Euro Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 I have Napa premium rotors on my car. I have less than 15,000 miles on them and all 4 corners are warped and the fronts squeal. I ran all 4 rotors on the lathe and they re-warped the first time I drove the car. They are terrible. What pads did you use? That's probably why NAPA's best rotors took a shit on you so early. My GP had Napa's best stuff on it and my buddy's Lumina 9C3 still does and they do very well. I'd just do some quality blank rotors, and some nice ceramic pads from NAPA IMO. I've tried R1 Concepts with ceramics....they were shit and dusted everywhere, I went the cheap route...and replaced them in 4 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urbex Posted June 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 Although what, I'll be out $30 or so if I get Valuecraft and they don't work...? I drive like 10k a year if that and I'm pretty easy on the brakes. I hand torque to spec, so I don't really see a problem. I'm thinking that's what I might end up doing, since if I have to buy them online I have to pay shipping, which kind of defeats the purpose of getting something reasonably priced since I'll pay more with the shipping costs added in... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
virtuetovice Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 You should come to my JY's some time...it seems every time I walk in there's a W with a fresh brake job or the box of new brake pads is still sitting in the floorboard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schurkey Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 (edited) I dont wanna be an asshole or offend anyone, but why do you guys cheap out on brakes? Because in many cases, more-expensive parts aren't actually any better. It's not a matter of "getting what you pay for"; it's a matter of you're LUCKY to get what you pay for, and most of the time the consumer gets cheated not based on price, but based on quality. Just because some gyp-joint throws cheap-junk generic Chinese rotors in a milling machine and cuts some stupid pattern in them, does not make them work any better. It's just an excuse to move the decimal point on the price tag. They spend as much on the new custom-printed box as they do on the machining. I went nuts trying to find QUALITY rotors last time I warped the fronts; and after considerable searching, I bought the cheapest crap I could find, because the cheap crap was pretty much equivalent to the expensive stuff. If I'm forced to buy Chinese garbage because there's nothing decent available, I'm NOT going to pay extra for a fancy Chinese box; or for an American-sounding brand name printed on it. Edited June 22, 2011 by Schurkey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urbex Posted June 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 ^ True...not just with car parts, but a lot of stuff in general is all made by the same company in the same factory, just some are in different boxes and you pay for the name and advertising. I saw a special once on TV about that, about tvs. All the different brands were made in the same factory on the same line in Japan. Also, what are people's opinions on the ceramic? Are they worth the little bit more money, or are they pretty much the same? Or should I just get some semi-metallics? I just HATE having brakes that squeal, and I thought less brake dust would be a nice benefit, but if people have them and don't notice much difference I doubt I'd bother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
virtuetovice Posted June 23, 2011 Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 Machine your own out of virgin steel for maximum win? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mra32 Posted June 23, 2011 Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 why does everyone want steel rotors? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urbex Posted June 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 I just want some that are decent, and decently priced.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertISaar Posted June 23, 2011 Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 cast from titanium for awesome weight reduction and strength increase? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mra32 Posted June 23, 2011 Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
virtuetovice Posted June 23, 2011 Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 Carbon fiber anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrl390 Posted June 23, 2011 Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 Napa premiums are their mid grade rotors I believe. I used comparable pads to the level of advertized "quality" as the rotors. And for the record I didnt "burn through" them, they warped. There is still plenty of life left in them. They are just made terribly as are alot of rotors anymore. Lug nuts get torqued, not just cranked on and there isnt any scale or anything behind them. Im pretty sure the problem is the rotors. Wont buy them again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alec_b Posted June 23, 2011 Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 Just wait till ceramic rotors are available on the market $5k brake job anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schurkey Posted June 23, 2011 Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 (edited) why does everyone want steel rotors? Cast iron is a better material. I don't doubt that steel can work--shitloads of motorcycles have stainless steel rotors--but overall it's not the best material due to coefficient of friction issues (as I understand it.) I tried ceramic pads, and I have no plans to buy them again. I thought they acted slightly "greasy"; stopping distances weren't the best. Give me plain ol' semi-mets; they don't squeek if they're installed and burnished properly. Ceramic or carbon-fiber brake rotors for regular consumer use? Possible, not likely anytime soon. Far as I know, they take tremendous heat but wear rapidly. I'd be very concerned about shock loads on Ceramic rotors--I'd expect them to be very brittle. But then who would have guessed that GM would put titanium rods in a general-sale Corvette? Edited June 23, 2011 by Schurkey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertISaar Posted June 23, 2011 Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 speaking not from experience here, but i thought ceramics worked better when used with slotted rotors? i also can't see the high dollar carbon ceramic brake disks getting used in any vehicle people can actually afford anytime soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go4DaMo Posted June 23, 2011 Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 I feel like this thread got no questions answered. Doing a rear brake job, too, and want the best. :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urbex Posted June 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 I feel like this thread got no questions answered. Doing a rear brake job, too, and want the best. :/ Ha ha... That's why I think I'm just going to get the cheapest ones, because from what I've seen online you just can't get a straight answer. Many people have written reviews saying they love their cheap Valuecrafts, and some people have the top of the line Brembos and whatnot and don't like them. Many people say they're all made in the same place and just boxed differently, so I'm just getting the cheapest. I mean so what if I'm out $30 and have to replace them even in a year from now! My reason is for safety, I think anything will be safer than what I have. As for pads, I'll probably just get semi-metallic as that is what I have on there now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted June 23, 2011 Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 How hard are you guys on brakes anyhow? I've clocked well over 100,000miles in my first gen w-bodys and haven't really warped too many rotors. the 93-down rear stuff goes to shit before it can warp and even the small front brakes aren't that bad. More often then not when I've warped rotors there were other contributing factors... sliders that didn't slide or a bad caliper. I like decent performing brakes as much as the next guy, which is why both my first gens run 96' brakes all around, I don't break the bank on rotors but try to use decent pads. Its been working for me for 7 years now without much issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urbex Posted June 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 ^Yeah, I'm thinking of some decent pads at least, but not rotors. I'm so easy on my brakes...not to say there might not be a time I have a near miss and have to slam them on, but with the way I drive, I don't think I'll have much of a problem... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alec_b Posted June 24, 2011 Report Share Posted June 24, 2011 If you're really easy on your brakes, then who cares. Warping comes from heat. Heat comes from hard stops. If you don't do hard stops, you won't overheat the rotor, and it won't warp. Now, some rotors may have higher "heat" tolerance than others, but finding that information is probably impossible. Honestly for as light as you drive and how cheap and easy brake jobs are on our cars, who cares? Honestly the only reason I'd buy the duralasts or whatever over the valucrafts is they have a longer warranty. Plus, autozone keeps your information stored in the computer so you don't even need a receipt. If they warp, bring them back, get a new set, WIN! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urbex Posted June 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Looks like I'm getting some from Rock Auto. I'm getting Raybestos. Figure I might as well get some ceramic pads from there as well. The rotors are $18 each, and even with shipping it still beats anything I can find locally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urbex Posted June 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 I have a question. Me? With a question? I know, right....? Anyways I got the rotors/pads today from FedEx. Well, I don't know much about rotors, but I noticed they don't have the little "fins" if that's what you call them in the middle. Here's the original rotor, you can see at one time there were fins in the middle. And here's the new Raybestos rotor: So, I have a couple questions really. Should there be fins in the middle? I thought they are used to help cool the rotor? But then again once I read that if you have too big of the fins and less actual metal, that's bad too... So are these new rotors really shitty? Or would that make them better? Or the same? I'm just wondering since I only opened one, if I need to return them I still can before I install them on the car. I just have no idea about rotors to know if that's a sign that these are cheap shitty ones, or if that's a good thing, or if maybe it's a new thing even? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schurkey Posted June 29, 2011 Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 You have the WRONG ROTOR. Perhaps they sent you a REAR rotor for your vehicle. DO NOT USE that rotor. Are the pads correct??? Are you SURE??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertISaar Posted June 29, 2011 Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 the top picture are front rotors, the bottom picture are rears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urbex Posted June 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 (edited) God dammit... Well thanks guys, I sure as hell won't put those on... I'm guessing RR meant right rear or something. They have so many damn little letters and abbreviations I didn't know! Plus that explains why they were cheap. Looks like I'm going to have to spend $30 a rotor no matter what.... Well, as embarrassing as this is, I'm just glad I at least knew something didn't seem quite right... Edited June 29, 2011 by urbex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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