Brake Rotors and pads

[LurcH]

It's time again!!

My front rotors on my "D" are once again warped!! This is the forth time this has happened... No matter how many times I tell service centers 100LBS they always bring out the gun... The last three times this happened they were replaced for free by the bonehead who didn't want to listen to me... Never fails!! This time however they just went! Who knows why??

Now to the point!! I need everyones opinion and experiance in this matter please.

I need stronger rotors, and I want pads that don't turn my wheels black after driving 20 miles... I drive hard and fast, sometimes I even tow.....

What do ya say?? :IDEA:

Thanks everyone... :D

[Dracos]

Rotors.........cant help ya there but pads........

Raybestos C2's.................ceramic pads, no fade, no warm up to work (metals only work good hot), and no dust....................napa or auto zones carry them, 50 bucks.

[LurcH]

PERFECT!!!

Now, I wonder how well they do with cross drilled rotors?? Considering a set, rather than just standard rotors..

What's the wear like on the Raybestos C2's Dracos?

[Dracos]

Wear rate is way better than those stock 6000 mile pads.......................and stopping distance is 1/3 better too!!!

Rotors dont get groved any more, no squeek or crunch noises, no dust...........good investment IMHO

[Scottcba1]

Those pads sound like a great investment but the cross drilled rotors dont unless your truck is a race only truck which it doesnt sound like.

Drilled rotors are for race cars t okeep the rotors from burnin up and so the race car has brakes whenever the pedal is hit. They only care that the brakes are at peak performance during the race and after that they will most likely be torn apart and re work anyway. Cross drilled rotors will eat up your pads on a street car...besides that they just look OK ....just my opinon

-Scott:cool:

[LurcH]

Agreed!!

I would just like to find a good set of rotors that don't warp so easy. Something that can handle off roading, heavy traffic driving, and the occasional drag race... The factory rotors are just pathetic. Need a set that can withstand the force of the mighty 6400LB "D"!! ;D

Thanks for the info.... Keep em' coming :D

[Scottcba1]

hey no problem Lurch I just dont want to see you throw out your money and not be happy with the results!

[LurcH]

I certainly appreciate that... I don't want to toss money out the window either!! ;D

What do have for rotors on your truck?

[christian]

I'm not disagreeing with scottcba1 but drileld rotors will tremndously help with shortening your stop distances even at normal street driving.

Considering that you say you drive hard, you probably have to stop hard and this may be why you've had your negative experience with the stock rotors (Sorry, I don;t have a recommendation for what manufacturer - but know this, that you must go for a rotor that is meant to be a performance upgrade for your particular truck). This little note about a matching upgrade will be of significant importance to your safety - don;t ignore it.

Now with that said, your stock brakes "should" be good enough for most driving because the truck is supposed to stop with decent distances when fully loaded. It's up to you how you spend your money.

The physics of the drilled holes is this: when you brake, the pads develop a gas that must escape. As compressing gas is nearly impossible, the gas gets in the way of making complete contact with the rotor and you end up with a long(er) stop distance and a tendency to warp the rotor with successive hard stops OR if you stop hard and then don't move at all (no chance is given the rotors to cool down and perhaps that's art of the reason for your experience as well).

The drilled holes allow for the gas to escape while braking hard and allow for complete contact ("much" more contact is made that the slight loss of contact by the presence of the holes - and certainly "way" more contact than stock)... this applies to just about any stock brake set-up... not just our beloved Dodges ;)

Again, I agree with scott about the money... but as your experience is bearing out, you may want to seriously consider a drilled set of rotors for the front... just remember what I said about being a match for your truck (you can go with a slightly larger rotor as well).

Let us know what you decide and how it works out for you.

:STY:

[LurcH]

Thanks Christian, that really covers it... I honestly haven't had much luck with finding any that are specific for the "D" (Cross drilled or heavy duty), which in fact is why we are having this discussion. I was hoping someone out there might have done this already and knew of a source. I'm right there with you on the safety issue. I have only ever purchased vehicle specific mods for the truck so far, and REALLY don't want to screw up the brakes of all things... :SHK:

Anyway, when I say driving hard I mean this:

I drive 58 miles each way to and from my office. 90% of the driving is on a toll road with an average posted speed of 70MPH. I usually run about 75-80MPH when possible. My drive consists of 15 miles of thick city traffic, 40 miles of congested highway driving, and 3 miles of off road driving each way twice a day for the past 2 years. Also I encounter flooding and mudd holes during the summer months. On the weekends I drag the family around, sometimes even the boat (My brothers 18 FT. Jet boat 2250LB wet). So as you can see my "D" gets a work out.

The last 3 sets of rotors were stock replacements. 1st replacement was needed after a dealership rotated and balanced my tires. 2nd replacement was needed after Truck Options install Rancho Shocks. 3rd replacement was needed after I had my tires replaced at Discount Tire. Needless to say all 3 places listen when I speak now! I still go to all 3, and they all replaced the rotors without any argument. This time however, I've got no clue what happened. Haven't had anything done to the truck that would cause this to happen. Just went!!

So, as you can tell I'm ready for something a little better than stock. :D

Thanks again for the replies, keep em' going!! Thanks..

[christian]

Originally posted by LurcH
I drive 58 miles each way to and from my office. 90% of the driving is on a toll road with an average posted speed of 70MPH. I usually run about 75-80MPH when possible. My drive consists of 15 miles of thick city traffic, 40 miles of congested highway driving, and 3 miles of off road driving each way twice a day for the past 2 years.

That's severe duty.
I'm really concerned about the part that is "three miles of off road driving driving each way". I can't imagine why you'd have to go off-road to commute to work (especially the quoted distance!).:SHK:

I think you might be driving the wrong vehicle for your commute.
And I think that something is wrong with having to go off-roading just to get to work and "three miles" of that "each way" (?) each day.

You are going to have to "es-plain Lucy" for me to understand.

[LurcH]

LMAO!!! ;D

The off road part is not that bad.. It's a 3 mile road that is not paved. It's white sand and rock. My office is in a town called Saint Cloud which is just outside of Disney World. My office sits on 40 acres out in BFE. Nothing here but a few houses and some farms. My business partner talked me into putting our office out here next to his house, lower overhead and all that shiznic. He's 51% owner so what can I say..

The "D" does fine in any condition imaginable. No signs of any wear and tear still. Tough beast all the way. The next best choice would be a Hummer, but Dodge doesn't make em' so forget em'. :D

Wish I had batteries in my camera, so I could give you a good laugh. I'll shoot some and post them for you. It will be worth the wait.

[CARL KESSEL]

I HAVE AUTOSPORT BRAND DRILLED ROTORS ON MY 94 2X RAM 1500. THEY DON'T SEEM TO WEAR OUT THE PADS [ FACTORY ONES ] ANY FASTER. ONE THING TO KEEP IN MIND IS THAT YOU SHOULD BE ADJUSTING YOU REAR BRAKES UP PROBABLY EVERY OIL CHANGE. YES, I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE SELF ADJUSTERS IN THEM BUT THE ONLY WORK WHEN YOU BACK UP. HOW MUCH OF YOUR COMMUTE DO YOU SPEND GOING FORWARD AND USING YOUR BRAKES COMPARED TO BACKING UP? THIS IS WHY YOU NEED TO ADJUST UP THE REARS. WHEN THEY ARE OUT OF ADJUSTMENT, THE FRONTS DO MORE AND MORE WORK. THAT MEANS MORE WEAR AND MORE HEAT. I HAVE READ IN THE " TRUCKIN" MAGAZINES ABOUT UPGRADES ON BRAKES USING CRYOGENIC TREATMENT OF ROTORS, PADS, CALIPERS, DRUMS ,SHOES ETC. THIS MAKES A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE IN HEAT, WEAR AND TEAR. YOU MIGHT GO DOWN TO THE LOCAL LIBRARY OR A BUDDY AND FIND BACK ISSUES ON THIS. UNFORTUNATELY THEY USED GM PRODUCTS IN THE ARTICLES. ONE OTHER AREA FOR INFO ON THIS PROCESS IS TO FIND A COMPANY IN YOU AREA THAT DEALS WITH CIRCLE TRACK OR TRANS-AM RACING COMPONENTS. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[Scottcba1]

Another thing about the cross drilled rotors is that you cant cut them so once you run out of pad and damage the surface they are shot and you need to replace them.....just a thought...

-Scott:cool:

[New_D]

What was it that you were telling the repair shops that they did not listen to? I am just curious so I do not make the same expensive mistake that the shops you have visited have made. Thanks. Let us know your decision and how it works out as I am very intersted as I can feel my rotors may be a little warped and are out of whack.

[LurcH]

Calr Kessel: Thanks for the great info. I usually adjust the rears every other oil change (scheduled for this weekend as a matter of fact). You can always tell when the back drums need to be adjusted on my truck. It puts its nose straight to the ground at every stop when they need adjusting. Found the rear disk conversion kit for around $1200. on www.SpeedTweaks.net but I'm not sure I want to go through all that. Thanks again.

Scottcba1: This is very true, therefore I'm now concentrating on a set of regular style rotors that are stronger rather than cross drilled. Thanks for your input. You'll have to forgive me, this is my first truck, I've always had sports cars and cross drilled rotors where what we all dreamed off.. :-)

New_D: I was telling them that you must use a torque wrench set at 100 pounds of torque and not an air gun set at what the heck ever they want.. I learned this info after the dealer of all places over torqued my front lugs after a tire balance & rotation.. I drove 2 blocks and came to a red light, hit the brakes and the truck shimmied like mad.. I will be sure to let every one know what I find and how it goes. Still haven't found rotors for the truck that sound better than stock. But I'm still looking.. Thanks

Thanks for all the replies, keep em' coming..... :D

[Scottcba1]

Hey Lurch no problem! Thats what we are here for! I didnt want you to think that I was trying to get you away from the cross drilled I am just giving you some facts so you know what your getting into. I have installed a few of these kits before and the customers wee very happy with the performance level but they were all a bit taken back when they found out that they needed new rotors instead of cutting them. It is a bit too expensive for my taste....the performance level VS. the price doesnt balance out in my eyes.

This is the first pickup truck for me as well(had a couple broncos before) and I love it and I love to put mods on my truck and I know how it feels to have people tell me that somehting I want to do isnt going to work or that I wont be happy with it but I rather be the jerk to ruin your dreams and save you a few bucks then see you be happy for a few months and then have to spend a good amount of money to replace......As for speedtweaks I would stay away for the time being. unless they will ship the conversion system before taking your money!:dunno:

Good luck with your search and keep us posted!

-Scott:cool:

[LurcH]

Thanks again for all your help... I greatly appreciate it. I honestly have no intention in installing a conversion kit on the rear. Way more trouble than its worth. I've seen these kits on several sights, but $1200. bucks to go slower? Not me.... LOL!!

As far as speed tweaks goes, what the heck happened to them??

I've surfed everywhere you can imagine for rotors and short of Power Slot's, I haven't been able to find anything better than stock rotors... :YUK:

[kylem]

Hey lurch check out this site.

http://www.stainlesssteelbrakes.com/

[LurcH]

Nice work!!

A little bit pricy though.... $460. to be exact. For what you get its a good deal, but too much for me.. Thanks kylem, I appreciate the help.... :D

They do look sweet!!

[LurcH]

One of our proud sponsors http://www.partsamerica.com seems to have the best price so far, and the best selection. They have Raybestos pads and rotors. Pads are $44.99 a pair and rotors are $63.99 each.

Any thoughts on http://www.partsamerica.com ?

Look like a good deal?

[kylem]

LurcH,

Found another one! Very informative Q & A area!! Hope it helps.

-Medburd

[kylem]

oops!

http://www.pureperf.com/brakes/Frequently_ask.html

[Scottcba1]

Yeah lurch that sounds like a good deal!

[Dracos]

LuRcH...... http://www.partsamerica.com .......thats checker auto parts.

I buy from them all the time.

[LurcH]

kylem: That's great info. Thanks.. :STY:

Scottcba1: Cool.. I think this is it..

Dracos: Glad to hear it. Looks like I found my next set of rotors and pads.

I let you all know how it goes.... Thanks everyone, I greatly appreciate all the help... :D

[TsD]

Not to be disagreeable or anything, but I just ordered Drilled AND Slotted Heavy Duty Rotors, made by Raybestos, from www.rockauto.com for my '01 Durango. They get $88.15 a piece.
I got the recommendation from a friend of mine who has also had the warped rotor problem and the Durango brake "crunch" noise in the past.
Coupled with the Raybestos Quiet Stop pads, he says the noises are gone and the truck stops on a dime.
I haven't installed my rotors yet (too darn cold!) but I'll post results after I do the install.
Thanks for that link to the Brake FAQ's. Even the FAQ says that drilled and slotted rotors CAN be turned if necessary. Just have the shop do 2 thin cuts on the lathe instead of one thick cut.
For what it's worth...

Good Luck.
T

[LurcH]

Thanks for the info.. I'm still pondering the hole thing....

So when do you plan to slap them on? and how long has your friend had his? and has he had any complaints?

Sorry to sound overwhelming, but I'm interested.. :D

Thanks :SPIN:

[TsD]

Hey Lurch,
No problemo with the questions. That's what forums like this are for.
My friend has had his Raybestos Drilled/Slotted Rotors on for 3,000 miles with (according to him) no problems what so ever. That's what convinced me to get them too.
I'm gonna have to wait till it gets a tad warmer here in NY before I put mine on. The last few days have been brutal with cold and there is talk of snow for tomorrow.
I suppose I could go to a mechanic shop and pay to have them installed but from what I hear, it's an easy job and I don't want to just throw the $$ away.
As soon as I get 'em installed I'll post results and opinions.
Good Luck.
T

[LurcH]

Thanks TSD, good luck!! Make sure you keep that weather up your way!! :D

I think I'm going to get the Raybestos pads and rotors and call it a day.... I can always switch to cross or slotted later. Thanks again for the help and make sure you don't forget to post those results.

:cheers:

[LurcH]

Here you go.. This is where I work.. Please feel free to comment.. I'm always interested to hear what people think of running a National Mechanical Contracting co. out of a little 1250 sqf office in BFE (40 acres) ... ;D As you can tell, the weather sucks right now. Very overcast, cold, and rainy. Hard to imagine Florida gets cold, isn't it. Well, our idea of cold any way (48*) Enjoy!!

[christian]

Lurch,

WOW. Well, others are making the trip right along with you... I saw a number of small cars and a F--d p/u.

For your application, I would forget the expense of replacement rotors and simply use heavier duty pads and maybe slow down a bit so that my stops are not as hard. Compared to the other vehicles, yours is more loaded down than the rest so having to stop more weight and all... probably the case that other folks are not having such brake trouble as you... the mighty D looks great but just remember it's an SUV. And SUV in terms of weight to stop is like a fully loaded mini-truck.

Still, three miles each way?

Man, can I get overtime for that part of the commute... that's totally rediculous. And part of the reason for having a usiness office (even in your line of work) is to have an place that's attractive to customers (not just a place to put your paperwork).

At this time, seems like your boss is simply trying to save a buck or two and that's respectable as long as he admits to having moving plans when the business does a little better. Trust me, I've worked for enough small businesses over the years that I have more respect for the owner who tries to control the growth rather than let it spiral out of control because with the wild growth always comes out of control expenses and THAT only means the unemployment line (eventually) yet again.

Sorry for the long post... but that's my reaction to your commute.

Do you have an econo-box that you could commute with and then enjoy the mighty-D at more appropriate times? (this advice from someone who drives a full size Dodge to work every day, listen to me, your mileage would be better, but I certainly understand enjoying a Dodge truck all the time)... just some thoughts for you to ponder.

WHEW... and about that commute, again: WOW.

:D

[LurcH]

LMAO!!! I told you it would be worth the wait.. ;D

All those other vehicles you see in those pics belong to the rest of my staff that live in the near vicinity. They all drive 15 - 20 minutes each way to get to the office. I'm the only poor sucker that has to drive 58 miles (1+ hour) to get to work.

But like I said before, it was my partners idea to move out there so I expense every part of that damn drive in return... :D

The mustang you see next to my truck just blew a water pump and distributor sensor yesterday, the Black celica has a bad clutch, the silver Olds behind the celica is for sale, the Silver Ram 1500 is a new 2002, and the black nissan altima is fine. Almost for got we also have a bucket truck for sale (8K OBO). Nobody else had made it in yet.. LOL!!!

I actually had a couple of company cars before I started driving the "D" to work, but they couldn't handle it. First one was a 89 Olds station wagon that at the time was in great shape. After 3 days of driving it the tranny blew out.. :bawl: The second car was a 93 Pontiac Bonneville, also in grate shape. First time out, made it to the end of the dirt road and the water pump blew.. :grum: After all that my partner and I decided to just use my truck and have the company pay for it. So there you have it. The mighty "D" has never given me any trouble at all.. The brake issue is one that several "D" owners can tell you all about.. Luck of the draw I guess.. Mine has never had impressive breaking power, so this is why I'm going for the better pads and rotors..

Glad you enjoyed the pics.. And to answer your question, we are planning to move into a normal business district in 2004 or 2005 (depending on how business goes). :flippy: and yes, still 3 miles. The drive way out to the dirt road is the first pic.. :D

Thanks again Christian
:D

[ragtoplvr]

Raybestos also sells 2 lines of rotors, one is domestic and expensive, but good. The warping will occur on either brand, when the wheel stud torque is over maximum, there is nothing you can do about that. However, the warping while driving, is bad metal, the raybestos domestic rotors will reduce that. Slotted or cross drilled rotors both are improvements, and can be refinished, you just have to use grinding, not turning.
The raybestos pads as listed in other posts are great.
BTW, on my 92 Dakota, I pull 3200 LB boat lots, and trailer loaded with sometimes heavy loads, like 4 or 5 ton, with V6 Dakota, and my OE brakes lasted 100K miles and counting! My rotors will be shot, they are grooved quite deep, but hey, not touched in 100K miles, who cares!

And as long as when you back out of parking space, and apply brakes, you DO NOT need to manually adjust the rear drum brakes. If they get out of adjustment, the brake petal stroke increases, they stop the same. Over adjusting just wastes gas, overheats linings and costs money. If you want more rear brake bias, conuslt the interchange catalogs and get a larger diameter rear wheel cylinder.


Rod

[tandretti22]

Hey all....

Since we are on the topic of brakes, mine squeak ALL THE TIME when I stop. I called the dealer (who are normally VERY informative) and they said that in the '02 they changed breaks and that this is normal. Ok, as a first question, do you guys have this too? Secondly, IS this normal? I notice it more when the truck sits for a few days, but even after driving it home last nite at 10pm, and getting into it today at noon they squeaked.....

Please help!!

[christian]

This is not normal; I don;t have such a problem but it can be caused by a few things; the most common of which is simple brake dust. Try cleaning the dust off or asking a mechanic friend to do this for you; if the brakes still squeal immediately after the cleaning is done, then you likely have something worn like an anti-rattle clip or so.

Of course, your breaks could simply be wore out and you are geting the intended wear indication via the annoying squeal sound (sorry, I'm not trying to be a smarta--).

:cool:

[Scottcba1]

as long as it is a squeak and not a grinding sound you are ok....I know it is annoying butyou learn to live with it. The advice about cleaning it is good but it is basically a temporary fix...once you build up brake dust again it will squeak again and if you drive your truck daily it wil squeak within a few days of getting it cleaned. Hope that helps!

-Scott

[tandretti22]

Thanks for the replies guys....

I notice it also right after I get my truck washed....I bought the truck in March, could they be worn out already?! I had a 90 Grand Am (waaaaaaay back in the day) and I drove that thing for 3 years without ever having to touch the brakes....hmmmmm.....

Ok, and stupid question....what is the easiest way to clean off the brake dust? I DO notice that I have A LOT more brake dust than any other vehicle I have ever owned....

Thanks in advance!

[christian]

Sounds like a brake dust accumulation problem; could be caused by a few things. Don't know how many miles you put on the truck or what kind of miles they are but a trip to the dealer to have them checked under warranty would be a good thing; have them advise what is wrong. Brake pads and other wear items are not covered under warranty but there are so many little things that can cause this symptom. As a side note, there is no general problems I've heard of with brakes on your model truck but I do know that the Dodge Neon (for example) does have an annoying squeal when teh brakes are cold - this is due to the kind of brake pads that are used OEM.

Hope that info helps.

[tandretti22]

I've had the truck since April and it has about 12k on it. Good combination of hwy and street miles but mostly hwy.

Gonna call the dealer tomorrow....thanks for the info (and making me feel better!!) :cool:

[LurcH]

Well, I finally did it.. I put the PowerSlot Rotors and Raybestos pads on the Mighty "D" and WOW what a HUGE difference... I slapped them in weekend before last and have put about 800+ miles on them.. No squeaks, no vibration, no pulling, no brake dust, no nothing... The truck stops on a dime now and with very little effort... VERY IMPRESSIVE!! :dropjaw:

Here is the cost:

Raybestos pads from AutoZone locally = $50.00

PowerSlot Rotors from Jonas at premier-automotive.net = $200.00 Shipped to my door.

The best $250.00 I've ever spent!!

[christian]

That sounds really good, I'm glad for ya'.

[LurcH]

Thanks christian :D

[Atlanta R/T]

Originally posted by CARL KESSEL
ONE THING TO KEEP IN MIND IS THAT YOU SHOULD BE ADJUSTING YOU REAR BRAKES UP PROBABLY EVERY OIL CHANGE. YES, I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE SELF ADJUSTERS IN THEM BUT THE ONLY WORK WHEN YOU BACK UP.

You are soooo right. I manually adjust my rear brakes three or four times a year. It will make your front pads last much longer. I've noticed for some time all the complaints about front rotor problems and I've often wondered if anyone ever checks the rear brakes. This is a BIG issue with trucks. I put 25k miles on mine before switching to Powerslots and I never had a problem, and I compete in Autocross where heavy braking is required. The RT club I'm in hasn't experienced these brake problems either and we're about 40 members now. The self adjusters only work if your brakes are already close to being tight. But if they've gotten to the point of having little stopping power then they're to far out to self adjust and you'll have to do it manually. Very easy, can be done with a jack, flathead screwdriver, and your ears. The scientific way is to use a drum caliper but the old ear method works to.

[cms6i7]

I have a 2002 Dakota Quad 4x4 that has warped rotors. I think that it originally happened when the dealership rotated my tires....???? I am finding more and more people with the same issue. I need HELP!! The dealership will not claim the responsibility of the problem. I see that there are a lot of postings with the same problem. I am just starting my venture to get this problem resolved. Any advise?? I've submitted a complaint through NHTSA website where I found 5 other postings with the same complaint. I've learned that this is a product line issue as it seems that even the replacement rotors will warp. HELP!!!!! :dunno:

[mgrady]

Originally posted by Atlanta R/T
You are soooo right. I manually adjust my rear brakes three or four times a year. It will make your front pads last much longer. I've noticed for some time all the complaints about front rotor problems and I've often wondered if anyone ever checks the rear brakes. This is a BIG issue with trucks. I put 25k miles on mine before switching to Powerslots and I never had a problem, and I compete in Autocross where heavy braking is required. The RT club I'm in hasn't experienced these brake problems either and we're about 40 members now. The self adjusters only work if your brakes are already close to being tight. But if they've gotten to the point of having little stopping power then they're to far out to self adjust and you'll have to do it manually. Very easy, can be done with a jack, flathead screwdriver, and your ears. The scientific way is to use a drum caliper but the old ear method works to.

Atlanta R/T- To manually adj. the back brakes your just using the screwdriver to ture the adjuster on the back side of the drum correct?

[cms6i7]

I understand the importance of adjusting the rear brakes to prolong the life of your pads. However, this is not a pad issue. After doing extensive research on the "warping rotor" issue it is seemingly a BIG issue. I think that the torque used when rotating or replacing the tires have more times than most been the cause of the issue but, it would also be a red alert to maybe a manufacturer defect issue. I've noticed that the Dodge truck line anywhere from 1995 to present has posted simular complaints. It is very frustrating to know that even if I replace the rotors with manufacture recommened or brand that I will experience the same problem in the future. I should not have to endure the expense of replacing the rotors with a heavier duty rotor to avoid future warping issues!! Has anyone out there taken this directly to Dodge?? I know I plan on it!!

[LurcH]

I took the rotor problem to the dealer but that was it... They deny any defects what so ever.

Also, just though you might like to know that those nice Power Slot Rotors warped two months after I put them in.. So much for solving the problem with heavier duty stuff... :grum:

Oh well that's how it goes...

[Scottcba1]

Ouch!

Sorry to hear the bad news Lurch.

-Scott:cool:

[fstdango3]

Lurch did you use the Raybestos qs pads ?
That is the problem th eceramic pads cannot give up enough heatso the rotors warp.
I had a set of Raybestos slotted and drilled that got trashed by a set of QS pads in 2 months I just ordered a new set of Raybestos slotted and drilled and I have a set of Hawk Brake pads (metallic) This is supposed to be a winning combination
I will probably replace the calipers also as I want an entire job done right once
Steve

[LurcH]

Hey Scott!!!

Thanks for your condolences buddy.... Time to try something else.. :STY:
_________________________________________________

Hey Steve!!!!!

As a matter of fact I did.... This was recommended to me by several people, but it sure didn't work out to well for me...

The good news is that I can cut the Power Slots once and hopefully save them.. Also, it's now time to replace the rear shoes. I've never really had to look into rear shoes or drums since they've lasted so long. But I've heard a rumor that power slot makes slotted drums?? Anybody else hear of this? I sure would like to beef up the rear breaks if possible..

I now work for an automotive shop so we are looking into this warping issue pretty hard. One of the master mechanics here who has been at it since the dawn of time says that one of the biggest problems with DC breaking systems is that the caliper piston is plastic now and way back when they were steel. The plastic piston is a big part of the problem according to him. He further stated that the rear breaks don't do much to help, and that they only pick up about 15-20% of the load. I have to agree with him since my rear shoes have lasted 68,000 miles. I adjust them every time I do an oil change and they always need it.

Any thoughts are welcome... Thanks

[BillN]

I just ordered powerslots cross drilled and slotted rotors w/ Kevlar pads. I hope mine do not warp.

[buddy899]

How does one manually adjust the rear brakes? I have the same problem with warped front rotors on my '01. I don't want my rear brakes to go as well.

[Scottcba1]

Alot of newer vehicles automatically adjust the rears but if you feel like getting into it here you go:

Pull the rear tires and drums. Next you will want to spray down the entire drum and brake assembly with some brake cleaner to get the crud out of there. Then you will see a small wheel inbetween the brake shoes....it will have notches on it....this is your adjustment point. You will only want to turn this wheel one or two clicks the max....you go too far and you brakes will drag and the drums will be a bitch to get back on. You will know you adjusted them correctly when the drums are snugg when you put them back on and the drum doesnt free wheel a ton.

Good luck!

-Scott:cool: