Shaky rotors and squeaky brakes after less than 20k miles?!

[TheJCamSHO]

R1 drilled and slotted rotors with new pads.. have squeaked for the past 10k miles at least. Put around 20k miles on these new brakes. Now I’m getting brake shudder when I brake at freeway speeds (this is the reason I upgraded the rotors originally. Stock rotors we’re having shudder as well. That and wanted better stopping power). Shop says the brake pads could be touching rotor edges bc of improper machining regarding squealing (brakes will squeak a little while just driving, no braking also). Anyways I’m fed up. I have slammed brakes twice to avoid collisions (houston traffic is ******) which could possibly have warped rotors but I have a suspicion the brake hydraulic system may need to be flushed and fluid changed. My factory brakes had the same shaking issue after all. Could one machine rotors that are having shudder and restore smooth braking or do I need new rotors ? Any input is greatly appreciated.

 

[SHOdded]

brakes are a wear item. the harder u are on them, the more u will need to maintain them and/or replace parts.

did you bed the pads in? did you maintenance the calipers when you replaced rotors and pads?

yes, brake fluid is an oft ignored maintenance item, because there is no service interval in the manual for it. on the outside, it should be replaced every 5/60, 1/2 that if your driving conditions are "harsh". haven't really heard of abs issues on the sho, but failed brake fluid can lead to failed abs which can lead to a 2k$ repair.

there has been a grand total of 1 tsb issued by ford for brakes, tho for the prev gen sho.

 

[rubydist]

There are multiple reasons why brake rotors get warped. First, if they are poorly cast, after a number of heat cycles the casting will stress-relieve itself and it will no longer be true. Cheap rotors will do this no matter how the brakes are used. Second, hard braking where the rotors are heated up a lot can cause warping, especially if they are hot and then the vehicle sits (like at a traffic light) with the pads clamped on one part of the rotor such that it cools unevenly. Third, especially in areas where there is a lot of rain/snow, having uneven amounts of corrosion between the rotor and the hub and/or between the rotor and the wheel can also cause uneven cooling which will eventually cause the rotor to warp. Fourth, if the pads do not slide like they should, there will be excessive drag on the rotors while driving down the road. This causes the rotor to stay hot, and any runout on the rotor quickly gets exaggerated with more pressure on the high spot which will warp the rotor.

My experience is that once the rotor is warped, even if you have it surfaced so that it is straight again, it will warp again in fairly short order. Accordingly, I no longer have rotors resurfaces, I just replace them.

 

[TheJCamSHO]

brakes are a wear item. the harder u are on them, the more u will need to maintain them and/or replace parts.

did you bed the pads in? did you maintenance the calipers when you replaced rotors and pads?

yes, brake fluid is an oft ignored maintenance item, because there is no service interval in the manual for it. on the outside, it should be replaced every 5/60, 1/2 that if your driving conditions are "harsh". haven't really heard of abs issues on the sho, but failed brake fluid can lead to failed abs which can lead to a 2k$ repair.

there has been a grand total of 1 tsb issued by ford for brakes, tho for the prev gen sho.

Did not maintenance the calipers. I did bed the new pads in.. i am going to pull the brakes off today and possibly get them resurfaced or replace them .. I just don’t want this to happen again in another 20k miles

 

[TheJCamSHO]

There are multiple reasons why brake rotors get warped. First, if they are poorly cast, after a number of heat cycles the casting will stress-relieve itself and it will no longer be true. Cheap rotors will do this no matter how the brakes are used. Second, hard braking where the rotors are heated up a lot can cause warping, especially if they are hot and then the vehicle sits (like at a traffic light) with the pads clamped on one part of the rotor such that it cools unevenly. Third, especially in areas where there is a lot of rain/snow, having uneven amounts of corrosion between the rotor and the hub and/or between the rotor and the wheel can also cause uneven cooling which will eventually cause the rotor to warp. Fourth, if the pads do not slide like they should, there will be excessive drag on the rotors while driving down the road. This causes the rotor to stay hot, and any runout on the rotor quickly gets exaggerated with more pressure on the high spot which will warp the rotor.

My experience is that once the rotor is warped, even if you have it surfaced so that it is straight again, it will warp again in fairly short order. Accordingly, I no longer have rotors resurfaces, I just replace them.

Well I do freeway driving mostly and I wouldn’t say I’ve been overly ******* them. But I’m thinking now that the consistent contact the pads have had on the rotors may have caused the hot spots.. do you think I should replace brake fluid and bleed system ?

 

[SHOrod]

You may have a tough time finding a place that will machine drilled and slotted rotors. I believe the primary concern is that the gaps from the slots and holes will shock the cutting bit, and the carbide cutting bits are not inexpensive. When machining rotors (or drums) on a brake lathe, the cutter is dialed into the surface at the inboard surface with the rotor(drum) spinning, then the cutter depth is locked down and the cut continues from the inboard surface to free space. That way the cutter bit is never going from free space to a relatively deep cut immediately.

You may want to call ahead to make sure a shop is willing to resurface your slotted and drilled rotors before you go driving around to find a place.

-Rod

 

[TheJCamSHO]

Thanks. I’m replacing them today along with pads.. I’m getting police interceptor rotors which should be more than adequate. Couldn’t get any drilled and slotted today.. And having the brakes all apart right now, have to get what I can get.. will clean all brake parts and hope these hold up.

 

[TheJCamSHO]

Replaced with police interceptor heavy duty rotors and pads. Driver side caliper is pushing back open after pushing it all the way back together.. it was difficult to get both pads seated correctly bc of that. I lubed the guide pins really well and cleaned brake parts.

 

[Texas Marauder]

Replaced with police interceptor heavy duty rotors and pads. Driver side caliper is pushing back open after pushing it all the way back together.. it was difficult to get both pads seated correctly bc of that. I lubed the guide pins really well and cleaned brake parts.

If the piston pushed out after you collapsed it to install the pads, I'd suspect a bad brake hose. I'd replace both front hoses.

 

[rubydist]

And that is the kind of situation that would drag on the rotor excessively leading to heat buildup that would warp the rotor.

 

[Jordan_R]

Make sure to clean and grease the slide pins. I went with just slotted rotors with my wilwood front set up. Haven't had any issues with any of my r1 stuff, but my significant other had a slide pin stick on her R1 rotors and they got a little toasty which can cause a warp / squeal issue.

 

[TheJCamSHO]

If the piston pushed out after you collapsed it to install the pads, I'd suspect a bad brake hose. I'd replace both front hoses.

Not the piston but the slide bracket thing that slides into the pins and holds the outside pad in place