Go with Brembo Blank Rotors! Problem Solved!

 

I'ld also recommend considering turning the OD off at speeds under 45-50. Let the engine do some slowing.

 

All good info. I'll try it myself, but am not excited that 2WD costs so much more than 4WD.

My '05 has warped rotors, for sure. Do you recommend I change the pads while I'm in there anyway?

 

Yes, change the pads.

 

Throw away the crappy factory rotors and the super dusting factory pads and replace with some better quality parts. I bought my truck with 35k on it, and the pads and rotors were the first thing I did within two weeks of purchase.

 

I have never seen an actual warped rotor. I am 99.9% sure you have either two issues going on. One is the most common-uneven pad material transfer. The rotor heats up and in turn overheats the pad and when brakes are applied and let on rotor the pad material transfer to the rotor causing a high spot. This is the cause of almost all 'warped' rotors. The other possibility is excessive runout. The rotor face is not paralell with the pads-was not seated correctly on hub. This will cause the rotor to wear unevenly and also create a pulsation. This is usually a slower pulsation while the uneven pad material transfer is a faster pulsation. Also, the runout issue takes a bit longer to develop while the uneven pad material issue can happen quickly during a few hot stops and or steep downhill drives.

 

Just a fyi for anyone with the 1 piece rotor for a 4x2, check out Centric's. I bought a set of replacement rotors for my 07 heavy half last year. The big difference is that they are a separate hub that uses a 4x4 rotor. Obvious advantage is that if the rotor warps etc, you don't have to replace the whole thing, only the rotor.

I picked up a pair last year to just have on the shelf if my oem rotors eventually warp. Especially since mine is a 7 lug hub and they cost even more than the 6 lug. I happened to find a set of 7 lug hubs so better to get them while I could rather than wait.

IIRC, I got them at RockAuto, could have been AutoAnything but I believe a number of parts vendors carry them.

Just FYI.

 

Yes, rotors can warp even though the pads are fine.

With regards to brake linings in general,...

Ceramics: They are good but do not develop any more friction than good quality OEM linings

Bendix, they make very good quality oem replacement linings, very affordable.

Performance Friction & Hawk: Good braking, increased friction but very dirty compared to OEM.

CarboTech Engineering lining, which I have used for about 15+ years and been very happy on multiple full size (V8) cars and trucks. They are a little pricey- about $200 a set. This particular lining has a high friction co-efficient (meaning it grips well), excellent pedal feel, wears (typically 50,000 to 75,000 miles before replacement is required) and produces a little less dust than OEM linings.

I highly recommend speaking to either bendix or Carbo by phone for linings that would be best for your application.

With regards to rotors, I have previously run Brembo OEM replacement rotors that are cryogenically treated at Diversified Cryogenics, making them almost as hard as stainless steel- Applied Rotor Technology in California provides the same product, but it is a part time business for the owner who is a Boeing employee. Unfortunately, Brembo, Powerslot, Raybestos, Bendix, Hawk etc. are all purchasing their rotors from the same foundary in China (with the exception of the $300 each composite high end units for Ferrari, Porsche, etc).

Both companies purchase the highest grade rotors made, laser mic them for quality, scrap the ones that are out of spec and cryogenically treat the good ones which are now as strong as stainless. For street use, slotted/drilled rotors are just “cheese-graters” for the brake pads IMHO, because unless you are involved in true racing conditions, the brake linings do not produce the gases which slotted/drilled rotors are designed to relive. In some cases, brake testing indicated reduce brake efficiency in street-based operations using slotted/drilled rotors when equal comparisons were made. The staff at DC, etc can speak to you as well regarding those options, but I am very satisfied with the performance & wear of these products.

For your issue, turning or re-machining the rotors will temporarily eliminate the warping problem, but, it will come back- turing or re-maching the rotors makes the thickness of the rotor thinner and more subject to warping. It is not uncommon for a re-machined rotor to be warped again in 10,000 miles....fyi

Replacement rotors are expensive no matter who you purchase them from because the fronts have the wheel hub assembly integrated- or is part of the rotor- so instead of costing say $80-$100, they are about double. If $ is tight, just have the rotors turned and realize that in 10-20K miles you will have to buy new ones- cost for turning rotors varies but $15 to $25 each would be resonable- but depends on the area as well.

 

No, the rotors are not warped. Get them turned and change your braking habits.

-Warped- Brake Disc and Other Myths

 

This thread only explains a portion of the facts, not the whole, such as the rotors used by the big three (and japan) from 2004 through 2009, were comprised of numerous lightweight materials (including aluminum) which when compared to steel (both forged & cast), simply did not transfer heat as fast as they should and has less resistance to warping.

To say that rotors do not warp is, well, not even close to the truth.....if you are in the los Angeles area, I will show you in person the rotors I just pulled off my 2006 Mark LT (4X2) that I have owned since new....with 40K miles, no towing, etc, the rotors are warped about 1.5 thousands of an inch cold, when heated, up to 3.....yes 3 thousands of an inch! No amount of machining is going to stop, new, composite oem rotors from warping when heated in routine LA stop & go traffic.

 

I know this is an old thread, but for what it is worth I went with Duralast rotors from Autozone all around. they were 51 a piece in the front, 35 a piece for the back. I have Duralast gold pads in the back and Akebono pads in the front. I love My Akebonos, dust is almost non-existent. Only ran this set-up for 13,000 miles, but so far great performance.

 

Just got an email from RockAuto regarding a wholesaler closeout. Might help someone out, some of the prices look fairly good:
RockAuto Parts Catalog
General page: RockAuto Auto Parts
No affiliation, just passing along the email

 

Excessive run out will cause the rotor to wear uneven and this would appear to be 'warped'.

 

Old thread but..
Please explain how a non warped rotor (Only un even wear) would shudder really bad when hot and be unnoticable when cold? Did the wear repair its self when it cools?

 

Who would you buy your rotors from or are all of them about the same quality