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Why is it so hard to find replacement parts for the Stelvio...specifically rotors?

6K views 47 replies 19 participants last post by  ViscontiVerde 164L* 
Smart money is buying parts well before they need them now.... Remember when TP was impossible to get because of hoarders? Now they are buying brake parts and oil besides the supply chain problems.

highly suggest getting brake parts before you need them. I am about a year away and placed an order. Never in my life have I considered buying parts for my personal car a year before I'll need them.

And yeah... All brands... Nothing special anymore about any of them really. Same suppliers, same parts.. different software and chassis with certain exceptions like everything.
 
Brake pads use a friction rating that measures when cold and hot, then uses a letter grade to represent the rating. Most manufacturers use pads that are rated to be less aggressive when cold then when hot ie, EF rated pads, Alfa uses FF rated I think. A is least friction, Z would be the most...though Z rating doesn't exist I think G is about as high as it goes..probably an exception but in general....

Alfa specifies the same friction at both temperatures, which is more agressive then most cars and while it does stop better/faster, it has the side effect of being grabbier and causing more noise when cold... They also contribute to the rotors being worn away faster since more friction when cold wears away more metal then less friction. (Again though, it's why the car stops so quickly even with tiny rear brakes on the base)


Information below for those interested, there are variations besides the friction rating that could mean a more agressive rated pad actually has less tendency to make noise then a more agressive rated one, as pad compound, thickness, and other factors effect that aren't part of how the friction rating is computed, this is discussed some in the article, not much though.


 
To be fair ....

Before Alfa.... 6 months wasn't an uncommon length of ownership for me. I have been keeping cars longer since turning 40, but mostly because I gave up on finding something I enjoyed that was also practical.

So...the ownership patterns make sense to me.

Also, IMO.... Most real car enthusiast's buy cars because it seems good on a test drive and it gets rave reviews from journalists and fanboi's.....only to get bored with it within a few months and start looking at new ones. Only reason more people don't change cars more often is they can't afford it.. or they give up on actually finding one they enjoy.


Because....most cars, even performance models..... Are kinda lame. Too many substitute actual dynamics and road feel for 0-60 times and technology, which gets old pretty fast.

It still amazes me after 44,000 miles and 4 years.. I look forward to every time I start the engine in my Stelvio. Just because of how it feels when I drive it.
 
It's rough when you have a car you actually enjoy and want to own....

... That craps out and is unreliable.

For me it was a Nissan Pulsar NX. Loved that thing the entier 8 months I owned it, after the engine blew up I couldn't bring myself to look at a Nissan for almost a decade.


So it's understandable why people get upset. Alfa's are truly enjoyable cars so it's extra crappy when yours... Isn't. Versus a Mazda or BMW or whatever where... It's more of a "..say 'oh brother', throw it in the gutter and go buy another" moment.

(to paraphrase Easy E)

See... What you describe as wanting... Is EXACTLY what I drive. For me.. might not be for you, but it is for me.

.. guess what...

It's as great as it seems like it would be. No joke... I genuinely hope you find the car that gives you what you want from it.
 
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