Performance Front Brake Rotors?

[ketchumj]

Greetings-



I recently took my truck to a Pep Boys to get the front pads replaced and they said I needed new rotors. I figured they just wanted an extra $400 out of me. Are there any quality replacement rotors out there that provide us diesel guys better wear and performance? Also, how hard is it to change the rotors? I have never done a brake job, but I do a lot of the other maintenance.



Thanks-



Jän



2000 2500 24v Sport

 

[JBlock]

Check out the latest TDR Magazine Fen 2002 issue, Earthroamer.com article, Bill Swails just put a super disk brake kit from EGR on the front of his rig and indicated it was like instant stopping power.



joe



JOe

 

[illflem]

I've used Bendix rotors from carparts.com(now JC Whitney) $60/ea, seem to be high quality. Napa can get you the same ones for much the same price. You didn't say if you have a two or 4wd, it makes a difference in procedure. Replacement is very straight forward unless something is stuck. About the only special tool you will need is a copper or lead headed hammer to beat the lug bolts out of the old rotor.

 

[ketchumj]

Thanks for the replies. I guess I should have wrote that my truck is a 4x4. I will take a look at my magazine when my mail finally catches up with me since I just moved to Texas from Washington for the military.





Thanks,



Jän

 

[chrgr446]

I just ordered the entire kit from EGR brakes. I'm still waiting for the ss brake lines before I start the project. I must say the quality looks great, I can't wait to try them out.

 

[Cumminpwr11]

One word!!!





Brembo!!!!





Chris

 

[Doc Tinker]

How many miles do you have on that 2000, ketchumj?



Doc

 

[KB0OU]

Brake Rotors

Mine are still there, the original, don't need to replace them unless they get too thin. Don't let them grind too much off!!

Change pad regularly and the rotors will last a long time.

297+K and still going... .....

 

[ketchumj]

Doc-



I have 34000 miles on the rig.



Jän



2000 2500 Diesel 4x4

 

[K_Arts]

Originally posted by JBlock

Check out the latest TDR Magazine Fen 2002 issue, Earthroamer.com article, Bill Swails just put a super disk brake kit from EGR on the front of his rig and indicated it was like instant stopping power.



joe



JOe

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't that article in the TDR mag say that these rotors are only good if you are always running near your GVW? I thought it said something to the affect that if you are not always loaded that they will not benefit you...



Am I totally off or did I interpret that article right???



Thanks



Kev

 

[Doc Tinker]

ketchumj, I'm rather surprised that your truck required rotor replacement. I don't have a 4wd, but the pads on my 2000 lasted 40,000 miles and still enough material on them to go another 10,000. The rotors still looked new. Unless you've been doing some very heavy towing, without good brakes on your trailer, you shouldn't have worn your pads to the metal and ruined your rotors.



Doc

 

[barryg41]

Hey doc, same here on the front pads. I got 42k and I do check the rears when I change the oil, because they dont seem to adjust on there own.



I hope the PF's do as good as the oem's. So far so good!

 

[TKemper]

K-Arts I believe the article said you would benefit from the larger rear brake cylinders if you ran at gross most of the time. All our trucks could benefit from an improvement of the front rotors. IMO Todd

 

[vinconco]

104,000 and still stopping strong. Just replace pads and don't grind on the rotors.

 

[pathaymond]

I have 70K on my truck I pull quite often and keep my trailer brakes set good adjust the rears every 1500 miles and I am on my second front pads at 50K rotors are fine no pulse. My dealer/ mechanic friend agreed with my sentiment do not turn the rotors keep good pads and forget it. . works for me . . Patrick

 

[dan_gilson]

There are a number of things that will affect rotor wear. If you upgrade to full metallic, carbon kevlar or carbon metallic you will wear the rotors faster. They should be mic'ed when you change pads to make sure that they are not below the minimum thickness. Otherwise you might crack them.



I have also had a 5* over grease the front points which I suspect threw grease on the rotors and warped them.



If they need turning have them turned on the truck. It cost less than pulling (at least for a 4x4) and they should come out much better. My were . 009" out before turning and . 0005" after. I was told that the best you can expect turning off the truck is . 004" to . 005".

 

[JohnE]

Jän

If are in the Olympia area contact TDR member Sam Peterson of Rapid Brake Service at 360. 357. 4958. He has a lot of brake experience and knows the Dodge system very well.



-john

 

[RKohn]

PEP BOYS ARE IDIOTS!!!

Took my rotors there to get turned because a caliper hung and one pad went prematurely nuts on it with the rivets (never turned before, little wear). They said they were too thin. I had already mic'd them and consulted my big expensive orange DC service manual before going in, so I knew they were full of crap.

I asked what the spec was and they pulled out their Raybestos book to show me. It was all in metric. I showed them the minimum thickness that is cast in the rotor and they said they have a "company policy" that they have to go by their gauges(and book) and didn't know how to convert. Obviously their policy is designed to sell more rotors. :-{}



My "customer policy" is not to get screwed. So I went to NAPA and got them turned for 1/2 the price and the guy told me that there's enough metal left to do it again.



Oo. Oo. Oo.

 

[sam peterson]

Dan---One of the benefits of carbon metalic is that they "don't" wear the rotors as much as semi-mets [not much full metalic around anymore] and some others. I don't expect the carbon ceramic to wear much either. Time will tell. ---Sam

 

[dan_gilson]

The carbon-kevlar's chewed through a set of front rotors on my RX-7 pretty fast. The pads were about 1/2 gone but the rotors were down to minimal thickness. No complaints about the stopping though. Absolutely NO fad.



I have not been looking at that stuff for a couple of years not. I am probably pretty out of date.



Thanks!