I wonder if anyone ever thought that it may not be the rotors at all, but it's the pads that make the truck surge? It happened to me. I thought that I needed to face the rotors because of the pulsing and had it done. I also installed new pads at that time. Job completed - I drove out on the highway and right off the bat the truck bucked. I took it back and they indicated the rotors (with digital indicator); not warped. So the tech and I decided to do a little pad swapping. After two new sets of pads, no shake, no surge, no buck...smooth. Been that way for quite awhile now. Still have the factory rotors front and rear.

I can't say that this will eliminate all brake problems, but when you've exhausted all resources....

 

Thanks to everyone who replied to my original post. I've read all the post, searched the web, plus spoke with someone with a similar truck as mine who has also had rotors warp. He said that since he switched to ART rotors he hasn't had any more brake problems. I ordered the ART rotors and I hope they solve my problem as well.

I have new tires, new shocks new front calipers and new ball joints. I have properly torqued the wheels, lubed the slide pins and kept my fingers crossed yet the rotors always warp. After 100 years I would think Ford could spec a brake system that works. Too many people have had this problem with their trucks. Overall the Superduty is a good truck but consider the poorly designed ball joints, the sparkplug blowout issue, warped rotors, oil consumption, pinging from the exhaust, ect. Ford cut too many corners. Always thought I would have Fords but next one will be a GM. I'm not saying I belive GM's are perfect but Ford has cost me one too many sets of rotors to keep me as a customer. Hopefully the ART rotors will last till the new GM's come out. Till then I'll be here.

Thanks again.
Jim

 

Hope it works out for you, Jim.

And, yes, there's good and bad in them all, I reckon...just sorry this flip of the coin had to be on Ford.

 

Jim ,
I would suggest you talk to some chevy guys .
Because my neighbor is a die hard chevy guy and owns the newer trucks and he thinks there a pos right now he's had tranny problems and BRAKES.
Granted he tows alot of trailers for his bussiness.
But he's not happy either and keeps coming over asking about my trucks.
They all have there problems!
None of them are any better than the others!
Its about what puts that BSEG on your face that counts.
Rich

 

Just to beat a dead horse some more...

ART Rotors and Pads!!

 

Krewat

it has always been my understanding that when a truck shakes the rotor are out of round. the pads wear like the rotors. i don't think i understand what you mean by scoring the rotors all around, if there not scored all around then, aren't they out of round and need to be turned which i did and it lasted about 5,000 miles before the shake was back.

ray

 

You're right in a way.

When a rotor warps, the entire rotor warps.

When the rotor is scored, and each score mark is not the same depth all around the face of the rotor, the pads will wear to the highest point of the score mark. Get on them real hard, and suddenly the pad deforms and starts to catch the bottom of the score mark... feels like the rotor is warped. And even when you don't get on them hard, the difference in overall contact area between the deeply scored section, and the not-so-deeply-scored section will make the wheel vibrate too...

You're right, they both have the same outcome - cut/replace the rotor. But there's two entirely different reasons for each problem.

1) Bad/overheated rotors (warped)
2) Consistently rusted rotors over time, not cleaning out the goop if you're off-roading or working, and even overheating (scoring)

Again, just trying to get a handle on this situation. I do not think it is a consistent Ford design problem, more like quality control problems where the brake parts are made.

Let me tell you about a Ford design problem: '89 through '97 Ford t-bird/Mercury Cougar with the stock 10.5" front brakes. Even a V6 can overheat those things pretty quick. Forget a V8. They actually put the 10.5" brakes in the SC's!! (supercharged 3.8). Rotor warpage was a known issue with the entire line of cars. So, the Mark VIII Lincoln got 11.5" rotors, so did the '97 t-bird/cougar sports. Big upgrade - my '97 has the bigger brakes and they are perfect. My '96 t-bird had the smaller brakes, warped right away brand-new after 2K miles... dealer turned them, did it again. Got top-of-the-line NAPA parts and no problems in 55K miles. THAT is a Ford design problem. The Superduty, I don't think it's a design problem, otherwise MY Superduty would already be doing it, the way I drive

One thing I'd love you to try. Pull the ABS fuse, go to a parking lot (dry) and get up to about 30 miles and hour. Cut the wheel slightly and slam on the brakes... if the rear doesn't slide out on you, the back brakes aren't doing anything...

(that last is in jest, but is what I would do faced with the same repetitive warpage issues).

 

50jd60-

The point I was making is the problem is not warped rotors but rather hard spots in the rotor causing changes in the coefficient of friction on various spots on the rotor. Problem could be quality of cast iron or changes in pad materials....

 

jimb206,


i think it is funny that you are installing cheap napa garbage on your rig and you are blaming ford for this problem?

 

Hey Skinner,

The truck came from the factory with high quality Ford rotors and guess what they warped. So I replaced them with another set of high quality Ford rotors and guess what they warped. So the dealer replaced them again with high quality Ford rotors and they warped also. One time a Ford dealer even told me the Ford rotors were a problem SO THAT DEALER PUT NAPA ROTORS ON. Yeah thats right the dealer put NAPA ROTORS on the truck. They warped also. So then after reading on this site that NAPA offered various rotors for the SD I bought the best set. They warped. Now I have ordered the ART rotors. I like smooth braking I don't want to drive a truck that shakes when I put on the brakes.

So no I never did or would I blame Ford simply because the NAPA rotors warped but yes I do blame Ford for selling a truck with a problematic brake system. I understand that Ford finally redesigned the system in the last year or two. I guess they finally came to the conclusion that the Ford system was to use your term GARBAGE.

Best regards
Jim

 

We all here still suggest that you inspect every part of your braking system.
Which I think is your problem not the rotors.
Don't forget one other important aspect of preventing warpage and that is proper torquing of lugnuts.Also if brakes are hot and you run through high water,I have seen this cause problems also.
Just my $.02
Rich

 

Hey Rich,

I use a torque wrench so can make sure the lug nuts are evenly torqued. I have inspected every part of the system. I have new tires, new ball joints, everything seems tight on the truck. The rotors still warp.

The first time I brought the truck back to the dealer he said "Don't drive through puddles" I try not to. BTW I only avoid puddles when driving the truck not when driving other vehicles I own.

Independant shops have told me they have plenty of customers with Superduty's who have the same problem.

I was at an Auto Zone a few weeks back buying washer fluid. I get talking to the manager about the truck brakes. I tell him I have a SD. He says he gets a lot of people complaining about rotor warpage in the Ford SD trucks. I hadn't even told him my rotors were warped. He says he thinks Wagner rotors are about the best. He doesn't even sell Wagner so I figure he was really trying to be helpful.

I have spoken to quite a few people during the last few years who have commented that they have had warpage problems with Ford rotors.

Overall I like the truck but I am not going to blindly praise Ford. When they screw up I face the facts. They did a poor job with the brake system in the 2000 SD trucks. The bottom line is Ford changed the brakes on the recent version of the SD. They did it for a reason.

I've never had this problem on any other vechicle I've owned. I've owned or still own everything from econo boxes to Cadillacs to $140K Porsche twin turbos and Porsche 911 race cars to SUV's and 3 different Ford Pick up's and more.. Never had brake rotor warpage.

I've had dealers try to fix it. I've had independant shops try to fix it. I've tried to fix it. So far no luck. Other people are in the same boat as me. Even someone I spoke with who owns an Excursion. Hopefully the ART rotors can compensate for Fords overall poor design.

Again overall I like the truck, but the brake system stinks.

Best Regards,
Jim

 

There is an article on the Applied Rotor Technology website which talks about break in of the brake systems. It's worth a read....

As was earlier mentioned, when checking runout on a suspected rotor and no appreciable runout is indicated, something else is producing the symptom. The article describes how brake pad material is deposited on the rotors during certain situations. They also describe how to "break in" a new set of pads and rotors. Apparently, new pads will leave deposits on the rotor when they are hot and sit in contact with the rotor. Like when you come speeding up to a red light, stand on the brakes, and then sit at the light holding the pedal down. This would be a worst case scenario of course. However the article does a good job of describing the issue, and also how to avoid it through a break-in sequence of brake applications.....

 

Hey Dsweger,

Thanks for taking the time to point out the bedding in article. ART had emailed me a copy of it the other day and I will follow it to the letter. I even called ART and asked if I should do more than 10 brake applications since the ambiant temperature is dropping. I live upstate NY and it's 42 degrees right now. They suggested doing a few extra brake applications to compensate for the chilly weather.

The previous NAPA rotors and pads I bedded in but only going from 60 to 10 mph 4 times. I didn't do it 10 times as is ART's standard procedure. In one of the cars I have I run vented cross drilled rotors with very aggressive Pagid pads and standard procedure is 4 heavy brakings to bed the pads.

Sorry to beat a dead horse but I've never bedded in pads on any of the street cars I've owned and I never had a problem with vibration. Why do 2000 SD brakes require such special attention? Guess it's a bad system. Guess thats why they finally changed them. Come to think of it I wonder if it's easy to upgrade a 2000 to the new FORD brakes?

Thanks again

Jim

 

Thanks for all the great talk on ford rotors. i ordered my set yesterday from ART and have big hopesthat maybe my braking problems will be behind me.

thanks
ray