Autozone Rotors: Any real difference between valucraft and duralast?

[Ns1]

I removed some extra info from your op... Look at the rotor material differences.

Wow. Thanks. I guess at the very least that settles THAT debate. I actually thought you edited that in a FTFY kind of way.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Wow. Thanks. I guess at the very least that settles THAT debate. I actually thought you edited that in a FTFY kind of way.

Technically pig iron and scrap steel is the same thing as an iron alloy, but I still feel as though it's worth the extra money for better rotors :thumbsup:

 

[Ns1]

So I ended up getting the parts from Napa. I reserved the parts online using their parts finder.

Took off the wheel and shit today to do the job and....rotors are too big and brake pads are too small. WTF?

 

[railer]

So I ended up getting the parts from Napa. I reserved the parts online using their parts finder.

Took off the wheel and shit today to do the job and....rotors are too big and brake pads are too small. WTF?

That sucks....well at least it's a local return. Double check the p/n....maybe Toyota put different brakes on the v6 Camry vs. the 4 banger, or something.

As to the original question.....I don't know what the difference is between Duralast or Valucraft or NAPA rotors for that matter. As someone already mentioned....pig iron/scrap steel could be exactly the same thing as iron alloy; possibly just some marketing genius at work there. I'd like to know what's supposedly better about NAPA rotors. They're certainly not better just because they cost more. I've gotten a bunch of rotors from Autozone over the past few years...never had an issue. I ordered some PBR rotors straight outta the PROC a few years ago....they're still doing fine on my Grand Prix.
Unless someone can point me to a quantitative difference between rotor brand A and rotor brand B - I'll keeping buying the cheap ones from Autozone.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

So I ended up getting the parts from Napa. I reserved the parts online using their parts finder.

Took off the wheel and shit today to do the job and....rotors are too big and brake pads are too small. WTF?

That's really obnoxious. Generally when this happens I've found it's from an idiot employee looking up the wrong make/model or part number. I like to look them up online before I go in.

What'd you end up doing?

 

[thomsbrain]

Some of the S2000 track junkies use Duralast rotors because when the crack (and they WILL crack on the track), they can get them replaced under warranty for free. But the point here is that even for track work, cheap blank rotors are fine. They need to be viewed as a wear item, just like engine oil.

Pads are a different story... there are tremendous performance differences between pads in terms of the temperatures in which they will function. When in doubt, use your stock OEM pads for street work.

 

[pauldun170]

Just out of curiosity, how often do you guys typically change out rotors?

 

[Howard]

That's really obnoxious. Generally when this happens I've found it's from an idiot employee looking up the wrong make/model or part number. I like to look them up online before I go in.

What'd you end up doing?

One should also refuse to accept boxes that show tampering. I've had boxes where I suspect someone returned a lesser-value rotor inside.

 

[Ns1]

That's really obnoxious. Generally when this happens I've found it's from an idiot employee looking up the wrong make/model or part number. I like to look them up online before I go in.

What'd you end up doing?

put everything back on the car and returned to napa the next day. exchanged parts, going at it again next week. The whole process is a lot simpler than I expected, I just lack the tools to do everything so I need to go to my parent's house and use my dad's tools.

Napa's online search does not let you search for trim so I was led to the v6 parts instead of the 4 banger parts.

note to all: if you're using the NAPA parts finder, be sure to double check trim in the "compatible models" link

 

[jagec]

Just out of curiosity, how often do you guys typically change out rotors?

When the old ones are warped, too thin to turn, or you're upgrading to bigger brakes.

 

[Thegonagle]

My rule of thumb, from years of doing my own basic maintenance and repairs on my daily commuters, is never buy the cheapest part available. Pretend the cheapest part doesn't exist. If there's a midgrade, buy that, and if the premium isn't much more than the midgrade, buy that instead.

I don't like to compromise performance; to do so compromises safety. If the cheap parts give inferior performance and service life compared to OEM, that's a problem for me. I'll spend $150 instead of $100 to preserve the original performance.

Cheap pads fade and shed lots of black dust. Cheap rotors warp even if you're never hard on them, and some cheap rotors even break.

I've seen a crappy rotor where the disc portion separated from the hub. I had bought that rotor from the local "discount" brake parts dealer (not a chain store) two or three years earlier. I sold that car to my cousin, and he was driving when it happened. I'd never seen it before, and I never want to see it again. Therefore, I will never buy "white box" rotors from them, or anyone else EVER again.

Buy the mids or the premiums.

 

[thomsbrain]

Just out of curiosity, how often do you guys typically change out rotors?

I change rotors when they warp. They seem to last roughly as long as the street pads before warping.

On the S2000, I change track rotors when they split in half (symptom of inadequate cool-down puttering in the pits after a session), or when they develop so many hairline cracks that I don't think they will last a day. Hairline cracked rotors become street rotors.

 

[Revv]

I am not convinced that there is a big difference between brake performance. This is a unending debate across many forums. There are always some that feel that the bargain brand are good enough for average everyday use, and then there are those who believe the extra money directly corresponds to extra safety. I don't know either way, but I can tell you I have used the cheap rotors with expensive brake pads for years. I have not seen much of a difference between the few expensive rotors I have purchased so I don't bother any more (I never conducted tests to determine minimum stopping distance either). I also have helped many, many friends change their brakes with cheap rotors and expensive pads. I have never had a problem and only have seen a warped rotor once. The rotor was the fault of a careless quickie lube type store personnel over tightening the lug nuts by like 3x what they were supposed to be, I also believe he did not tighten them in a star pattern.

I will not be convinced either way until I see a test/report similar to this. Get a car and put cheap rotors and racing pads on it, and test something like 70mph to 0 a few dozen times. Then change brake pads with identical ones and rotors with top of the line ones and repeat. Measure difference if there is one and provide results.

 

[pauldun170]

I change rotors when they warp. They seem to last roughly as long as the street pads before warping.

On the S2000, I change track rotors when they split in half (symptom of inadequate cool-down puttering in the pits after a session), or when they develop so many hairline cracks that I don't think they will last a day. Hairline cracked rotors become street rotors.

When I said "how often". I meant at what mileage\time intervals you found yourself having to change the rotors.

The reason why I ask is that on my past vehicle (Probe GT with 130K miles, purchased with 40K on the clock and owned for 10 years) I never had to change the rotors. When I sold the car, they had gotten to the point where they were close to out of spec but I had no issues with warping.

My 02 Camry now has close to 65K on the clock and rotors are original and in good condition.

Other vehicles we've owned also lived a long time with original rotors.

Meanwhile, other folks I've known ended up changing rotors at every pad change. That's why I am curious.

 

[WilliamM2]

For the rotors on my '98 Mazda Protege, it's cheaper to replace them, than have them turned, so I replace at every brake pad change.

As far as quality, Mazda replaced the rotors and pads three times uder warranty, as they were warped very badly every 4K or so. I only drive that car about 6k a year. After the warranty ended they warped again, and I replaced them with Autozone rotors. The Autozone rotors last as long as the pads without warping. Haven't had warped rotors in ten years now. And the Duralast pads are always free.

 

[Squisher]

I have seen cheaper rotors degrade over time to where they seemed to be the wear item and not the pads. This seems to happen more so at the perimeter of the rotor and then the pads didn't get full contact during braking. Now as for the cause, I don't know. It might even be micro oxidation from road salts when the car sat overnight, then this oxidized portion was swept away the next day at first use. It might take a year to show up, but never the less the cheaper rotors wore.

 

[Artista]

Look at doing this job myself. Wear tabs started squealing so its time. I did research on the difference between the two. Seems pig iron and scrap steel is a alloy. Iron alloy is well, a alloy. All the dimensions are the same.

When you look at a picture of the duralast rotors you can see a crosshatch pattern from machining which I assume helps the pads "seat" better or something akin to that. No evidence to back that statement up though.

Seems when you are talking the daily driver sometimes going with the cheapest part is ok, other times it is not advisable. It depends on the vehicle, the use and what exact part or function the part will do. When you spend more money on a part there has to be clear value to me to spend the extra money. (standard el cheapo pads vs mid grade ceramic) I go with mid-grade ceramic on my vehicles. It would be a waste of money to get the "z" or ultra performance rated pads or rotors that go on Corvettes, etc.

I am replacing the mid-grade front ceramic pads via lifetime warranty and this time replacing (Have to buy.) the rotors with value craft rotors. (On a 2002 Chevy Blazer 4x4)

My two cents.

 

[Squisher]

I did research on the difference between the two. Seems pig iron and scrap steel is a alloy. Iron alloy is well, a alloy.

Although there is really nothing incorrect in what you said, I can't say that it captures a metallurgical analysis of the situation.

btw-the crosshatch pattern on rotors is a remnant of them using a segmented rotary grinder (like a Blanchard) to finish the rotor and is considered to show flatness (a good thing).

 

[Artista]

Although there is really nothing incorrect in what you said, I can't say that it captures a metallurgical analysis of the situation.

btw-the crosshatch pattern on rotors is a remnant of them using a segmented rotary grinder (like a Blanchard) to finish the rotor and is considered to show flatness (a good thing).

True enough. There certainly are differences in the quality of metal alloys. Take hand tools for instance, a high quality wrench or socket can take a lot of pressure. The cheap ones made in China bend, snap, and break like crazy.

I am not so sure in the case of these rotors that one alloy is superior over the other. Perhaps the extra machining is where the difference in price comes from?

 

[Squisher]

I am not so sure in the case of these rotors that one alloy is superior over the other.

I think it is a large part of it. Making steel is a very complex process and you can cheapen up the process in many ways. Sometimes this cheapening really means nothing because the cheaper steel can easily perform within the specifications, but often they can get away with things that don't show up for a long time through excess wear, breakage, warping. With the case of rotors a cheap piece of steel I would think wear is the biggest issue in that they might be more microscopically brittle (friable) and as the pads are wearing against the rotor the rotor is too having a small amount of steel dust scraped off its surface.