♚ Regal GS - Brembo Brakes ♚ Master Thread ♚

I've done a few more track days with my Regal (Autobahn Country Club). As mentioned above, I now have two setups... front rotors and pads I only use on the track (ended up with Hawk DTC-60s) and rotors/pads for the street (the before mentioned PowerStop Z23s).

I'm super happy with the Hawks on the track... they just keep getting better and better as they heat up. Incredible bite once they are warmed up. If anyone tracks their car and wants a really good track pad, I recommend them. Just make sure you sand off all of their stupid powder coating before you use them because it just melts and gets on everything.

But I noticed after my last track day that I have melted most of the dust seals on the Brembo pistons (yeah, my brakes are getting pretty hot out there). For now, I'll replace them with stock parts, but I'm wondering if anyone has experience with higher temperature dust seals for Brembo (or other) calipers? Looks like there might be silicone ones available.

I don't think a lot of you are tracking your Regals and having these sorts of problems, but maybe some of you have experienced this with other cars. Any advice would be appreciated.
 
So I think I'm still having problems with my brakes...fluid specifically. I think I posted a little while ago saying I replaced everything with OEM stuff again and it was ok for a bit. It seems that after about an hour of driving in the city I'm getting a bit of fade. I had my left front caliper replaced under warranty (the lettering was like completely gone), and they didn't do a four corner bleed, so I did that again at work and it was ok for a bit. Now I'm noticing the same fade happening again. Basically in the morning it feels fine. The right amount of bite you'd expect from the factory Brembos with minimal pedal travel/effort. If I go for like an hour and a half drive it's like it warms up and I get what I'd estimate to be an additional inch or so of initial pedal travel. The initial bite is also not there. Now, if I'm humming along at like 100kmh and stand on them, it'll stop the car pretty damn quick, but even still with a little more effort than I'd expect.

I switched to ATE TYP200 DOT4 a while back after boiling the DOT3 in there at the track. Since switching it, I must have run at least 2-3L worth of this stuff through the system (draw-through with vacuum bleeder first time, and like 3 different times bleeding after that). We even tried the ABS auto-bleed procedure using the scan tool and if anything I think that might be what ****ed it all up. Has anyone on here used the automated bleed on these cars before? The instructions on the scan tool when you do it are terrible, and I couldn't find anything else anywhere.

Anyone have any thoughts lol
 
The only thing I can think of might be totally insulting your intelligence, but they did hit both bleeders on each Brembo caliper?

I've worked on my brakes a lot since I track my car too, and can't think of anything else simple that could be causing your problem.

I have never used the scan tool while bleeding to try to get new fluid into all the ABS circuits. I figure the fluid in there doesn't absorb much water and also doesn't get very hot, so I just don't bother. So I can't comment on that procedure.

Get a cheap infrared thermometer and after a long drive hit all four calipers and see if one is hotter than the rest. That could pin point if you've got a particular brake that is dragging.

A lot more dust on one particular wheel could also point you to the problem area. Good luck.
 
I just wanted to share my two cents about this setup. In the interest of saving some money and trying something new, I used the exact combo listed above (Power Stop Z23 + Centric Ctek rotors) for a front brake replacement. In my opinion, there is a noticeable softness/lack of bite with these compared to the OEM parts. They'll still get you stopped, but it just doesn't feel quite the same.

But the much larger issue I have with these is the noise. I've read many complaints on here about the stock setup being noisy and creating too much dust. I have personally never experienced any noise from the stock setup other than when the pads are getting too low. But something in this new setup insufferably noisy. The problem is intermittent and I finally nailed it down to one thing....moisture. Any time I drive in the rain, or have it parked outside in extremely humid conditions, they will squeal like a pig being skewered alive. Think of a normal "low brake pad" squeal tab and magnify that by about 20. Way worse than the worst bus or garbage truck you've ever heard. We just bought our first house in an established, quiet neighborhood, and we have a relatively long inclined driveway. It squeals all the way down the driveway, and through about the first two stop signs that I come to. It is beyond embarrassing. I applied every last drop of the anti-squeal paste that came with the kit when I put them on. Assuming it must have something to do with a coat of surface rust forming on the rotors, I have tried spraying them down with brake cleaner before leaving, but it does no good.

There IS significantly less brake dust than with the OEM pads. But I will gladly trade more brake dust in exchange for better bite and less noise. I'm going back to an OEM setup as soon as possible, before my neighbors kill me.

I found a sample vid of the same pads on a different vehicle. Even with headphones on, it doesn't do the ear piercing volume of the squeal justice.

https://youtu.be/T4af2nQN2cA
 
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Yea both banks of cylinders were bled. No unusual pulling under hard braking or excessive brake dust buildup on one vs. the other (which is to say completely excessive due to oem pads haha). I'm at a loss. I might try switching all the fluid back to the usual DOT3 and see if that makes a difference.
 
Anyway to put brembos on the rear? Off camaro or something?
 
luke1333 said:
Well i know but the look would be killer. Probably going to painting at least my front calipers and thought brembo all the way around would be sick! 😀



haha exactly!! 😉
Click to expand...

I wouldn't be messing with the brake balance, especially on a car like this. You could easily paint the rears to match the fronts in color (they already do that on GS' from factory with the grey paint/coating on the rears that standard Regal doesn't get), but if you start changing brake balance between front and rear the performance could get worse instead of better.
 
Handy_Andy said:
I wouldn't be messing with the brake balance, especially on a car like this. You could easily paint the rears to match the fronts in color (they already do that on GS' from factory with the grey paint/coating on the rears that standard Regal doesn't get), but if you start changing brake balance between front and rear the performance could get worse instead of better.
Click to expand...

This right here. Good info.
 
GSTurbo said:
This right here. Good info.
Click to expand...

Add in that the braking on this car, with the right tires, can compete with some pretty insanely high end cars............not something to play with outside of rotors and pads.
 
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I found the EBC rotors I want to use on my brembos but I cannot find a matching EBC rotor for the rear. Are our rear rotors shared with any other car so I can see if they list a matching rotor for THAT car?
 
Scubacat said:
I found the EBC rotors I want to use on my brembos but I cannot find a matching EBC rotor for the rear. Are our rear rotors shared with any other car so I can see if they list a matching rotor for THAT car?
Click to expand...

According to RockAuto's excellent cross reference charts, these also use the same rear rotor (but I'm sure not all models of these cars):

2010 Allure
2010-2016 LaCrosse
2016-2017 CT6
2013-2017 XTS
2016-2017 Camaro
2014-2017 Impala
2013-2016 Malibu
2011 Saab 9-5

RockAuto's web site is so good, I tend to buy from them even when they don't have the lowest price (but usually they do).
 
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Went through the thread and noticed a lot of slotted and drilled rotors mentioned. Neither do I need to want. What's a good bargain rotor that doesn't rust. This is for mostly typical around town/highway driving with maybe an autocross someday. Rotors need to be resurfaced...so might was well just get new for the front. Pads are needed also, noticed NAPA and autozone in the thread, anyone have specific part numbers that are close to OEM.
 
Went with the Duralast pads (correct part from threads) and their gold rotors. After 20% discount, $175 shipped. I usually keep the rotors that come off and have them resurfaced for next change.

Part numbers:
DGC1001 Pads

72007DG Rotors
 
I am curious if anyone has tried these Brembo pads from Tire Rack, Brembo # P54039N
https://www.tirerack.com/brakes/brakes.jsp?make=Brembo&model=Ceramic+Brake+Pads&group=Ceramic+Brake+Pads&partNum=P54039N&autoMake=Buick&autoModel=Regal+GS&autoYear=2012&autoModClar=

The online rep from Tire Rack confirmed these would fit my 2012 GS with the Brembo calipers, so I ordered this week and just received them today.

Perhaps I should have done more research before buying, as I just found the part number listed in the Brembo catalog:
http://brembo.mycarparts.net/products/Brembo-P54039N?brand_id=455

This states that this part number fit Subaru and Mitsubishi models and nothing about Buicks. There is also a wire cable attached to one of the two pads for each set as shown in the catalog pictures that I am unsure of what it is needed for.

I was ready to send these right back to Tire Rack, but was curious and pulled off one of my original GM Brembo front pads to compare. They were actually the exact same size and form factor, just different backplate cover style and color. So I am wondering if these are OK/safe to use on my GS if I just snip the cable off?
 
Cable is for a wear sensor, I'm sure you'll be ok. I'd also compare part numbers to the Camaro as well.
 
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