2008 Ram 4500 new front brake rotors needed: OEM or other brand??

[FATCAT]

The truck only has a little over 60K on it and the right front rotor "warped" or a high spot just developed on it in the past 1000 miles. Truck is SCARY trying to slow down from high speeds, and with winter coming on, could be very dangerous in any snow/ice.

Looking at Rockauto.com for rotors, options are Bendix, Centric, Raybestos, and Mopar OEM (#52013842AA)

What have you guys used (if you have changed rotors yet) on your trucks? OEM only for these trucks or aftermarket is ok?

Dealership is insane at $340/rotor. Centric Premium/Rabestos AT are $102/$117 each. The OEM are $217/each (don't know about shipping).

Saving 200+ for a set of rotors is very appealing since it allow me to be able to afford good OEM pads. Otherwise i have to spread out the purchase over a few months with OEM rotors (multi car registration, property tax, etc. for Dec), and won't be able to work on the truck till the early spring.

I don't want to have to park the truck for the winter or drive it sparingly in order to save up for OEM, but will do if aftermarket is junk for these trucks.

Thanks.

 

[lpennock]

If you haven't had them turned yet I would have them turned first. Replacing rotors that are still in service limits is a waste of money.

 

[FATCAT]

If you haven't had them turned yet I would have them turned first. Replacing rotors that are still in service limits is a waste of money.

Never had rotors turned before, just usually get new ones, but with these being so damn expensive I guess it is worth trying. I see that the minimum thickness for the 4500/5500 front rotors is 37.4 mm (nominal is 39 mm). I'll have to pick up a mic to check these out. I know my old dealership does not turn rotors (asked them once before about this). Seems like turning rotors is a dying art in many places since most people put cheap new ones on and toss the old ones.

But if new ones are in order, which way to go ... OEM or aftermarket?

Pulling rotors on this truck is not like pulling them on my Grand Marquis or Honda Accord. These are a big deal to work on as well as borrowing a torque wrench to tighten up the caliper bracket bolts ... they need to be torqued to 460 ft. lbs. !!!!! A torque wrench to do that would cost more than the front brakes!

 

[lpennock]

It appears there is a contradiction of torques in the FSM. The Toque table has the adapter mounting bolts at 450ft-lb but the section on installing them has them listed at front of 250Ft-lb and rear 145FT-LB. 450Ft-lb seems excessive but I haven't actually looked at the bolt sizes to see if it make sense.

My Local Oreilly turns rotors. Dealers don't like to do it because parts have higher profit margin than labor. NAPA use to have machine shops but they seem to have gotten rid of them in my area.

I haven't bought rotors for the 5500 yet but I've never had a problem with name brand rotors or drums. Only thing I've had a problem with was cheap (non-name brand) drums for Rock Auto. My Town and Country had problem with OEM rotors warping in 10K miles. Switched to after market and the problem went away. Personally I would just go with the after market especially if they had a better warranty.

 

[FATCAT]

The Torque Specs I was sent are at this site: http://www.moparrepair.com/ram-brake-torque-specs/
The Adapter mounting bolts show at 460 ft-lb ... yeah they seem WAY high. The bolts on these brackets are 30 mm, so maybe it is correct, but if not, that is an easy way to snap off the bolt heads when tourqing them.
[TABLE="width: 100%, align: center"]

DESCRIPTION
N•M
FT. LBS.
IN. LBS.

[/TABLE]
[TABLE="width: 100%, align: center"]

Caliper Adapter Mounting Bolts, Front (Cab Chassis)
373
275
—


Caliper Adapter Mounting Bolts, Front (4500 and 5500)
624
460
—


Caliper Adapter Mounting Bolts, Rear Upper (Cab Chassis)
226
163
—


Caliper Adapter Mounting Bolts, Rear Lower (Cab Chassis)
264
190
—


Caliper Adapter Mounting Bolts, Rear Upper (4500 and 5500)
624
460
—


Caliper Adapter Mounting Bolts, Rear Lower (4500 and 5500)
624
460
—

[/TABLE]

Rock Auto has the Centric and Raybestos at over $100 less per rotor then the OEM which would be great for my budget (a Stay-at-home wife and 2 yr old eats into one's budget quite a bit).

Lpennock, can you confirm again the 250 ft-lb spec for upper/lower front adapter bolts and see if they show 30 mm (aka M20 1.5X60) bolt size.

Thanks.

 

[Regcabguy]

Our Honda dealer still machines rotors on the Pilot. I've had ours machined twice in 140 K.
It is a dying procedure. Bosch rotors next time.
I knew a Dodge tech who did side work at his dealership after hours.
He turned mine on the 24v to account for runout.

 

[lpennock]

here is the fsm I looked at.
It is inconsistent for those bolts.
http://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=434026
A 20mm grade 12.9 could have a 450 ft-lb spec. http://www.dansmc.com/torque_chart.htm

 

[FATCAT]

Thanks Ipennock for the link. I checked out the 2008 manual and it has the Caliper Bracket bolt at 450 ft-lb. My source must be for the 2011 trucks and up.

As for finding a place to turn rotors here in NH, I think I would have a better chance of finding a 4-leaf clover.

I have called three places so far that service large trucks and none turn rotors any more. The one shop says that they install a lot of Centric premium rotors for 4500/5500 and F450/F550 trucks and they never hear of complaints from their customers.

I just might go that route. The Centric premium rotors are $102 a piece, not too bad. Even the Centric/Stop Tech slotted is not too bad a price at $132. And maybe the Rabestos AT pads.

 

[WalterJ]

It may be too late for this, buuut;

Brake Performance, Inc., 866-756-5536 ,Lifetime Warranty. Good people, good product. They CNC yours per order. Love their semi-metallic pads!

 

[FATCAT]

Brake Performance is where i went for the rotors and pads.
They had the slotted rotors for the 4500/5500 on their website and I ordered them along with the free brake pad set and free shipping.
Then they contacted me a few days later to say that they can't fit the front rotors for the 4500/5500 on their CNC machines (too big), so the lady asked if i wanted the premium smooth face rotors at the same price (i get the smooth face rotors were more $$$), so i said sure.
Paid $580 for 4 rotors + their premium pads + free shipping!!!

How to do you ship 205 lbs from California to New Hampshire for free???

That was a deal.

Put the fronts on before Christmas (man what a job that was). Waiting for the spring to do the rears (that will be an even BIGGER job). But the fronts are great with their premium pads.

 

[Bob4x4]

The rears are even more work,You will need hub seals also.I also recommend lubing the bearings,it can take too long for the gear oil to reach the bearings-not worth the risk in my mind.

 

[FATCAT]

Bob4x4 ... On Youtube, MotorCity Machanic said to pack the inner/outer wheel bearings with grease before installing them for the reason you stated.

But, when I looked at the Dana S110/130 maintenance PDF from the web, they say NOT to use grease on the bearings but to lube them only with the fluid used in the axle (75/140). The grease will interfere with the axle oil lubing the bearings in the weeks/months after the service.

I'll be doing the rears sometime this summer (whenever there are two nice sunny days in a weekend and the wife doesn't have anything planned for the family to do) and I'm kind of torn between what to do. I could soak the bearings in the 75/140 for while before installing them, but hope that the fluid will remain in them until normal driving will lube them. I don't want to "contaminate the oil with grease. Or am I just worrying too much?

 

[FATCAT]

Just an update on the rear brakes/rotors. Finally got around to doing the rears on the truck.
About a month ago I was getting a violent shaking when hitting the brakes, thought it was the fronts (they were only 1 months old), but it was not ... i was the rears and it was waaaaaaay past time to them.

Got all the parts (seals,o-rings, etc...). Started the job (the job is really not that bad).
Pulled the axle, now time to pull the rotor/hub assembly off .... as they said in Donny Brosco "fuggedaboutit". The rotors were so rusty, inside and out and the rust lip on the inside of the hat was so huge there was no way to get it past the parking brake shoes.
Ok, then I'll adjust the shoes in I thought. Went behind the wheel assembly to look for the rubber plug ... NO PLUG ... WTF!
The parking brake cable and spring was on the bottom of the wheel assemble ... thats weird I thought.
So I tried chisel off the rust lip for about an hour or so. Still no go. Nothing I could do to get the rotor/hub off!

I was so PO'ed after about 4 hours into this (the drivers side rear) I through in the towel. Put the caliper bracket back on, the old pads, the caliper, and slid the axle back in and tightened everything up.

Later that night I messaged the Motor City Mechanic about the experience. He said there has to be a rubber plug to the shoe adjuster star wheel. He said "check on top of the back of the wheel assembly. Sure enough there it was, only 2 inches clearance between the adjustment hole and the leaf Spring pack ... no WAAY could you get an adjuster spoon in there with a little screwdriver to hold in the anti-spin back spring. Next day it rained and I couldn't do anything (no garage, just the driveway).

Next weekend i took the wheels off, bent a brake spoon at 90 degrees, put a little mirror on the axle against the leaf springs and bit down on a flash light all while trying to get at that star wheel ... "fuggedaboutit". Every thing inside was rusted solid.

Had to take it to a big rig shop to have them put the rotors/pads on. They said they had to bustout everything, destroying the parking brakes and hardware to get the rotor/hub off. They did a good job and the mechanic said it was a major pain in the ***.

Moral to the story ... DON'T LET YOUR REAR BRAKES GO TO LONG! Mine were originals ... 9 years old and being in NH the salt had a field day on the rotors.

The new Brake Performance rotors and free pads work just fine and stop the truck very well, even with a full cord and a half onboard pulling my little backhoe.