Rotor warping yet again

I won't debate this, but rotors DO warp. I'm not saying the OP's rotors are warped, but anyone that says rotors don't warp hasn't put a dial indicator on a warped rotor. It's not pad build up, it's warped cast iron.

 

Metals don't warp. Ask any welder.

 

www.frozenrotors.com

 

Change thread title to "rotor warping thread yet again"

There's just a lot of things to consider. Everybody knows that brakes absorb heat, But how much is too much? The calipers and sliders could be fine, nothing sticking or frozen. But you went with some cheap rotors and they can't stand up to the heat. So you throw that brand away and try a different brand that is just as cheap and now you're wondering why you have the same problem 6 weeks later.

Then you've got the guy who bought a $15 set off the internet. He got lucky and they're fine, He's recommending them to all his friends and he's laughing at anybody on the internet that says that cheap rotors can cause problems.

Bottom line is heat causes rotors to warp. So you've either got excessive heat because the calipers are sticking, frozen or working too hard. Or you've got a normal amount of heat and the cheap rotors can't handle it

That is entirely separate from pad material transfer or a loose wheel bearing causing rotor runout

Part of the problem is there is a crap ton of cheap rotors available online. Centric has a line of really good quality rotors that I mentioned earlier, but they also have a line of cheap ones that I refuse to put on customers cars.

Brembo? They've got a good reputation right? Sure, their $2,500 big brake kit is top-of-the-line. But if you get their 20$ blanks on rock auto then it's almost a 50/50 chance you'll get a pulsation eventually. Every brand has their cheap stuff and the stuff they're proud of, you get what you pay for

 

Maybe you just got unlucky with two sets of rotors. I replaced my original OEM rotors at like 45k due to them pulsating. So I replaced the rotors with Brembo blanks and OEM Toyota pads. After roughly 5k miles I got the same pulsating feeling. Baffled, I bought some non-OEM but nice auto parts store (can't remember the Brand at the moment) rotors and now I have 75k and haven't had any issues since. No changes in driving style, no other modifications to my truck, etc.

Edit: I'll add that with the Brembo rotors I did the eaaaaaasy break in period. No hard stops and really trying not to stop at all for the first couple hundred miles (and by this I mean I always tried to keep the rotors moving at least a little bit to prevent material transfer). On the second set of new rotors I did a hard break in period of 10 consecutive slow downs to the point I could smell the brakes and they may have been smoking a little. From my two experiences, the hard break in period is the one that worked.

 

Called stoptech tech support. They offer 3 types of rotors. Think I will just say screw it and get the cryo rotors. As I never had an issue on my subaru sti brakes with them. I just was trying to stay on the cheaper daily driver side of things. Maybe LA traffic is to much for these rotors.

 

So...I came from the world of track/rallycross driven WRX's and didn't have pulsating rotors there...I did on this truck. What others have said is true. Start with a fresh set of everything and start from the top. Make sure the calipers aren't functioning poorly (my left front had a stuck piston). Please take a minute to clean up the hub before putting the rotors back on. I found an amazing amount of build up there. I used an emery cloth and then gave that a good shot of high temp paint and then a coat of anti-seize. Probably overkill but the new rotors I put on have been perfect for the last 10k in stop and go Washington DC traffic.

Oh...and please for the love of all that is holy use a torque wrench for the lugs and dont even leave the parking lot if a shop works on your truck before re-torquing them yourself. It sounds ridiculous...but the amount of shops that rely on those freaking torque sticks on an impact gun and think that is OK is maddening.

Good luck!!!

 

Your statement is true providing the star wheel moves freely enough for the auto adjust lever to advance the wheel. Mine was not, hence the reason I adjusted it manually. I will pull the drums off in the Spring and clean everything properly but for now I have a much better brake feel and the parking brake engages with 5 - 7 clicks. No drag on the drums when the brake is disengaged so I know it is correct. You are correct, if someone spins that wheel too much you would be dragging the shoes in the drum continuously.