Wilbert350

I see what you mean, but no, and actually the pads were so free to move they used to make a clack noise when changing from reverse direction to moving forward and vice versa. Unfortunately the car is gone now. I couldn't bear to deal with any more problems.

Great so looks like I'll be talking to the garage. Wish me luck, I feel as though I'll be told where to go, and it won't be somewhere nice. Cheers

I could ask for the wheel balancing to be checked again. On a more serious note, the wheels were ran with the powder coating on the inner face for around 150-200 miles. I would be inclined to return to the garage and complain that this has ruined a perfectly good set of brake discs, but I'm not sure how this will go down. Is it possible that they've been ruined in such a short time? Disc skimming isn't a cheap process when you've just paid over £300 to have wheels refurbished and brakes ruined, if that's what has happened. I keep being told they 'do the same process on plenty of other cars including Astons, Lambos and porsches and never have customers return with this issue'.

Hi Alex, it is only experienced under braking so would this be related to wheel balancing? There's no evidence of imprints or deposits on the discs at all, they're totally shiny and clean. Is there any way I could remove them and very very lightly file them taking just the slightest layer off and this might remove this issue or r prevent it returning? The car only does on average 100 miles a week and doesn't sit with the discs rusting after rain or a wash. That and I'm extremely careful not to stand on the brakes at a stop or coming to a stop with warm brakes. Regards W

The previous brake discs were heavily corroded and old and vibrated terribly. That's the reason I got new discs and pads all round, the vibration was intense at any speed, whereas this time it just isn't as intense. We ensured the hubs and wheels were clean prior to fitting to make sure everything mated flat, and in 1200 miles up to now, they've been perfect. Regards W

Hi all, This is yet another issue with my 55k mile, 06 DE. I'm genuinely on the brink of wanting to sell the car as I've spent a fortune on it since buying and only done 4k miles. This is related to brakes/suspension. It only recently had new brake discs and pads back in March, and it's since only done 1200 miles on these. There's no signs of any problems, surfaces are shiny smooth and no corrosion. It started vibrating under braking (only at 60mph is this most evident, and tails off to barely noticeable around 45mph. Any braking under this speed and its smooth. And braking over 60, doesn't give any violent feedback either. Possibly coincidentally, this happened after having the wheels refurbished, where the body shop powder coated the wheels including the mating faces at the rear of the wheel, granted with a thinner layer as they put it. It went back in for this to be sanded off, which they've done, but the vibration is still there. Other symptoms at the moment are, - I thought the steering became lighter some time recently. Less responsive, easier to turn but wondered if this might be the hot weather. It felt slightly wallowy. On some areas of road (always the same ones that may be inclined a certain way), the steering wheel pulls under breaking. There's a set of lights locally where coming to a stop the wheel just drags to the right straight away. The tie rods at the front look old, but I don't know about the bushings and other rubber parts. I only hope that it's not the brakes as they are brand new and it might be the nail in the coffin of Z ownership for me if these have gone already. (RTS discs and stop tech pads). Any advice is greatly welcomed and thanks. Wilbert

Any news on a stand or if anyone is going along?

Thanks Ekona, yeah, that would be a shame but I suppose would make me feel better. Like I said My350Z.com and a few other have loads of posts about hissing HFC's, and a few of decats... I'd be puzzled if it was also just the system because each pipe thickness is 2.5" matched - although it goes from resonated decat to straight through Y Pipe, back to resonated Scorpion... We shall see.

Is there a precaution all these people buying Stillen have taken that I need to then? Seems surprising so many are sold if it's such a concern, especially as hardly any decats or HFC's feature brackets to use the OEM bracket.

Okay I'll have a go doing that. They're fresh gaskets too. I have bought the Stillen at the recommendation of Chris & Bob at Tarmacsportz, they say that they sell far more Stillen than anything like Cobra or Scorpion Y-Pipes, and never receive complaints about them cracking or breaking. Surely that's not a common issue?

Is there any other leak test? I don't mean to seem dismissive but it seems like a laborious way to test it especially as I have just spent the last two weekends doing all of the various fitting jobs to get it sounding better...

Apologies, edited for clarification. Not sure if maybe the resonated decats behave similarly? I have resonated decats.

Hi all, I recently fitted resonated decats, and the state my OEM Y pipe was in, I'm surprised it didn't start blowing sooner! Anyway it started hissing LOUDLY from a flexi and the car felt pretty sluggish. My solution was to get a Stillen Y Pipe - fitted it (along with new gaskets and some silicon hi-temp gasket juice) and now, well it sounds a hell of a lot better! That VQ engine sounds much more like it should. However from around 1500rpm to 2200 as you get going, there's still a faint hiss. It's only audible from the rear of the car - actually from the exhaust tips as demonstrated when I had a mate rev it and we checked for the source. If you check some of the other forums, there's loads of posts about how HFC's will cause a 'notorious' VQ hiss, which only some systems solve. I'm wondering if maybe resonated decats behave in the same way? I have a fairly young scorpion back box which is in great condition, so struggle to believe it's ruptured, especially as the faint hissing seems to be coming from the tips. As you can imagine, with just over £1k worth of exhaust parts now, it's pretty frustrating to hear cheap noises like that. Additionally; the decats don't have brackets to fix the OEM cat bracket, and the Stillen is, of course, a solid unit with no flexis. Anyone got anything? Cheers, Wilbert

Is it easy for this to shift at random? I'm assuming that this is accessible by removing the plastic clip-on casing that holds on the shift gaiter - the plate is in there?

Looking for an aftermarket Y pipe section. I'd love to find a scorpion to match my backbox, but open to any. Cheers W

Looking for a Y Pipe upgrade.

I've just fitted resonated decats and heard a hissing noise seemingly just behind me while driving. Not all the time - only at certain levels of throttle. I've refitted new gaskets at the Y pipe join, but it's still doing it. Part of me wonders if the stress on the Y pipe while fitting and the condition of it (sorry looking flexis) might have caused it to start coming from the Y pipe. Does anyone have experience in this?

Hi mate, I've actually just finished fitting and then re-gasketing my new resonated decats. Unfortunately I have a hissing behind me - not sure if this is down to a pretty sorry looking Y pipe & Flexi joints on this.

Thanks mate, I guess I'll just have to try my luck. Not had so much luck this week with my new decats and the resulting hissing behind me, so I'm due some luck.

It's only for the general display area, but I was guessing if it allows me in there then that's what everyone was referring to earlier in the thread.

Hi all, I have already bought my ticket and only just noticed this thread. Are there any spaces for myself and my 350Z at the club stand? Edit: I have purchased the display pass for which you have to enter car Reg etc. Any free spots in the club stand?

I have a Scorpion Backbox, but am wondering whether a Y pipe will be the halfway house to going full decat - without the MOT faff. Cheers!

Looking for some cheap decat pipes as I fancy seeing how it sounds just a little louder. That, or if a Y pipe increases volume a bit, one of those. Thanks.

Hi all, One question first: will an aftermarket Y pipe increase exhaust volume? I currently have a backbox but am far from willing to get rid of my cats, as it'll just be too loud and droning. I'd also be interested in some HFC, (quieter than test pipes as far as I can tell?) I can't be bothered with test pipes (MOT hassle). If anyone has a Y pipe (aftermarket) they want rid of, I'd be interested. Many thanks, Wilbert

Thanks Adrian I've tried this. Unfortunately it didn't work I've also considered this. But at £180 all round on an aging set of rusty looking discs, I've decided just to get a new set and start from fresh.