Warped Rotors - questions

[htheduck]

I recently installed a set of inexpensive (Autozone like qual/96 Upgrade) rotors on my 94 ATX. The car is now vibrates around the 40>30 mph range when brakes are applied.

My question is that: how do these warp so easily -with out serious romping/track style driving??? (I've warped a set from the track before-but these were NEW!) Is it possible due to their CHEAP metal quality? Should/can I go and RE-surface these new (approx 3K miles) rotors?
Will they be like new? Or should I just go and get some new ones?

I've eliminated the following other vibration contributors: there are new tires/balanced and the car has been aligned. Also, the car used to vibrate before the new tires/alignment...so I'm assuming it's the brakes still.

Any thoughts, tips, ideas would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[shosleeper]

I bought a pair of el-cheapo rotors once...they had over ten thousandths runout in them brand new. fortunatly I had an on-car lathe and solved that problem right quick!

 

[Rockledge]

Lug nuts were torqued evenly and properly?

Also, not sure what kind of pads you used, but for many brands/types, if they are not "bedded" properly, then they can cause new rotor warpage right off the bat.

http://www.shotimes.com/brakes/part1.html

 

[SHOZ123]

What kind of pads do you have?

 

[SHOtimer]

That's right..what he said. I have the cheapest AZ rotors on my '96 upgrade w/ Ford OEM pads. I am usually nice to them but they do work hard for me also, I have never had a problem with warpage...the upgrade is goin on almost 20k...

Your root problem is probably a poor pad.

Doug

 

[Shoaz]

It's easy to get a vibration after installing new rotors and pads if they're not broken in properly. Usually light, even use for a few days will do the trick, but if you make a sudden, hard stop before the rotor is fully seasoned it can cause the uneven surface loading that most people call "warping".

You *might* get rid of it in time as the pads bed and the rotor becomes fully surface loaded, but if the vibration continues you may need to get the rotors turned. If you do turn the rotors you'll need to take it easy and not make any hard stops for a few days or do a more formal rotor seasoning procedure.

 

[GR8SHO]

That's right..what he said. I have the cheapest AZ rotors on my '96 upgrade w/ Ford OEM pads. I am usually nice to them but they do work hard for me also, I have never had a problem with warpage...the upgrade is goin on almost 20k...

Your root problem is probably a poor pad.

Doug

Personally I would have gone with the more expensive rotors AZ sells. And, get the PFCM pads. Then make sure you bed them. I few good hard stops from about 70MPH. I mean stand on them brakes. Make sure you can smell them toasting. Then let the car sit overnight.

 

[SHOtimer]

Personally I would have gone with the more expensive rotors AZ sells. And, get the PFCM pads. Then make sure you bed them. I few good hard stops from about 70MPH. I mean stand on them brakes. Make sure you can smell them toasting. Then let the car sit overnight.

Uhm, well, I wouldn't do that to my brandnew brakes but, to each his own. As I said the rotors don't matter as much as the pads do. It can be argued that the Ford OEM pads are better than the PFCM but, enjoy your toasty brakes...

Doug

 

[GR8SHO]

As I said the rotors don't matter as much as the pads do.

Why? They both play an equally important role in stopping the car. The bedding procedure improves the performance of the disc brake setup. You should go to shotimes and read the article. The guy that wrote it is well respected in the SHO community.

It can be argued that the Ford OEM pads are better than the PFCM

Not in my experience and the experience of many others. There has been plenty of testing to prove that the PFCMs are superior than the semi-metallic OEM pads. Even with my original brake setup on my 92, the PFCM cured the warping problem I had. Ford replaced four sets of rotors at their expense in an attempt to resolve warping.

The PFCMs also come with a lifetime warranty if you are worried about money, and at 19 I assume you would be.

 

[SHOtimer]

Why? They both play an equally important role in stopping the car. The bedding procedure improves the performance of the disc brake setup. You should go to shotimes and read the article. The guy that wrote it is well respected in the SHO community.


Not in my experience and the experience of many others. There has been plenty of testing to prove that the PFCMs are superior than the semi-metallic OEM pads. Even with my original brake setup on my 92, the PFCM cured the warping problem I had. Ford replaced four sets of rotors at their expense in an attempt to resolve warping.

The PFCMs also come with a lifetime warranty if you are worried about money, and at 19 I assume you would be.

I didn't say they didn't have a large portion, I just said that it isn't as big as the pads. Since as you stated, pads can make a difference on how the heat is dissipated and if the rotor gets warped or not. I'm also not arguing on whether or not the PFCM pads are good or not. I used them to solve my moms rotor warping problems on her '98 SE. I love the way it stops now, and I think they are great pads.

I just prefer the Ford pads on my '96 upgrade since they brake great, and produce a significant less amount of dust compared to the PFCM pads. They also have barely worn at all after being on my car for ~20k miles.

I like the PFCM pads, and I use them on the rear and on all our family cars (since I do the brakes) but on my car I prefer the Ford.

You can have cheap rotors and expensive rotors, but without a high quality pad the rotors can be warped. I wasn't dismissing whether rotors are important but simply stating that a rotor being warped is more due to the quality of the pads.....IMO at least.

Doug