Akebono pads with coated rotors...

L

Looger

Joined
Aug 30, 2021
Messages
57
Will be doing the brakes on my 19 Accord and Wife's 17 CRV.

Considered the Raybestos EHT pads and E3 rotors, but Akebonos have been extremely reliable for me in the past.
I did use the EHT on my wife's old CRV, and they did stop very well. But there was more dust, a pronounced click when backing up and dropping into drive (imperfect caliper fit), and wore more quickly than the Akebonos.

Anyway, I emailed Akebono to ask about using their ProAct pads with fully coated rotors.
They said this:
"The coating on rotors will gum up our pads and shorten the life. If you do purchase coated rotors, we recommend cleaning them with brake clean then soap and water to remove all residue."

I'm considering the Centric GCX Elemental or Raybestos Element 3 rotors.
I can use the semi-coated Centric rotors, but Rock Auto is out of the semi-coated rotors for the rear of the CRV.
So, for the CRV, my choices would be uncoated (Michigan will tear them up fast) or fully coated, and try to remove the coating on the brake track.

Akebono's advice is...odd. Will brake cleaner actually remove the coating? I would think a light sanding would remove it...

I know I could just run with the EHT stuff, but I value longevity and consistency, so I have doubts about using the Raybestos.
I don't want to touch the brakes for a long time (busy life).

Thoughts?

Many thanks,
Bob
 
I've used ProActs on several different vehicles and have had nothing but exceptional performance from them. No noise, no (very little) dust, good bite and modulation, pretty long life. For the money, they are a great pad. I have also used them on several rotor types including coated ones. The Centic/Stop Techs with the E-coat did not have the coating on the swept areas, however, the EBCs I used that were fully coated did. Coating was a black zinc based type coating, which wore off quickly in this area and did not affect the braking.

Do NOT sand the rotors with conventional sandpaper, use a garnet grit paper/pad. Conventional paper will leave bits in the rotor metal that will tear up new pads. No need for that anyway. If you're really concerned, leave the used pads in while the rotors get "cleaned" of any coating, then swap new pads in and do your break-in with them. Here is a white paper from Stop Tech that covers alot about pad/rotor break-in and such:

Edit. That link above is no longer out there. Here is essentially the same info from Alcon:
alconkits.com

THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT WARPED BRAKE ROTORS

The REAL truth about warped brake rotors... The typical situation: New pads are fitted to a new pair of brake discs. A week later there’s a vibration or “judder” when the brakes are applied. A call to a mechanically inclined friend and an online search offers the diagnosis—the brake rotors are...
alconkits.com alconkits.com
 
Last edited:
Looger said:
....They said this:
"The coating on rotors will gum up our pads and shorten the life. If you do purchase coated rotors, we recommend cleaning them with brake clean then soap and water to remove all residue."....
Click to expand...
From personal experience, I call bee ess on that statement. I installed Raybestos RPT (before renamed to E3) rotors and Akebono ProAct ACT787 on 07 Accord 3.0L in fall of 2018. Coating never did any of that, comes off rotor just fine. Combination worked fine then, still working great now. Below pic not long after installation.

As for RPTs, still happy with them, $45 then from RA, shipped price. They now have some very light surface rust (normal in my experience) on edge rotor (where you see coating in pic), nothing even close to significant or affecting rotor life. I would add if you live an area with aggressive use of salt, may want to look for a rotor with more durable coating. RPTs, perfect here though.

73079U8l.jpg
 
Wow you guys are fast, thanks for the info!

It does seem odd that many manufacturers (like Raybestos) make fully coated rotors with zero concern for pad contamination.
I would guess that Akebono is being cautious. Nothing wrong with that, really.

Just to be 100% sure, I think I'll lightly hit them with garnet paper, then cleanse with brake clean and soapy water as Akebono instructed.

Funny you mentioned garnet paper: I've got a bunch of it.

Nice tip on using the old pads to quickly scrub the brake track, by the way.

Bob
 
The stresses are so high on brake pads and rotors, the coating is gone in the first few stops. Do not worry about it.

The idea that a solvent cleaner should be used is at least somewhat valid. As the pad manufacturer can't know what's on the rotors to protect them from rust. Some are coated with a form of petroleum! Best to remove any waxy coating, if there is one, from the swept surface.

If not, install and enjoy!
 
There is nothing wrong with using coated rotors with Akebono pads. There will be no problems at all :)

I used Akebono pads on Power Stop coated rotors with no problem. Powerstop uses Geomet 360, and it has lasted over 3 years so far.

The coating on the swept area gets swept away on the first stop, and the rest of the rotor stays rust-free for years, as long as you don't spray them or try to clean them off. You will not have any problems, and the pads will work fine.

DO NOT use brake cleaner on the coated rotors because the coating will wear out too fast, and you don't want that!
 
slacktide_bitog said:
DO NOT use brake cleaner on the coated rotors because the coating will wear out too fast, and you don't want that!
Click to expand...
hey @slacktide_bitog thank you for mentioning about cleaning the coated rotors, because I did that when installing the rotors the last time and wondered why they were rusting quicker this time!! I was using the Bosch QuietCast rotors.. thanks, I'll remember that next time!!

and to @Looger yup other rotors are coated with a grease to prevent the cast iron from rusting. That's what the akebono rep was talking about. I do not miss that stuff once the rust paint coated rotors came out! Much better..
 
researcher said:
yup other rotors are coated with a grease to prevent the cast iron from rusting. That's what the akebono rep was talking about. I do not miss that stuff once the rust paint coated rotors came out! Much better..
Click to expand...

Even this won't cause any problems to the pads. The oil used on non-coated rotors (usually cosmoline) won't cause any damage. Even if you forget to clean the oil off, you'll just get some smoke for the first few stops, but then it will be fine. The only problem with non-coated rotors is the rust, which happens in a few hours.
 
Looger said:
Wow you guys are fast, thanks for the info!

It does seem odd that many manufacturers (like Raybestos) make fully coated rotors with zero concern for pad contamination.
I would guess that Akebono is being cautious. Nothing wrong with that, really.

Just to be 100% sure, I think I'll lightly hit them with garnet paper, then cleanse with brake clean and soapy water as Akebono instructed.

Funny you mentioned garnet paper: I've got a bunch of it.

Nice tip on using the old pads to quickly scrub the brake track, by the way.

Bob
Click to expand...
Zimmerman, which makes good rotors, strictly recommends against cleaning coating. If rotors come in an oil, like many rotors a long time ago did, then yes.
 
Great comments, thanks!

I'll just spray some brake cleaner on a rag and wipe down the brake track only.

Been wrenching on and off for over 35 years (including a short stint as a master wrench at a dealership) and I'm still learning.

Bob
 
I use dish soap and water to prep rotors and to warsh the inside of the wheels.
As others have said, any coating will be removed by the pads in short order.
 
For kicks and giggles thought I'd google the term "coated rotors". Results overwhelmingly clear on what is meant. Hint, not the waxy/oily coating found on many/most uncoated rotors. I think Akebono rep gave a cya type answer to the OP's query. That said, Akebono ProAct pads still good ones, in my experience.
 
With a recent brake job on my Infiniti Q60, I used the NAPA Adaptive One pads & coated rotors, which have a surprising amount of stopping power, no noise and minimal dust. Absolutely no prep required, per the instructions, when installing the rotors:

Front:
1679162542858.jpeg

Rear:
1679162596382.jpeg
 
Looger said:
Great comments, thanks!

I'll just spray some brake cleaner on a rag and wipe down the brake track only.

Been wrenching on and off for over 35 years (including a short stint as a master wrench at a dealership) and I'm still learning.

Bob
Click to expand...
They aren’t exactly blowing smoke. Their pads are not very aggressive and I have experienced some issues with the coated rotors causing a longer break-in. It really depends on the brand of rotor and the type/thickness of the coating used.

Akebono sells some rotors under their own label and they are only partially coated for this reason. If I am using the aftermarket Akebono pads, I have learned to use a roloc disc and remove the coating from the friction surfaces. Break-in is faster and fewer noise issues.

1679163101511.jpeg
 
B6_Dolphin: those are beautiful rims and calipers.

Critic: I'm blanking on roloc disc... I've heard the term...is it a scotch Brite type of material?

Whoops, found it.
Which version do you prefer?

Bob
 
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