Question on Brake Rotors...

[BTLew81]

Mazda3 here. Read the great post on pads, and I am really looking at the Bendix CT-3. Rotors....Rock has two rotors. Raybestos professional grade, or the Advanced Technology. Latter is about twice the price. Input?

Any additional pad info is appreciated as well. Only other choice would be the Bendix Import Quiet, but I think the CT-3 offers more performance.

Brett

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

In my thread, I've been recommended Centric rotors and Raybestos Advanced Technology. The reasoning was that they are good quality and the hat is painted so it won't rust. Luckily I was told that I can try getting away with not touching my fairly low mileage rotors so I don't have to deal with them.

I found the Bendix CT-3 for my application was $45 shipped and Amazon had them for $42 shipped. Only a couple bucks, but they also had some rotors too. You should take a look.

 

[VK56VD]

PBR Deluxe pads. They are the OEM formulation.

 

[drewjp]

I have only heard as much as do not buy Chinese-made rotors. The difference in metallurgy vs. an American or Canadian rotor is astonishing.

 

[doitmyself]

Originally Posted By: drewjp
I have only heard as much as do not buy Chinese-made rotors. The difference in metallurgy vs. an American or Canadian rotor is astonishing.


That might be outdated opinion, drew. We had a discussion here a few years ago (too bad the search function doesn't work here)in which a poster familiar with U.S. foundries said that quality control in the U.S. was as questionable as from other places.

Raybestos's premium line, Advanced Technology, is now made in China. The set I installed a few weeks ago had MUCH better "fit and finish" compared to the north American made ones (Called PG Plus back then)I bought about two years ago (I posted a rant here about them).

Time will tell if they perform. Some companies do have good stuff made in China. Red Wing Boots and Danaher Tools (GearWrench) come to mind.

P.S. ..... I still HATE that the U.S. manufacturing base is eroding so bad.

 

[The Critic]

I used the Raybestos Advanced Technology rotors on a Corolla and the Centric Premium rotors on my Saturn. Both of them had painted hats and were of a very high quality.

The Raybestos ones had an oily coating on them that was difficult to clean off while the Centric ones did not.

 

[Quest]

+1 to doitmyself's comments.

I had my fair share of frustrations with NA based foundries when it comes to rotors and drums. Interesting enough, most Chinese stuff these days are fairly consistent in terms of quality, casting, etc. that I have yet to see that back a decade ago (cheep Inrobles were like crrraps back then, and now I don't even buy them anymore but some cheep Jasper rotors or Raybestos economy line and they are all casted in China).

Q.

 

[Buffman]

we had issues years ago with our cast iron traps coming fresh from a china foundry being wayy to hard and very inconsistant quality. Since then quality has greatly improved over some of the US foundry stuff we get.

 

[ksJoe]

Pardon my ignorance, but why are so many of you replacing rotors?

I've never replaced a rotor. I've not even had one machined. My old civic (sold at 248k) still had original rotors, never machined. When I replaced the pads, I'd look them over and they were still smooth, and not worn thin. So I'd just put new pads on them.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: ksJoe
Pardon my ignorance, but why are so many of you replacing rotors?

I've never replaced a rotor. I've not even had one machined. My old civic (sold at 248k) still had original rotors, never machined. When I replaced the pads, I'd look them over and they were still smooth, and not worn thin. So I'd just put new pads on them.

The rotors must be replaced if they are below the minimum thickness that is printed on the rotor. It is unsafe to install new pads onto rotors if they are worn below the minimum thickness as the rotor would have lost their ability to dissipate heat.

With most cars, the rotors are good for two sets of pads.

 

[doitmyself]

Quote:
Pardon my ignorance, but why are so many of you replacing rotors?


We excuse ignorance at BITOG.....not that any of the rest of us are that way!

When my mechanic friend gave me some advice on my last brake job, he relayed a recent instance in which a rotor cracked apart while trying to remove it due to severe internal rust. WINTER ROAD SALT

I have areas around me where there are about a dozen stop lights on a one mile stretch of road. The correct driving pattern is to get up as much speed between each light before braking.

Certain siblings not possibly related to me think that the caliper wear sensor is when the pad backing plate grinds into the rotor.

Some vehicles, 3rd generation Caravans (I think), come factory equipped with brake systems designed for Yugo weight class.

 

[ksJoe]

Originally Posted By: The Critic

With most cars, the rotors are good for two sets of pads.


I knew they would wear out eventually, and there was a minimum thickness allowed. But I had no idea that two pads per rotor was typical. I thought maybe you guys were towing in the mountains and warping them.

Thanks,
Joe

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: ksJoe
Originally Posted By: The Critic

With most cars, the rotors are good for two sets of pads.


I knew they would wear out eventually, and there was a minimum thickness allowed. But I had no idea that two pads per rotor was typical. I thought maybe you guys were towing in the mountains and warping them.

Thanks,
Joe

It's very important to measure the rotor thickness at every brake job, especially with the newer cars. The pads tend to wear the rotors more than before, and the rotors are become lighter and have less usable material on them. Even on my '96 Saturn, I replaced the pads once around 85k and resurfaced the rotors. When I replaced the pads again at 115k, the rotors were already well below the minimum thickness.

 

[Buffman]

pads on my wife's 01 cavalier were toast at 54K when she bought it. Rotors were close to min thickness so we put new ones on. At 104K pads were worn down again. Rotors were still above min thickness so they're staying on and will be checked again at probably 150K..

 

[eljefino]

Why do you change rotors?

(Came with a car I picked up, I am not responsible for its previous neglect.)

 

[Kestas]

The ones I replaced last weekend looked worse. One of them broke apart from the hammering and was still stuck to the hub!

 

[XCELERATIONRULES]

I put the cheapest rotors I can find on my cars,because I change them out every other brake job.
No use machining them when new ones are just a few dollars more.
In the old days brake rotors were so expensive most people machined them.
The manufacturers finally figured out if they lower the price,they would sell some rotors.
What a concept.

 

[Buffman]

those don't look bad at all. My brother drove a 92 escort. After he wore the pads down to nothing but the backing plate he continued to drive it. HE wore the backing plate off, had Piston to Rotor contact, and completely ate through the outer surface of the rotor down to the cooling veins.... A $20 pad job turned into new caliper, rotor, and pads.

 

[Mr_Incredible]

The 260,000 mile CRX I bought last year had what must have been original rotors. They were waaaay under minimum thickness. It was a no-brainer to replace them...the new ones were about $13 each. I replaced the rear drums, as well, since they were also cheap, cheap, cheap.

The original discs on the 98 Z28 were getting cracks in them on the wear face. I replaced them and they were pretty cheap, too.

I don't have any problem with replacing them if they need it, but to replace them at the drop of a hat seems a bit excessive to me.

 

[artificialist]

It depends what Chinese rotors you get.

One day, I had to replace the back rotors on a Crown Vic. The auto parts store had only one ultra cheap Chinese rotor, and one expensive Chinese rotor.

The cheap one resembled a sand castle, and after 2 weeks it warped and had to be re-machined. I set the wheel torque to 100 Ft/lb, the correct amount specified by Ford!

The expensive one looked the same as a good factory rotor, came with great anti-corrosion stuff, and did not warp.