Warped Rotors damage brake pads?

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actionstan

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Hello All,

I recently purchased rotors and pads from advance auto parts for my Saturn. After only 10,000 miles the rotors have warped.

I have already contacted advance auto parts, they have agreed to swap the rotors for new ones. But I got to thinking.. Will the pads be damaged from riding on the warped rotors, worn unevenly? If they are, would any un-eveness be fixed by the new rotors, as long as I take it easy?

Thanks!
 
I personally would put new pads on new rotors. I think you will be happier in the long run if you do and you will have less of a chance of something going wrong. My 2¢- keep the change.
 
Go ahead and put the pads on the rotors and don't have to replace the pads
The pads will get worn out uniformly in a few months.

Never engage parking brake when the rotors are hot or wash the car when they are hot. Always try to park on level surface for long lasting pads and rotors, if possible.
 
Originally Posted By: MaximaGuy
Go ahead and put the pads on the rotors and don't have to replace the pads
The pads will get worn out uniformly in a few months.

Never engage parking brake when the rotors are hot or wash the car when they are hot. Always try to park on level surface for long lasting pads and rotors, if possible.


Thank you for the tips, fortunately, the parking brake only works on the brake drums. But its a great point about not washing the car when they are hot.
 
Originally Posted By: NHGUY
Used cheap pads?


I bought the standard wearever rotors, and the gold level of semi-metallic pads, not the lowest grade stuff, but I am sure there is much better available. (In the future I will use more quality parts, especially on our 13' Kia.)
 
I replaced rotors and reused the pads because they had at least 80% left on them. No problems or squeaking or steering wheel shake.
 
How hard do you brake? My pads would be still new after 10k. My vote is to reuse them. If they run hot, replace them, if not, then all's well that ends well.
 
Upgrade the pads. The pad material is not suitable for the vehicle and/or your driving style. The brake judder you feel is from the pad material unevenly deposited on the rotors. Better pad material won't do this.

Cast iron rarely warps. If rotors did warp, the new shape would be more cone shaped than flat. The only way to identify warping is to measure the runout with a dial indicator, and you need to first know the runout when they were new. If a new rotor has zero runout, you're just lucky. A new rotor with 0.003" to 0.007" of runout is considered OK, depending on the vehicle--this includes an uneven hub surface the rotor mounts against.
 
My best friend works at a garage/machine shop.
Pretty much all the brake rotors you buy at a parts store are made in China.
He throws brand new rotors on the brake lathe and checks them for run out before installing them. He says at least half he check have excess run out, and he has to turn them to clean them up.

I have also installed new rotors and had a vibration out of the box or soon after.
I think it's a combination of inferior metallurgy, and a casting process more concerned with speed than quality.
The brake parts companies can say rotors rarely warp, I know better.
 
Originally Posted By: actionstan
Originally Posted By: NHGUY
Used cheap pads?


I bought the standard wearever rotors, and the gold level of semi-metallic pads, not the lowest grade stuff, but I am sure there is much better available. (In the future I will use more quality parts, especially on our 13' Kia.)


did you do a bed-in procedure, whatever procedure wearever prescribes?
 
Hello Guys,

Just wanted to come update my thread. I did get my rotors swapped at aap, they also let me upgrade to the ceramic pads, from my semi metallic(it looks like they had overheated and were shiny, and making some noise), I just had to pay the difference which I was fine with. Hats off to aap though, they did not give me a bit of hassle. I think I will like the ceramics better as well.

Last time I did do a bed in procedure, this time I am going to go with the method of taking it easy the first 500ish miles since wearever does not have a specific procedure that I can find, It seems like most of the high speed stopping to s slow role procedures are for higher performance applications.

So wish me luck on this set, I did ask the guy at aap if they had many returns on these rotors for being warped, he said typically they do not.
 
My guess is that the pads glazed and deposited material to the rotors. Shortly after we bought our '05 MDX, I put new pads and rotors on the front. Advics pads (supposed to be OEM) and Pro Stop coated rotors from Pep Boys. I'd get a front brake groaning during hot braking in the summer every year, combined with a little bit of pulsing. I'd turn the rotors and it'd be fine until the next summer. I assumed that it was simply cheap rotors.

SteveSRT8 suggested that in his experience, brake problems are almost always in the pads and not in the rotors. I scoffed, and turned the rotors again. These are OEM pads, right?

I turned the rotors at least three different times. I eventually listened to his advice and changed the pads. That was two years ago. Nary a problem since. Same rotors...and with less metal now as well. New pads...Akebono ProACT Ceramic. I'm now a believer in Akebono's pads, though I'm sure any premium pad would have worked as well.

I don't know what was wrong with the old Advics pads. Poor build quality, defect, etc.
 
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