Need to replace pads too or just rotors?

[wallyuwl]

My wife is complaining of pulsating brakes when she stops. This has been a perpetual problem with this car (2003 Vibe), with rotors wearing out after a year or so (and she doesn't drive hard). I'm looking at getting a yet another different brand of rotors (Wearever from AAP using discount codes).

Do I need to replace the pads as well, even if they are in good shape? Or can I just replace the rotors? Should be a quick hour job for just the rotors.

 

[NHGUY]

Some cars benefit from drilled/slotted rotors.They can run cooler overall,which should reduce future warpage (although some rotor brands say there is no such thing as warpage possible)....

 

[yonyon]

If this has been an ongoing problem try this:

-Measure the lateral runout with a dial indicator when installing new rotors. If the runout is excessive (0.002 inch or more) you need to correct it or the pulsation will come back pretty quickly.

-Verify that the rear brakes work.

-Ride in the car with your wife. If she drives like she's trying to destroy the brakes... The guy who owns the local furniture store made that mistake. His wife wanted a new Escalade and he bought her an Expedition instead to save money. She made sure that truck cost more to own than an Escalade would have.

 

[ABerns]

If it was me, I'd replace the pads, too. Not worth the chance that a bad wear pattern on the old pads could cause hot spots and warping on the new rotors.

I suppose in theory you could go through a bedding procedure and maybe be fine, just like when you put on new pads (similar situation). You know, that may work OK.

If it was me on my car, pads are cheap, so I'd just throw a new pair on.

 

[Mark_S]

If you replace the rotors, by all means replace the pads. You may be able to have the rotors turned and reuse them. If you do, I would still replace the pads. There is a reason those rotors are warping so quickly. You just haven't found it yet.

 

[mechanicx]

What brand of pads and rotors were the last? You probably have a rotor run out problem, but it might be the pads leaving deposits.

 

[stephen9666]

You may already know this, but a lot of people and manufacturers say "warping" is much less common than many people believe.

You could try re-bedding the pads. It might not improve the situation, but it's free to try. If it helps, that should show that warped rotors may not be the problem and it's more likely an issue with pad deposits.

Just something to try before spending the money on new parts. But, I'm not familiar with your application, so I don't know if this is a common problem.

 

[Burt]

Sounds like bad calipers to me. Uneven pad wear (diagonally) would confirm this.

 

[chrome]

Before you put on new rotors, verify the mating surface to the hub is spotlessly clean. Any rust buildup WILL increase the chances of a lateral runout, which will result in pulsations down the road. If rusty, take a wire brush to the surfaces before putting on the new rotors.

 

[JHZR2]

Pads are a relatively small additional outlay so I definitely would.

 

[tomcat27]

purchase better rotors... IMHO

 

[wallyuwl]

Thanks for all the responses.

This has been a problem with every pair of rotors we've had on the vehicle (had it since 2005). Many different types of rotors and pads. The latest pair is less than two years old, and is Wagner rotors and Akebonos pads. Calipers were replaced a little over a year ago.

Thinking I'll get the Raybestos Professional pads ($25 after $15 MIR) and Advanced Technology rotors. On Amazon someone says those rotors are doing fine after a year on their Vibe. I'm not sure the Wearever ones will last very long.

 

[stephen9666]

Have you measured the runout or had a shop measure it?

 

[Texan4Life]

yeah I would put on some new pads.... I have heard nothing but good things about raybestos advanced technology rotors.

 

[JamesBond]

You say your wife is complaining about the brakes, but have you noticed the same thing when you drive it? One persons "pulsating brakes" could be another persons "unbalanced tires." Or it could be a bad section of pavement that she drives over on her last high speed stop of the day. I would also look into how the wheels are tightened. Over torquing the lug nuts is said to cause warped rotors.

I have purchased Wearever rotors from Advance for 2 different cars and have had no problems with them. I would also replace the pads but stay away from Wearever pads unless you are a fan of brake dust. Wagner Thermoquiet pads are available at Advance, have low dust and are running a rebate right now. Rebate + discount codes = a good deal.

I also avoid any attempts to "bed in" new pads with hard stops.

 

[wallyuwl]

Originally Posted By: stephen9666
Have you measured the runout or had a shop measure it?


I don't know what this is.

 

[wallyuwl]

Originally Posted By: JamesBond
You say your wife is complaining about the brakes, but have you noticed the same thing when you drive it?


I haven't driven that vehicle lately, but brakes pulsating within a year or a bit more of new rotors has been a problem since we got the vehicle over six years ago.

 

[rpn453]

The tiny rotors on the front of my mother's Sunfire were prone to pulsation. I installed ATE elliptically-slotted rotors with cheap Jasper semi-metallic pads along with new caliper pins and bushings, and bedded them by driving down the residential side streets at about 40 mph then braking to 10 mph every block. They're still good a couple of years later, and I'm impressed that I've never seen any surface rust.

I'm not sure which component of that brake job was most responsible for the good result, but consider them all a possibility. The caliper did not slide easily on its pins at that time, and the previous pads had uneven wear, so that may have been the biggest factor.

 

[stephen9666]

Originally Posted By: wallyuwl
Originally Posted By: stephen9666
Have you measured the runout or had a shop measure it?


I don't know what this is.


Here's a (somewhat ghetto) video that describes runout. Most of the info on runout is in the second half of the video. It's only 1:30, so it's a quick video. Long story short, lateral runout is the side-to-side movement of the rotor as it is spun. Excessive lateral runout can cause a pedal pulsation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMp5G9J1P48

Again, there are issues other than a "warped" rotor that can cause a pedal pulsation. For example, it could be caused by runout in the hub/rotor assembly, which isn't necessarily due to a warped rotor. Or, it could be caused by uneven pad deposits on the rotor.

Here's another video made by someone. It's poorly shot, but it shows how they measured runout and noted it was out of spec. The person then cleaned the hub. After that, the rotor runout was in spec.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8dykdHPRR0

Here's the Harbor Freight tool used to check the runout in the last video.

http://www.harborfreight.com/clamping-dial-indicator-93051.html

I'm not saying you're wrong about the rotors being warped, but there are other things to check before saying "well, I guess the rotors are warped AGAIN." It seems to make sense that the issue wouldn't be the pads or rotors, since it seems to keep coming back after you replace the brakes.

 

[wallyuwl]

thanks for the info. stephen. i'll take a look at those videos.