What and where is other's purchasing their improved brake rotors for an Expedition?

I just wanted to share my experience (only lasted 15 months) with Performance rotor and brakes (slotted and dimpled).
I have had good luck with slotted rotors in the past, those were purchased from Pep Boys (not a big fan of that organization either, but this product worked). 5 years later, I returned to get a replacement set, and they no longer offered them for my Expedition.

So I contacted Performance Brake (BrakePerformance.com) and spoke to a Jim, who sold me on the slotted and dimpled/drilled rotors. With the promise of "Even more increased surface area"

I have a 2001, Ford Expy 5.4 Triton 4x4 with 223,000 miles, and I will tow (not all the time) a 22' Trophy WalkAround Cuddy 4,000lbs (less than 5,000 fully loaded). I home office, so I don't put too many miles on the truck during an average work week, but on the weekends, I do hit the highways and interstates (reason for the miles) to get out of the house.

I was willing to spend the extra money to get me a set of brakes to stop on dime while towing.

The rotors came with pads that 'Jim' told me were the best thing available for these rotors.

I hated these rotors the 1st time I got behind the wheel after I had my garage install them. They stopped worse than the old rotors and pads they replaced. It simply didn't stop. Much worse and bordering on dangerous while towing my boat. For the first 7 months, any time I applied the brake, it sounded like a baseball card in the bicycle spokes, as those brake pads slipped over those 'dimples'.

I did take the family out for father's day, and towed the boat 3 miles to the ramp (didn't notice any problems there).

Yesterday, only 15 months 25K miles later, while at lunch, I applied the brakes, and heard grinding. Stopped by the garage, and they indicated that the pads on the left rear were in need of replacing, then upon further inspection.. both rear rotors were Warped (not supposed to happen). Because they were slotted and dimpled, they could not be machined. .

I had some rotors purchased from Autozone $58/each, and a set of brake pads, to hold me over until after my vacation in July (towing boat down to Islamorda). I am so much happier with this cheap set (it's only been a day), and it might be a while before I try another set of slotted rotors.
However, I do want to go back to them as I was satisfied with the slotted pair I had purchased from p-boys (a little over 6 years ago).

What I had purchased (don't purchase these.. they are dangerous and don't last).
BrakePerformance.com
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Order Number: 1XXX1
Date Ordered/Updated: 03/15/2011
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Products
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1 x Premium Dimpled and Slotted Brake Rotors Rear Two Rotor Set (#RS-65085)
Promotion: Free Standard Semi Metallic Brake Pads (#PM-07110) ($0.00)
- 2001
- Ford
- Expedition
- Date manufactured: From Dec 1999 To March 18 2002 4WD

 

I gotta start off with this comment, I find it very odd that your rear brakes wore out before the front. The front should be biased to brake more than the rear. I'd be suspect of the original install or wondering if there was a bad brake system component, like a bad proportioning valve or a sticking caliper.

As for the parts you installed, everyone's experiences are different. I put the same thing on my wife's 03 Expy about 2 years ago. I didn't do any before/after tests and I don't drive it regularly, so all I can say is they're comparable to stock. I think we have about 20k miles on them without any issues. My wife is an aggresive driver, so the brakes definitely get a work out. I know the slotted and dimpled rotors can't be cut, but they're lifetime warranted against warping. You should have sent them back to the company for a new set. I'd understand if you wouldn't want to use them in your case, but you could have sold them on craigslist for a couple bucks to offset the price of your new ones.

 

X2 on the rears going first. I've driven close to a million miles and have never seen that. Usually rears last through 2 or 3 changes of the fronts.

 

I bet the stopping problem wasnt with the rotors, but the "FREE standard semi metallic pads"... Next time try a set of quality ceramic pads and you will not only stop on a dime, but get change back too.

 

Thanks for the reply.

The front rotors did require replacing many months prior to the rear, and I was still able to get them from Pep-boys. At the time, Pep-boys didn't offer slotted rotors for the back (they do now, but not by the same supplier). There are some cryo rotors that are strongly suggested on this forum (cost more, but everyone appears to be very pleased).

I still have the brakeperformance slotted and dimpled rotors, setting in the back of my Expedition. I am waiting for return call from performancebrake. I will either have them replaced, or use them for fishing (trot-line) weights (old rotors are very good for this purpose and these still shine).

Originally performancebrake was quick to send an email on my purchase, and shipping details. I always ended up speaking with the same customer Rep (Jim) which I appreciated as I didn't have to deal with a different person that is not familiar with my situation. Prior to installing these rear rotors I considered changing out all 4 at the same time (although the front didn't need it as they were recently replaced). I asked performance about their slotted rotors for the front and Jim was were quick to send me a price for those on the front.

However, after only replacing the rear, I experienced poor braking and attempted to contact (by email and then phone) Jim that I didn't like the results of these rotors and pads. I wanted to know what needed to be done to get these working ( do to the dimpling and not the slotting, you can't machine a new pair of these rotors), to improve the stopping ability (which was worse than the old set they replaced). I didn't want to spend another $139 for the shop to work on replacing these, but I was willing to purchase (they send you a set with the rotors) a new set of pads if that worked. He indicated that the Pads provided me are the ones they recommend.

I tried to give it more time, more stops at the shop to check why these are not stopping. My shop repeated what has been stated on this forum. The best rotors are the massive, OEM that were designed for this Truck (I also read that slotted rotors were good (which I believe). My garage informed me that Mass and flat rotors are going to give you better braking and cooling, than something where the mass has been removed from the rotors. However, don't mean to appear stubborn, but I already experienced that the slotted rotors I had previously installed, provided better performance that the flat OEM replacements.

I will not be sold on another set of slotted and dimpled, but I am willing to try a pair of 'just' slotted rotors.

I was waiting for Performancebrake to return my call, and I just decided to call them back and spoke to a Liddia (she indicated that I was on the top of her list for a call back list). My attitude, and thus this post has changed a lot in the past couple of minutes (for the better) as Liddia indicated they will replace my dimpled and slotted, with a set that are 'just slotted' and they will throw in a set of semi-metalic pads. So they are standing behind their product, which I appreciate.

I am going to stay with the fresh rear set of Autozone rotors for at least the next couple of months. I am driving down to Islamorda Florida with the boat in tow, for a few weeks in July, and have too much work on the boat and boat trailer.

I have no issue with storing a replacement set of rotors and pads in my garage until the next time I need replacing. I have some issue finding them without a thorough garage clean-out when I am ready to install them.

 

Let me start by saying I have always used OEM rotors and pads on my '00 Expy for 170,000 miles now. They last a long time and I've had no issues with them. I tow a 5,000+lb TT with the Expy.
However, on my Mustang I've been using Stillen brand slotted/drilled rotors and their Stillen metallic pads for some time now and I like them. They have a fast 'bite' and are a real improvement from the OEM Mustang parts. I usually wait till they are on sale and store them in my garage for the next time. They will wear a little bit faster because of the holes grabbing the pads so much quicker.
For an Expy I might go one step higher with the brake pads and get the Hawk pads, they are Ferro-Carbon.

I have no basis for thinking these would be better than OEM on an Expy, and am just throwing out an option. You might call Stillen and talk to them about what you want to do and are trying to achieve. I have no affiliation with them, am just another customer.

 

Ahh, see, I assumed you replaced front and rears at the same time.

I had originally wanted their ceramic pads for low dust, but the rep said their stopping performance was less than the standard semi-metallics and they worked best once "warmed up". 90% of our driving is on busy roads around town and we can't wait for them to "warm up", so he suggested I buy the premium semi-metallics. I thought "up-sale", looked around and found some cheaper ones at the local parts store and when I told him that he upgraded me to the premiums for free. Point of the long story, they seemed like a good business up front and I'm glad to hear they're standing behind their product now.

There's quite a few guys on this board that swear by Hawk Pads. My wallet wasn't deep enough to buy them when I needed brakes though.

 

I have had Hawk performance ceramics on all wheels of both my Expeditions. Dust city. As far as stopping goes, they are ok. I wouldn't say significantly different than stock. Here is the kicker - on both the rears on my 03 the pads broke off the backing plates. When I called Hawk they said they don't handle retruns through corporate, you need to go through the supplier you bought them from. My record keeping isn't so hot, and I buy lots of stuff from lots of people, so long story short they would do nothing for me. Thanks Hawk, no more business for you. Can't wait to get their garbage off my 04.