Why do Rotors keep getting warped

Why is it that my front rotors seem to last only a couple of months? I've tried buying better brands...avoiding the cheaper DURALAST brand from Autozone. But its not long before i can feel that they're warped again. Do i really need to get the most expensive brand i can find?

every brand i've tried so far also rusts very quickly and looks terrible.

i read a post about the FROZEN treated rotors...has anyone else tried these? They're about $150.00 each side. I don't mind sending more if i know they will last.....speaking of lasting, exactly how long should brake rotors last? I guess it would be dependent on driving conditions/weather/etc.

any input would be great.
thanks

 

If you are going through rotors that fast I would be looking at things other than the rotor itself, just to be sure. Are calipers sticking/dragging? Is master cylinder sticking? Is brake booster pin out of adjustment? Brake pedal binding?

Look at all of these and confirm before you spend ANY more money on rotors.

 

Have you checked your rear brakes to make sure they are working? They usually only account for about 20-25% of the braking force but if they aren't working it would cause you to brake harder unnecessarily.

If everything is as it should be mechanically......it's not the rotors you are buying, it's your driving (or braking) style.

 

lack of rear brakes can warp front rotors very quickly

 

^^^^^^^^ you guys beat me to it . Rear brakes help a bunch !!!

 

i think maybe the rear brakes...now that you guys mention it....could be the issue. i do have a 'sticking' after i stop. then i feel something release and theres a little jolt. alsmost as if the car behind me bumped into me. i completely forgot about that.

could it be the rear brakes sticking (drums)?

 

sounds like drive train to me.

 

First off I'm not suggesting you do this but...I had a first gen truck and had to replace the rotors as one of them had a bad groove in it when I bought it. Like your example after a few months I began to get the pulsing in the brakes that is commonly called warped rotors. So one day out on the highway with no other cars around, and out of frustration, I stepped on the brakes at about 60 mph but also pressed the gas pedal enough to maintain my speed. There was the usual pulsing but after about 30 seconds the pulsing faded away. Of course the brakes got pretty hot but the pulsing went away and did not come back. I did this same thing with my wifes car when it started to get the pulsing and got the same positive result. Again I'm not suggesting you do this or that it's a good idea but it has worked for me on two occasions. Here's what I think caused the pulsing to begin with and why what I did worked. Say you're driving at highway speed and suddenly you have to come to a complete stop in a very short distance. Once stopped you are unable to proceed for a extended period of time and are holding the vehicle still with the brakes applied. When you finally let off the brake some of the pad material has gotten stuck to the rotor from the extreme heat of the panic stop and the fact that the pads trapped that heat beneath them while you sat still with the brakes applied. Now with each subsequent normal use of the brakes you build up more and more pad material which causes the pulsing feeling in the brakes because the friction isn't equal at all points on the rotor. When you apply the brakes and gas at the same time for an extended period of time you are in effect removing that deposited pad material. Am I crazy? Most likely. Did it work? Yes it did.

 

How long do you apply this gas to brake method? Do you do it a few times?

 

30 seconds I see

 

thats axle wrap most likely & checking other things is always protocal, but keep in mind that theres many write ups about 1st gen's "soft" rotors

you def. shouldn't be going thru that many

 

i just did a little reading on axle wrap (never heard of it before)...while i still don't fully understand it, i dont think thats my problem because i get the little bump after i stop, then release the brake pedal a little. i feel something 'releasing' or letting go....with a bump or jolt. not a big jolt. like i said...kinda like the car behind bumped be slightly.

..again...its after i stop, then release the brake a little. if i stop and hold the brake pedal firmly...it will not happen (until i release the brake a little).

my first thought was my driving style. so i've been trying (for a long time) to pay attention to my braking habits. buti'm still having issues.

how can i check for these issues that BamaToy1997 mentioned?

"Are calipers sticking/dragging? Is master cylinder sticking? Is brake booster pin out of adjustment? Brake pedal binding? "

 

XXXX, when you say DRIVE TRAIN...do you mean transmission or something related?

 

Haha, like i said axle wrap, the highlighted above IS the symptom, not sayin' its all your issue but what you describe it almost can't be anything else

 

That is EXACTLY what axle wrap feels like. Stiffer rear springs will help a lot there.

As for how to test my suggested items, drive the vehicle normally for a good 10-15 miles. Come back to the house, and lift all 4 wheels up on jack stands. Then check each wheel for temperature and freedom of movement. Each wheel should turn freely. If one wheel does not turn freely, or one particular wheel/rotor/drum appears a lot hotter than the others, then that is your suspect. If all 4 are extremely hot, then you may have a bad brake booster. If one axle (i.e. front or rear) has both very hot, then you may have a bad master cylinder.

 

My brakes instructor said that improper installation of calipers, hubs, bearings, and spindles causing lateral runout of the rotor (mainly due to improperly torqued fasteners) are the main cause of warped rotors along with over torqued lugnuts.

 

You can warp 1st gen. rotors just by improper wheel and tire install as well. Got to be oem in my world also.

 

good advice

 

I 2nd that advice!

 

you dont have to have oem wheels?
or were you meaning something else by saying that?