JakeMate

I spent Saturday at Carolina Motorsports Park driving the EVO Lancer. I was having some overheating brake issues and eventually lost the brakes with the pedal going to the floor.

I have Performance Friction floating front rotors and pads. I couldn't figure out why I was having so much trouble. So I pulled off the rotors tonight only to notice that I put them on backwards. The cooling swirly vanes were swiring in the wrong direction and thus not forcing any air through the rotors. Needless to say, I switched them around and I will need new pads now because the pads are all cracked. I also removed the protective shields behind the rotors taking care to hose clamp the ABS wire to the hub carrier.

My question is...is it OK to switch the rotors around to their proper positions? Could I have done any damage to them? Namely to the hardware that allows them to float? Are they designed to only get forces in one direction? What do you think. My gut feeling tells me they're OK.

Anyways...here's some pics and a video too:

Video...Click Here Now

Pictures....Click Here NOW

Stuttgart

Jake,
What is the part number for the pads 1001.10 or 7781.97 or 7781.01
This sounds like a fluid issue to me, with a car as heavy as the EVO you should probably switch to Motul or Castrol SRF, and bleed regularly.
As for the Direct Drive rotors, the bobbin's will not be damaged by running the rotor backwards, so you're fine.
-Phil
pgilsdorf@performancefriction.com

RXDOC

Jake:
Sorry, I can't help you with you question! But I have a TT with very similar Mods to yours. Do you track your TT. How does it compare to the EVO (braking, accelerating, suspension)? I would love to hear your experience

JakeMate

They are 1001.10. The EVO is light compared to the TT which has the same size brakes.

Thanks for your input.

JakeMate

My modified EVO is a bit slower than the TT. Braking is better in the EVO. Handling is different. I had more O **** moments in the TT if I was sloppy about my heel toe into corners. The EVO (even without stability control) has never given me those moments. Maybe I'm just a better driver now. But the EVO is just so easy to drive on the edge compared to the TT. The AWD system on the EVO blows the TT's out of the water. The TT's system only seems good for rainy stoplight take-offs (and not very good at that even). You can really take advantage of the EVO's AWD system right after the apex of a turn.

Ergonomics in the TT are second to none. It just fits like a glove. The TT's sound is awesome too. Nothing like the feeling of driving a Porsche

RXDOC

Jake:
Thanks for your input on this matter. I have been considering tracking a much less costlier alternative to my TT. And an AWD 300-400HP alternative seems like the way to go! I am very surprised with the handling and braking comments, I would have thought the opposite.
Well this certainly gives me alot to think about!

Larry Herman

JakeMate, my son has an EVO that he tracks, and we have had our share of brake problems. The brakes generate so much heat (because the fronts are doing most of the work) that the bright red Brembo color has now turned horribly dark (Brownbos?). Anyway, we solved his problems by removing all the plastic panels from under the car to allow better air flow to the brakes, adding brake duct scoops, changing the fluid to a 300 degree dry boiling point type, and running Pagid RS-19 pads. It stops pretty reliably now.

JakeMate

Larry,

Thank you so much for this valuable info. Mine are Brownbo's too now. I removed the dust shields on the inside and I'm going to make some scoops to direct air also. I just ordered some flex tubing and am hoping I'll be able to route it in there to the brakes. I never thought about removing all the plastic panels. Wouldn't this affect the aerodynamics of the car though by increasing lift?

I'll try a better fluid than the ATE Super Blue and I'll consider the Pagid pads too.

Thanks again.
Jake

JakeMate

BTW....I think I had the rotors correct in the first place. I'll have to switch them back. Check out this picture from Stoptech's website:

Stuttgart

If you look on the outer diameter of the rotor you'll see a part # 319.XXXX.87 or .88 etched into the rotor
.87 is the left rotor
.88 is the right rotor

joseph mitro

lol, i had the same experience with my M3, with DEALER INSTALLED rotors. when i put new rotors on i noticed they had previously been installed backwards with the cooling vanes "scooping air in" instead of venting it outward. dumbass dealer techs.

}{arlequin

sometimes the directional pattern of the holes does not match up the pattern of the vanes... most of the rotors are designed to "fling" air out so it's better to peek inside than to rely on the holes