Looking for some recommendations for front pad and rotor replacements.

My 2010 is at 68,000 and the front pads need to be replaced and the rotors are feeling warped and when I went in for oil change yesterday mechanic said the front pads are shot and said the rotors could stand to be turned but not sure if they will be inspec when finished. There is a pretty deep groove in one of the rotors. I was thinking of replacing them
I have a 2010 XLT 4x4 4.6L 3v with tow package. Slotted or drilled rotors or stick with OEM style smooth rotors?

 

OE rotors are designed to be turned at least once. However, if they're shot and you still got 68K out of them with no previous maintenance, why go to a more expensive aftermarket rotor?

 

The price of aftermarket compared to OEM are not that much different (approx $20 to $40 a pair) Some rotors such as powerstop from Autowarehouse.com are much cheaper then walking into dealer part department and about the same as autozone rotors.

 

OEM pads, OEM pads, OEM pads.
I'll say it now and every time again. Why?...they come with new clips, springs, etc so that do not have to reuse anything from the prior install. Most aftermarket pads will not contain this.

Rotors are a topic of much discussion. I'm not even going to go there if you're already looking at aftermarket stuff.

 

i don't turn rotors anymore. if you can find a good brake shop and get them to turn them, you can get a rotor that is "better than new". the problem is finding a good brake shop capable of that type of performance. they are few and far between. i know one shop in town that will turn brand new rotors because he is not happy with the lateral run-out off the shelf ... he's that good ... the problem is he is in a part of town i never venture to anymore, so it's not worth the hassle.

i've been getting my rotors from NAPA lately. much better than the UBC crap everyone else is selling. Personally, i wouldn't mess with performance rotors. everything has a cost, including performance. cross drilled rotors tend to crack, and slotted rotors tend to make more dust.

for pads, i've been using Wearever Platinum's from Advance Auto Parts. why? and being a ceramic, they make zero (visible) dust, and they really handle the heat well.

make sure you venture up to the stickies and watch the video on pad replacement. there's a common mistake that's easy to make and the video does an excellent job of showing how change out the pads correctly.

good luck!

 

Drilled rotors are known for cracking so I suggest getting slotted ones. The EBC is a good option.

 

I Used Wagner thermoquiet Ceramic pads And brakebest rotors. I have to say it was a big improvement over stock. However, I've used power stop brakes on my BMW and I have to say they are one of the best sets of brakes I've used on any of my cars. They feel like I have a big brake kit. I should have done the Powerstop but I didn't want to wait for shipping.

 

Nowadays, I replace the pads and rotors as a set. They are affordable enough to not deal with getting the old ones turned.

 

I used the same Wearever's that Mike did with new rotors also. Ordered off the AdvanceAuto website with the easy to find wicked good discount code. Easy to replace, and working awesome. Never turn rotors anymore. Not worth the hassle vs. the price of new.

 

I had a buddy that was a break technician and he always said use expensive rotors and cheap pads. Because soft or "cheap" pads will wear down faster but wont destroy your rotors. So $20 pads are cheaper than $60 pads and $150 rotors every 6 months. Just food for thought

 

I've heard that theory too, but the problem with cheap pads is they make a lot of dust.

Ceramics are harder on rotors too because they don't absorb the heat like a metallic pad, thus putting more heat into the rotor. but the benefit is less dust and less brake fade.

it's a balancing act.

I do agree with using better (often more expensive) rotors, though. The cheap UBC rotors that most everyone sells are really not high quality units and you'll tend to get better life out of a better rotor.

that being said, if you are having to replace your rotors that frequently, something is wrong.