Here's a couple things that may help, and why. In my early days, all brakes were drum, and as we know drum brakes would fade after 2 applications. So we learn to pump the pedal if we were towing, or going down a long hill. So, we're going 80, we push hard on the brake pedal, slow to 60, then let off. The drums would cool suuficiently before you got back to 80 and you'd do it again.

Now, think about your 7,000 pound truck, or your 7,000 pound truck with a 12,000 pound trailer on it's back. The front brakes do 80% of the work, so those rotors get a pounding. It's important that while heavy braking we give our rotors a chance to cool, and we do that by using the same system we used to in order to stop in the old days with drum brakes. Pump to slow, let off to cool, repeat as necessary.

Bad ju-ju #2 to disc brakes=get your pads and rotors hot as hell, then sit at a stop sign with glowing pads pressed against hot-hot-hot rotors. When the rotors are spinning in the airstream they're dissapating heat plus the contact surface is the entire rotor and all the surface is better able to absorb and cast off heat. But when a pad that's 4 inches long and 2 inches wide is clamped down on both sides of an already hot rotor, it's like holding a blow torch to it. Metal expands/contracts from heat, hot spots on your rotors pulse, or feel like a wobble and/or a shimmy. Turn the rotors and the wobble will go away. The bad thing is now your rotors are thinner, and will heat faster, making the problem return all that much faster. So we have to adapt our braking styles a little to get maximum life out of our brakes. Bedding in the pads, although a lost art slowly brings everything to temp, then cools, then to temp, then cooled. The pads will last 3 times as long, and will not be so apt to overheat the rotors.

 

Ken, you hit the nail on the head - proper cooling helps a lot.

If I have to stop hard at a red light, I roll the truck about 10 feet slowly while waiting for the light to change. I never allow hot-hot pads to sit on any one spot on the rotors for very long. And like you, slowing on a hill with a load, I hit them hard, slow down quite a bit, let off, let them cool a little and hit them hard again.

'01 V10 with 20K miles on it, lots of hard hauling/stopping, original brakes, plenty of meat, and no warpage or hard spots.

One thing that will feel like a warped rotor is scoring of the rotor. If the rotor is left to rust frequently and then driven, you'll notice lots of grooves in the rotor, and sometimes, they are not all the same depth all the way around the rotor. That will also give the "warped rotor" feel.

 

I have been reading all of these posts about rotors and pulsing brakes with great interest. I bought my truck used and now have about 65K on it and I believe I am about to need a brake job. The dealer said I was at 4MM on the pads (whatever that means) and I have a fairly severe pulse during braking on a Major hill (Long and steep, straight down with ticket happy local cops around)near my house (Steering wheel tries to occilate back and forth during braking). How tough is it to replace your own brakes? After reading the posts, I think I would rather go with something like the ART rotors and pads as opposed to the dealer replacements. Sorry not trying to hijack the thread. StevenG

 

Ken, your not just a pretty face, that is excellent information about holding a hot rotor while stopped. If I am in that situation, I will try to remember to put her in park after she stops. Thanks for the good post . Wrench.

 

ok gang. lets reread the guide lines about masking of profanity. and what one can and can not post. i would hate to see a moderator come into the normally very clean v10 area and lock us down.

 

If you reread my post, there was no masking of profanity intended, I simply was thanking Ken for a good tip on saving your trucks rotors. I did find it hilarious that your mind would go there. Take care, Wrench.

 

It's actually pretty easy, our calipers are a 2 piece design (on the HD at least, the SD has a larger pad so I'm not sure of the caliper design) so you don't have to pull the entire unit off. The hardest part is juggling 2 pads in their slots while trying to fit the whole thing back into place. A big 4" C clamp and a piece of flat bar will re-compress your pistons. The rotor does get a small lip on the outside that is hard to get the old pads past at first. I don't do a huge amount of towing, but I do drive my bread box like a Porsche so I replace brakes alot. Go with the better quality pads, the organics won't last 20K. And bed your brakes, the glue has to set, and the pad material has to temper (I think this is one of the bennies of bedding) and it really doesn't take that long to do.

 

Thanks for the kudos, a pretty face ? Well, it's not too often I get accused of that, heh heh, but thanks. And I guess I must have missed any reference to masked profanity in your post also, maybe it was someone else ? Take care, Ken

 

Ok I have heard the term "bedding", How does one bed brakes? I know what the term means on a rifle action, but not sure how one would do this on brakes. StevenG