[odelgadillo]

So new pads and rotors (bearings and seals) were installed yesterday on a 2002 Xterra. The car is vibrating when the brakes are applied.

I purchased front, drilled slotted rotors (Callahan) and ceramic pads (Callahan) on Ebay. It looks like some of my searching online is suggesting that there are balancing issues with rotors that are purchased on Ebay, so this may be part of the cause.

Now I thought it would be necessary to do a bed-in procedure, but this video argues otherwise (for normal drivers):

So should I just keep doing some easy driving with the car to break in the new brakes, or try the bed-in procedure?

UPDATE: Another person who purchased rotors from the same Ebay seller had the same issue, and reported that the rotors were off balance: (http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...Dont-be-a-dummy-like-me-Rotors-out-of-balance). I'm planning on replacing the new Callahan rotors with a different brand rotor (Centric). Do I need to buy a new set of bearings and seals again?

 

[beef tits]

Bedding-in is usually good but if you are starting with shit parts, I'm not sure I'd bother. Cheap rotors may actually end up being damaged in the process.

I looked up Callahan; they appear to be cheap Chinese ebay knock-off parts with a fake name and not an actual manufacturer... it's also the fake company from the movie Tommy Boy. I'd guess that your problem is part quality (lack there-of) and not bedding. Also, unless you are buying Brembos for your Porsche or Ducati; drills/slots are more of a pain in the ass than a performance enhancer. The cheap ebay ones (made of cheap Chinese steel) will eventually form cracks between all those cool-looking holes and slots and then you have a serious safety concern on your hands. You'll also go through pads 2x as fast with no noticeable gains in braking distance. These rotors are usually also made with less steel (save on materials and shipping costs) so there is no meat there to ever "turn" them when the pads need replaced. This is part of the reason they able to be so cheap

I've had 100+ fixer-upper cars over the years. The biggest lessons I've learned typically all start and end with: you get what you pay for.

I recommend you send that junk back and buy some (non drilled/slotted) rotors from a reputable manufacturer.

 

[odelgadillo]

If I replace the rotors, do I need to get new seals and bearings again? I bought and installed new ones when I replaced the brakes and rotors with the ebay stuff.

 

[beef tits]

Bearings; probably not. Seals? - maybe... depends how gingerly you can remove them without damage. I'd probably replace them if it were me.

Don't rule out bad bearings as a cause of vibration either. Did you install per the FSM?