Member
Joined: 01-10-2008
Posts: 681
From: NJ
Sorry, I won't buy EBC's overpriced crap. I bought their rotors and read the disclaimer about the "wobbles" at 2000 miles, saying it's all your fault. I was extra carefull about the install & the bedding, and what do you know, the wobbles appeared at exactly 2000 miles. I replaced them with the cheapest chinese rotors I could find, and they've been running for 7000 miles without a problem.
Checking the rotors runout off the car is almost useless, as you can't tell if the hubs are out. There are even tapered alignment shims to correct runout between the rotor and the hub.
Checking the rotors runout off the car is almost useless, as you can't tell if the hubs are out. There are even tapered alignment shims to correct runout between the rotor and the hub.
Senior Member
Joined: 05-21-2007
Posts: 175
From: Space
Sounds like a manufacturing defect, EBC is pretty good about warranty stuff.
Contact form here: http://www.ebcbrakes.com/contact.shtml
Contact form here: http://www.ebcbrakes.com/contact.shtml
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