AC Delco Professional Series

Newish member. Used the search function. Still have questions. Appreciate any help.

I unfortunately don't do my own maintenance and am not mechanically inclined. From May through October we tow a 3000 lbs travel trailer about twice a month.

I need new front brakes on our 2012 Tacoma SR5 V6 4WD. I got around 60,000 kms on this OEM set. Front rotors went out of round again (brakes are pulsating and Toyota dealership confirmed). Toyota Canada provides lifetime warranty on the pads.

I would consider non-OEM parts if I knew they'd last longer and provide more value. A buddy recommended AC Delco Professional Series, including their coated rotors.

Any thoughts?

 

If you want aftermarket with same quality as OEM go with Advics rotors and pads. They are the same manufacturer that makes Toyota rotor and pads.

 

I think my issue is that I’m not sure the OEM rotors are the best quality. They went out of round in less than 60,000 kms.

 

I’ve had Carquest Platinum on for 8 years now and 75k miles. No problems, and I do tow 3k+ Lbs multiple times a year. For the last few years.

I went with full ceramic pads too.
Mostly because I don’t like brake dust.

 

Out of round? Are you referring to warped due to excessive heat. They are not out of round they are warped. You can feel that in the steering wheel or brake pulsing in the brake pedal. There is nothing wrong with OEM parts. It’s they way your driving habits are.

The main cause of brake rotors warping is excessive braking, which causes the rotors the heat up. the rotors become too hot, the metal then is comprised and becomes soft and begins to warp, causing the rotors to warp and give the issues you are talking about.

 

Out of round, warped, uneven wear. You knew what I meant.
So, I guess I’m just a shitty driver, and OEM rotors are as good or better than anything else available?

 

Not a shitty driver just hard on your brakes, I was in the business for 40 years before retirement, always liked oem to some after market, don’t get me wrong I used Napa products but stayed away from PepBoys and similar store aftermarket products.

 

90% of the time the rotors are not warped.
It’s pad material transferred to the rotor. You can turn them, or buy new ones.

If you are towing, engine brake.
Use low gears, the 4.0 likes to pull in the upper RPM range.
The engine will be fine.

 

Your better off purchasing new rotors, with the cost of cutting them now it’s not worth it. And not many auto stores are doing it anymore, a machine shops in auto stores is a dying breed.

 

That is what I do. I buy new rotors.
Or I reuse my rotors if they are in good shape.
Is it the right way? No.
I’m not against pad slapping on my own vehicles.

If I’m working on someone else’s stuff. They get all new components. Even the hardware.

 

I guess driving the speed limit and anticipating stops hasn't been helping me with brake wear. I'll see if I can try better with this next set of brakes and see what happens.

 

OP, does your trailer have trailer brakes?

 

Yes, and I'm having them checked and serviced when we pull our trailer out of winter storage this weekend. Perhaps I need to adjust the gain on our aftermarket brake controller? We tow around twice a month from May through October. Mostly just a few hundred kms from home, except for an annual 4000 km road trip every September. We live in Southern Ontario, Canada.

 

I ordered powerstop brakes off Amazon with rotors and ceramic pads for like $80

 

Should be pretty easy to test out, hook up the trailer and grab your trailer brake controller manual lever and go full stop on it (around say 30 mph) without touching the truck brakes. Do the trailer tires get anywhere close to locking up, or hardly do anything at all? Usually its an easy drum brake adjustment. If you have trailer brakes and a decent proportional controller thats setup right the truck shouldn't really be any more wear on the truck brakes.

 

That's normally how I set ours up every season.

 

fwiw I have read many times that the biggest cause of warped rotors is not excessive heat but improperly torqued lug nuts . Food for thought.

 

I've wondered this when you see guys at the tire shops using impact wrenches to zip the lugs back on, then the next time you go to take them off yourself you have to practically stand on the lug wrench to break them free. That can't be good for the rotors. I don't know about 2nd gens, but 1st gen lug nut torque spec is 83 ft/lbs which is easy to do by hand. People get too carried away with the ugga dugga gun

 

I always use a torque wrench and from the vehicles I have had it's usually 80-90ftlbs. I use 85 for the taco...
Many folks don't know this, surprisingly. Next let me explain the difference between phillips and JIS.... LOL

EDIT: to be fair some of the shops are using torque sticks. I did say some.

 

JIS screws and proper drivers FTMFW.... That shit fits SO well together.