2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Brake Rotors

[Grinder1]

Having some problems with new cross drilled/slotted front brake rotors. Have about 3k miles on them. Work fine until you really put a load on them, then they cause my disc pads to get so hot that they smoke! Plus I'm getting brake fade which has never happened before. I've had this truck since '98, done many a brake job on it, never had these problems. Towing same equipment as always. Nothing has changed in my driving habits. I'm using Bendix Fleet MetLok pads, which I've used for many years. I'm thinking that there's not enough disc surface, due to holes and slots, for the pads to grab, so more braking pressure needs to be applied, causing more heat. Has anyone else had this problem with drilled and/or slotted rotors?

 

[Midnite]

I can't comment on the drilled/slotted rotors since I've never replaced a set of front rotors, but I've towed light to moderate (up to about 10k lbs) and never smoked brakes before, even with my '92 that didn't have the exhaust brake.

I apologize if you've already done it, but have you verified your rear drum brakes are working properly? If your fronts are so hot they're smoking, your rears should be hot enough to be uncomfortable to hold your hand to the wheel. If the rears are relatively cool, then that's a dead giveaway that that your rears aren't doing their job.

Again, if this is something you've already looked at and the rears are working fine, I apologize and hopefully someone with more brake experience than I will chime in.

Mike

 

[Crazy Horse]

The drilled/slotted rotors will keep cooler temps on the rotors and pads. I'm wondering if you don't have a caliper or valving problem??? Maybe the hydraulics ar not releasing??? Kinked or compressed line somewhere?

 

[Grinder1]

Midnight, thanks for your input. Yes I've checked the rears and adjusted them, and for the record the rear self-adjusters don't work worth squat , never have. Other members can attest to that fact. Rear shoes are a little glazed and have surface cracking but seem to be doing their job. Confirmed this by disconnecting the ABS and did some hard braking tests. I can get the rears to lock up, but not the fronts, unless I'm in the dirt. I've never had this fading problem with this truck's disc brakes before so that is why I'm a little suspicious that the new rotors may be the culprit. The front brakes have always seemed to get hotter than the rears on this truck, even after I went with the 1 ton larger wheel cylinders on the rears many years ago. Any other ideas out there?

 

[Grinder1]

Yeah Crazy Horse, thought about that. But like I said, it only is a problem when you ask those brakes to really bare down. I'm kinda going down the path of "not enough brake surface area" due to a conversation I had a couple of years back with one of the TDR advertisers that specializes in brakes. The name escapes me at the moment, but I think I should have followed his advice. I used cross drilled (but not slotted) rotors on my Blazer and loved 'em. Probably why I didn't heed to his insights. My bad. But who knows, maybe it's something else that's not right.

 

[Crazy Horse]

I researched the **** out of it a few months ago prior to doing brakes on my 02. Drilled, slotted, or drilled/slotted, what is good depends on who you are talking to and what they sell. The only thing the slots are supposed to do is keep the pads from glazing, while slotted rotors do not improve brake cooling, they provide a nice cleaning action to wipe away friction debris.



I'm wondering now if your pads are not suited for the rotors you have chosen (drilled/slotted). They may be too soft???



I found that it is important to mach the type of pad material to your rotor preference. I went with the drilled/slotted rotors front and rear and a quality set of metallic disc pads that are designed for thermal stability.



Good Luck.

 

[Regcabguy]

Having some problems with new cross drilled/slotted front brake rotors. Have about 3k miles on them. Work fine until you really put a load on them, then they cause my disc pads to get so hot that they smoke! Plus I'm getting brake fade which has never happened before. I've had this truck since '98, done many a brake job on it, never had these problems. Towing same equipment as always. Nothing has changed in my driving habits. I'm using Bendix Fleet MetLok pads, which I've used for many years. I'm thinking that there's not enough disc surface, due to holes and slots, for the pads to grab, so more braking pressure needs to be applied, causing more heat. Has anyone else had this problem with drilled and/or slotted rotors?

Exactly my experience on the '98. 5. I went with NAPA's premium slotted/drilled rotors and carbon metallic pads from a reputable supplier. The guy who installed them says"you're not going to like this setup" when I arrived for pickup. I was driving through intersections and smoking pads at the same time? Mucho brake dust on the wheels also. I went back to NAPA premium stock rotors and Mopar pads and regained the marginal stock stopping performance. I believe EGR offers a big rotor/bigger caliper setup that would require 17" wheels but might actually rival the new ones in braking performance. The drilled/slotted rotors do reduce your rotor surface by 9%.

 

[Grinder1]

What brand are your pads?

 

[Regcabguy]

What brand are your pads?

It was years ago on the old truck. They worked out well for most guys on this site. The rotors didn't and I got a deal on factory pads and returned it to stock.

 

[Crazy Horse]

I went with Power Stop Z-36 pads front and rear. I noticed immediately allot less pedal pressure is needed to stop and general stopping distance is reduced to what I believe is braking efficiency.

 

[Grinder1]

Regcabguy, that's what I was afraid someone would tell me. I HATE #@$%! doing a job twice. How do those guys get away with making a part that can effect, in a negative way, the braking safety of a vehicle?

 

[Grinder1]

Thanks Crazy Horse. I'm gonna give 'em a call and try and sort this thing out. Maybe all is not lost. Your truck has the twin piston calipers up front if I remember right. That makes a huge difference in braking performance compared to my single piston Delco style calipers. Lucky you.

 

[Crazy Horse]

Yes, they do have two pistons to each caliper, plus I think the rear disc setup adds allot of performance compared to drum braking.

Good Luck.

 

[Regcabguy]

I had the EGR rear disc conversion done also. Expensive and some misfitting parts. The parking brake didn't work too great either after that. I'd just work on enhancing the existing front brakes. That might do it for you. Funny how it took Dodge until 2001. 5 to furnish rear discs. :{ I'd contact Glenn at EGR for some suggestions.

 

[Grinder1]

yeah I've heard that upgrading the rears to disc on generation 2 trucks dosn't do all that much.

 

[Grinder1]

Which brand rotors?

Having some problems with new cross drilled/slotted front brake rotors. Have about 3k miles on them. Work fine until you really put a load on them, then they cause my disc pads to get so hot that they smoke! Plus I'm getting brake fade which has never happened before. I've had this truck since '98, done many a brake job on it, never had these problems. Towing same equipment as always. Nothing has changed in my driving habits. I'm using Bendix Fleet MetLok pads, which I've used for many years. I'm thinking that there's not enough disc surface, due to holes and slots, for the pads to grab, so more braking pressure needs to be applied, causing more heat. Has anyone else had this problem with drilled and/or slotted rotors?

OK... ..... I need to decide which brand rotors to buy to replace the "mistake" #@$%!. I'm going back to stock rotors, the best HD premium ones that have a good track record. So far I'm looking into Raybestos, Centric, AC Delco, and NAPA. Any ideas?

 

[Midnite]

I'm curious why some of you think the stock brakes are so poor. On my 2000 truck I have no trouble locking up all four wheels if I stand hard enough on the brake pedal, even with my little 1200 lb. camper in the back. I keep meaning to upgrade the rear drum brakes with the larger wheel cylinders and 3" shoes, but my stock brakes just aren't bad enough to warrant me getting off my lazy butt to do it.



Do I just have abnormally good stock brakes or something?



Mike

 

[dspoon]

I have the EBC slotted rotors with the EBC greenstuff 7000 pads they work great and I pull a 10500 lbs fw in the carolina mtns with no problems stopping at all with very little brake dust its a great combo.

 

[Grinder1]

I'm curious why some of you think the stock brakes are so poor. On my 2000 truck I have no trouble locking up all four wheels if I stand hard enough on the brake pedal, even with my little 1200 lb. camper in the back. I keep meaning to upgrade the rear drum brakes with the larger wheel cylinders and 3" shoes, but my stock brakes just aren't bad enough to warrant me getting off my lazy butt to do it.



Do I just have abnormally good stock brakes or something?



Mike

Mike, if I'm not mistaken you probably have the twin piston disc calipers that were first made available for our trucks in 2000. They give much better braking performance than large single piston on earlier years. I know that the spindle on the 4x4 2500 is different on the twin piston setup. Has anyone been successful converting over to the newer style caliper?

 

[Grinder1]

I have the EBC slotted rotors with the EBC greenstuff 7000 pads they work great and I pull a 10500 lbs fw in the carolina mtns with no problems stopping at all with very little brake dust its a great combo.

dspoon, you are also the lucky one to have a newer truck with the better twin piston calipers. How about a link to where you got brake parts from?