So i have an 04 SD 6.0 4wd and i pulled a front wheel just now to check fitment on my new wheels before I have the tires mounted on them tomorrow.

While the wheel was off I realized the front brakes need to be changed....

I am installing a new 2 1/2" Rough Country Levling kit, shocks, sway bar end links, sway bar bushings, and new front brakes, rotors and calipers.

Any company's make good drilled / slotted or drilled and slotted rotors? I own a snowplowing business and i tow my race car all the time so i want something that can take a pounding and last a long time..

Your thoughts are appreciated.

Thank you,

Bob

 

everyone seems to like art drilled and slotted rotors. I have drill and slotted rotors on my truck but the only one I could find was a company on ebay for 2wd trucks. All the 4wd guys seem to go with art

 

I got some slotted Cryo rotors from ART from many good recommendations on here. they where a pleasure to talk to on the phone, they are a sight sponsor here so make sure you tell them you heard about them from here.

 

To go with the ART rotors, I would highly recommend HAWK pads. I have the LTS pads on my X. You will notice a significant improvement in stopping performance plus there is very little brake dust compared to OEM pads.

DSMMH

 

Thanks for the input guys, anywhere specific you guys purchase them from? I would liek to make the purchase today. Is there a place to get the pads and rotors from together? What should i expect to spend?

Thank you again,

Bob

 

I just looked up the ART rotors and they are $330 for just the fronts!!! WOW... Is htat just for the Cyro ones or are all of them that expensive?

 

that's close to what I paid for my irotor ones

 

Damn, I was expecting to pay like $200, maybe $250.00 but $330 is pretty steep considering stock ones are $61.00 each..

 

I gave up on the high price slotted rotors and brake pads on my '03 F250. The factory rotors warped after 5k, had them cut a half dozen times by the dealer under the warranty. I finally change to Cryo slotted rotors and high end brake pads at 60K. Well, they lasted about 50K before the pads started to click against the rotor slots?

I changed to the cheapest rotors and pads offered by NAPA (what the heck if I'm only having to replace them in 40-50K). I installed them and "bedded" them, which makes all the differenced in brake performance; no matter who or what.

I have about 10K on the truck since the change and the truck has NEVER stopped more smoothly in a shorter distance. Just my $0.02.

 

^^ I have never heard the term "Bedded". do you mind explaining?

I appreciate your help.

 

Below is the procedure (i got it on-line). Here in SE PA, I had to bed them at 3am as it's the only time I could get "safe" highway time. I did use my flashers during the bedding.

If you've only changed your brake pads and rotors, you should "bed" them in by following the instructions below. Proper bedding of brakes will improve pedal feel, reduce or eliminate brake squeal, and extend the life of your pads and rotors. Because bedding increases the emissivity of the rotors, it even allows them to shed more heat via radiation, making them run cooler.

Caution: When you've just installed new pads/rotors, the first few applications of the brake pedal will result in almost no braking power. Gently apply the brakes a few times at low speed in order to build up some grip before blasting down the road at high speed. Otherwise, you may be in for a nasty surprise the first time you hit the brakes at 60 mph.

When following these instructions, please avoid doing it in the presence of other vehicles. Breaking in your new pads and rotors is often best done very early in the morning, since other drivers will have no idea what you are up to and will respond in a variety of ways ranging from fear to curiosity to aggression. And an officer of the law will probably not understand when you try to explain why you were driving erratically!.
From a speed of about 60mph, gently apply the brakes to slow the car down to about 45mph, then accelerate back up to 60mph and repeat. Do this about four or five times to bring the brakes up to operating temperature. This prevents you from thermally shocking the rotors and pads in the next steps.

Make a series of eight near-stops from 60 to about 10 mph. Do it HARD by pressing on the brakes firmly, just shy of locking the wheels or engaging ABS. At the end of each slowdown, immediately accelerate back to 60mph. DO NOT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP! (Note: With less aggressive street pads and/or stock brake calipers, you may need to do this fewer times. If your pedal gets soft or you feel the brakes going away, then you've done enough. Proceed to the next step.)

During this process, you must not come to a complete stop because you will transfer (imprint) pad material onto the hot rotors, which can lead to vibration, uneven braking, and could even ruin the rotors.

Depending on the pads you are using, the brakes may begin to fade slightly after the 7th or 8th near-stop. This fade will stabilize, but not completely go away until the brakes have fully cooled. A bad smell from the brakes, and even some smoke, is normal.
After the 8th near-stop, accelerate back up to speed and drive around for as long as possible without using the brakes. The brakes will need at least 10 minutes to cool down. Obviously, it's OK to use the brakes to avoid an accident, but try to minimize their use until they have cooled.

After the break-in cycle, there should be a blue tint and a light gray film on the rotor face. The blue tint tells you the rotor has reached break-in temperature and the gray film is pad material starting to transfer onto the rotor face. This is what you are looking for. The best braking occurs when there is an even layer of of pad material deposited across the face of the rotors. This minimizes squealing, increases braking torque, and maximizes pad and rotor life.

After the first break in cycle shown above, the brakes may still not be fully broken in. A second bed-in cycle, AFTER the brakes have cooled down fully from the first cycle, may be necessary before the brakes really start to perform well. If you've just installed a big brake kit, the pedal travel may not feel as firm as you expected. After the second cycle, the pedal will become noticeably firmer.

 

That is AWESOME!!! Thank you so much!!! I appreciate the help.. I just called Advance Auto and ordered Ceramic pads, rotors and new calipers.

Thanks again.