[JusticePete]

Originally Posted by 55Designs

Justice Pete I have a CTSV and my front rotors warped at 11k miles, 4 dealers and none of them would fix this under warranty. Dealer cost on rotors i think was $800 but nobody had stock so I got frustrated and had them wet stone ground on this machine. They came out great but still have a slight shimmy. and I want new rotors badly

Any suggestions I also don',t want to spend $1300 on rotors for a car i am keeping another 12 months max. Aftermarket makes rears but nobody makes fronts.

Il be honest from Day 1 i never was impressed with these CTSV brakes, I swapped out lines fluid and 3 versions of the HAWK pads, I am now running HPS Street pads, i swear my AMG C63 and old BMW M5 stop much better and have better initial bite.

Not sure what all these OEM parts cost today or how hard to get but id say a Brembo aftermarket or Baer might give better performance overall. I waited 2 months trying to get front rotors and no luck.

Let us know what turns out of for alternatives.

First from Brembo

29th January 2008 - Brembo Joins with Cadillac CTS-V to Introduce New Brake Technology

First Use of Dual-Cast Brake Discs in North America

Brembo took the opportunity of the North American International Auto
Show (NAIAS) today to showcase major original equipment (OE) fitments on two of America’s top performance vehicles, including the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V.

Long known as the supplier of high-performance brakes to the premier European auto manufacturers, Brembo achieved significant OE growth in North America the past six months with Harley Davidson, the American motorcycle icon, and now with unique new brake technology for Cadillac.

The 2009 Cadillac CTS-V will employ Brembo’s dual-Cast 14.5-in (370mm) rotor for the first time in North America, with six-piston monoblock front calipers. Unlike traditional cast iron discs, dual-cast discs are made of two materials – cast iron and aluminium – and offer many advantages, including a 15-20 per cent reduction in weight, greater driving comfort, less corrosion, wear and resistance to fade, and better braking performance.

The Dual-Cast floating brake disc has a cast-iron braking surface and an aluminum hat: ideally combining the advantages of heat-resistance provided by cast iron with the lightweight properties of aluminum. The innovation is in the way the two materials have been combined in a single component and in the behavior of the disc during operation. The rotor function effectively as an integral disc at low temperatures; then as a floating disc at high temperatures, when maximum performance is needed and distortion tends to occur. The Dual-Cast brake disc also responds to the demand for much lighter components, in combination with an improved feel when braking in extreme operating conditions, and with increased resistance to fatigue at higher temperatures. As a result, incidences of both transient and permanent thermal distortion can be significantly reduced. Transient deformation events occur typically when the brakes are applied, and the discs run hot; whereas permanent disc distortion is the main cause of vibration during braking in the vehicle.

Cast iron has optimum thermal properties — low deformability and good heat conductivity — as well as process-related advantages, such as superior castability and machineability. It also has practical advantages, like good damping properties. Aluminum, on the other hand, is advantageously lightweight, being 2½ times less dense than cast iron, with the result that the Dual-Cast disc can be made between 15 and 20 per cent lighter than its integral counterpart, depending on the application. This represents an important achievement, since auto manufacturers consider a one-kg reduction in overall weight to be a real success; and, even more so, when unsprung weight is reduced, given the notably positive influence on comfort and driving precision.

Brembo Co-Cast System for Cadillac

Unlike an integral disc, the Dual-Cast brake disc presents a symmetrical braking surface, favoring a more uniform temperature distribution when the brakes are applied: this means considerably less residual deformation after the brake is released. This effectively mirrors the performance capabilities of a floating disc, but without the number of components needed for a floating assembly.

By virtue of the properties characterizing the two Dual-Cast materials, this new disc succeeds in reducing wear both on the disc and on the pad in off brake condition. In addition to the North American OE, the past year has been an extraordinary one for Brembo as additional fitments have been achieved on Lexus’ top-performing IS-F, as well as the first ever Dual-Cast brake system for Maserati’s Quattroporte Sport GTS.

It appears that the OE dual cast rotors are available from the online houses and GM Dealers according to a recent post and my friends at Brembo. Rumor has it they are about $500 a pair.

So much for the good news. The bad news is that some CTS-V owners are seeing an issue with the dual cast rotors after intense use -- a slight vibration -- similar to yours. We did not have any issues with our CTS-V dual cast rotors.