Update on EMPI disc brake quality

Every

Mistake

Passes

Iinspection

Cip1

Chronic

Inferior

Parts +1

U will never see any $ back, they lie thru their teeth...

So, who do you trust? I run from EMPI, based on their reputation for inferior quality. That's about manufacturing and quality control.

I have purchased from Cip1 several times without a problem, so far. Their customer service has been fine.

I have bought quite a bit from CB Performance and they have been good.

What kills me is shipping costs from some of these guys.

Ron O

Take the rotor to a shop and have them turn it on the brake rotor machine( I have done this multiple times) I have sold and installed hundreds of the empi Brakes, I have had very few problems. Shouldn't cost  you more then $20.

Greg

Look at the video clip - it's out 1/4" - that's too much to true out.  That might be solution for one on other side which you said has a slight wobble.

Almost as good as a rumble strip ~

Just a wild thought here that maybe might could be part of the problem.  Is it possible that the machine shop somehow (I don't know exactly how, as have never seen this, but still . . .) got the bearing races in cock-eyed?  I know this is low prob'y, but is there any way that what happened at your machine shop has resulted in the wobble?  Just sayin' . . .

I had an issue with an empi disc. One of the lug nut holes was stripped. I emailed them. They asked for a photo of the disk and a description of the issue.  They sent me a new disc in two days. 

I just read the issue about having them tapped and all of that. WOW. I'm not sure they will cover that.

Make sure you check the new one before having it re tapped. :0

Ted

That's an amazing amount of run-out. I've got those brakes on Bridget and they seem to be OK, though I have had issues shimming the calipers just right, and that has resulted in setting the bearing lash too loose.

VSpyder posted:

Ron O

Take the rotor to a shop and have them turn it on the brake rotor machine( I have done this multiple times) I have sold and installed hundreds of the empi Brakes, I have had very few problems. Shouldn't cost  you more then $20.

 

Greg

 

I just watched the video (should have watched before I posted)   something is definitely wrong.

Somebody dropped that rotor.

Doesn't matter what happened; that it got sent out, along with the other quality control issues they continually have tells me they still don't get it.

PS- When buying new stuff (any new stuff), Greg, the fact that you occasionally have to send it out for "corrective machining" says volumes about the company, and the people at the helm. I agree with Bob- why would anyone want to spend spend their hard earned money with people that let stuff like that out the door? 

El Frazoo posted:

Just a wild thought here that maybe might could be part of the problem.  Is it possible that the machine shop somehow (I don't know exactly how, as have never seen this, but still . . .) got the bearing races in cock-eyed?  I know this is low prob'y, but is there any way that what happened at your machine shop has resulted in the wobble?  Just sayin' . . .

I thought of that too, so I checked the races carefully when I took out the bearings.  They both looked seated to me.  Also, when I laid the rotor down on a flat surface it wobbled.  

For me I just couldn't justify paying huge bucks to put disc brakes on a car that I probably won't drive more than a couple of dozen times each year.

I like the Airkewld front disc brake kit, but $1700 CAN is a bit too much $$ for me.

CSP front disc kit is around the same price

The EMPI kit was under $400 CAN.

Take a look at CB Performance's brake kits. 

Take a look at SoCal Imports too. The video looked like the whole thing was running out. Bearing may have been seated but the seat may not be square with the rotor.

Rusty S posted:

Take a look at SoCal Imports too. The video looked like the whole thing was running out. Bearing may have been seated but the seat may not be square with the rotor.

That's a good point. 

I looked at the kits from SoCal and CB and they looked to be very similar to the kit EMPI sells.

ALB posted:

Doesn't matter what happened; that it got sent out, along with the other quality control issues they continually have tells me they still don't get it.

PS- When buying new stuff (any new stuff), Greg, the fact that you occasionally have to send it out for "corrective machining" says volumes about the company, and the people at the helm. I agree with Bob- why would anyone want to spend spend their hard earned money with people that let stuff like that out the door? 

All of the (Chinese) aftermarket rotors need to be machined on a brake lathe, I have been doing brakes for years , No matter what brand car the aftermarket stuff just isn't that great from China. So my point is its not just "Empi"  when you produce thousands of parts you are going to get a bad one once in while. I see it everyday.

Greg 

My 2010 VS was converted to rear discs shortly after I purchased it from Kirk. The EMPI kit was the only one that came with the E brake at that time. I recall getting the E brake to function properly was a bitch, but otherwise had no problems with the install. 20k later working fine. Given the weight of these cars the engines probably break before the brakes. 

WEll  you could always use it to make a garage seat, grinder base, something in the garage that needs a base or shine it up and hang it on the wall.... of course only after you get a replacement  

OK, studied the video, and one can see the hub running true, so bearing seats etc. probably fine.  I would be against trying to machine out such a lack of true.  The variation in thickness around the disk after the surfaces were made true to the hub would be bad bad bad.  So get new parts, or pony up more $$ and get good parts.

VSpyder posted:

ALB posted:

Doesn't matter what happened; that it got sent out, along with the other quality control issues they continually have tells me they still don't get it.

PS- When buying new stuff (any new stuff), Greg, the fact that you occasionally have to send it out for "corrective machining" says volumes about the company, and the people at the helm. I agree with Bob- why would anyone want to spend spend their hard earned money with people that let stuff like that out the door? 

All of the (Chinese) aftermarket rotors need to be machined on a brake lathe, I have been doing brakes for years , No matter what brand car the aftermarket stuff just isn't that great from China. So my point is its not just "Empi"  when you produce thousands of parts you are going to get a bad one once in while. I see it everyday.

 

Greg 

That's great, if the price is right, you expect it, are familiar enough with how things go together that you can problem solve "minor issues" (please note the quotations marks- I was being somewhat sarcastic), have a good enough relationship with your supplier that any parts that can't be fixed can be returned and you have enough stock that you can turn around and grab another piece to complete a customer's car so it goes out on time. You're just building the extra machining into the price anyway, so you don't really care. But what about the enthusiast who's out in the middle of no-where (kind of like Ron)? Most of us expect the stuff we buy to be useable right out of the (courier's) box, and a lot of guys' expertise is at your level and are truly stuck if stuff doesn't fit or is eff'd up because of poor workmanship.

I stand by what I said earlier, and will add- Empi has been the scourge of the VW hobby since whoever owns it now bought the name from Joe Vittone and resurrected a once great company. They've been preying on people who don't know any better and/or are lured in by the false economy of cheap pricing for substandard crap for close to 40 years now. The expression "there's a sucker born every minute" has never been truer than with VW people (why we're collectively such a bunch of cheap bastards that never learn I don't know). Al

Ron O posted:

For me I just couldn't justify paying huge bucks to put disc brakes on a car that I probably won't drive more than a couple of dozen times each year.

I like the Airkewld front disc brake kit, but $1700 CAN is a bit too much $$ for me.

CSP front disc kit is around the same price

The EMPI kit was under $400 CAN.

... and yet, here we are.

I could buy rotors to fit my EMPI front brakes from Airkewld, but they're $250 US a pop.   Expensive, but very nicely made.

Cip1 just gave me a credit to purchase a new rotor.  This time I'm going with one that already comes with a drilled 4x100 bolt pattern.  I also ordered a set of screw-in studs.  There special, in that one end of the stud is 14mm, while the other end is 12mm.

14mm is what fits in the EMPI rotor and 12mm is what I need for my aluminum wheels.

On another note, I just installed my new pedal assembly, which includes a clutch pedal shaft upgrade and X-celerator speed wheel 2 from Classic Bug Parts.

http://www.classicbugparts.com/

I had to to a lot of fiddling around, including moving the blocking plate for the brake and clutch pedal.

I did all this with the body off the pan and the car on my hoist lifted up to waist height.

I can't imagine working on the pedal assembly in a car with the body attached.  My poor, old body wouldn't make it through the install.