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Question on Rotors - Braking techniques

B

brandonb

Diamond Member
Hi all,

I have a simple problem that I've had my entire life. Every 30k mileage that I put on my vehicles, I end up with warped rotors. Steering wheel shaking while I break. I usually just bring them in, get them sanded, and I'm good for another 30k.

When I was at the mechanic last, he said its really rare for the vehicle to have warped rotors at the mileage I was at, and wondered if I was doing something to cause it. I responded with a shrug.

A couple years ago I bought a new vehicle, a Ford Edge, and I finally hit 30k miles on it in the last few weeks and guess what?! I'm starting to notice a shake in the wheel.

Can anybody tell me exactly what may cause warped rotors? I drive mostly highway miles in country locations which have a few stop signs. My guess is that I'm either breaking too early or too hard or something. I typically coast down to 40mph from 55-65 then apply the breaks when I come up to the stop signs and make not hard break, but a modest break. My GF says I start applying the breaks too close to the stop sign and it makes her nervous, but I think she is just being a woman. But can 40mph to 0 with a 50% breaking power cause warped rotors?
 
Warped rotors or just brake residue? If you are braking a lot and getting everything really hot and keeping the brakes applied at the stops, it could be baking some pad residue on your rotors and not exactly warping.

Usually just takes a "rebedding" of the brakes to scrape everything off.
 
Seems some cars are just more prone to it than others. My previous lexus had it slightly when I bought it. Eventually returned even after new rotors and happened again on another set. These weren't cheapo $20 rotors either.
 
oldsmoboat said:
Are you torqing the lug nuts to specs?
Click to expand...

This. And make sure that you're doing it in a star pattern, and evenly. Don't just torque one lug nut to spec while the others are still loose.

And how can you spell "Brake" correctly in the title, but NOWHERE in the post?
 
The lug nut thing is generally bullshit, unless someone is REALLY being retarded. Even, then, I have my doubts...

It's all heat-related. Don't ride the brakes, for one; but also, don't stomp them to slow down quickly and then continue to hold pressure on them. IMO (a lot of it comes down to opinion- if someone has some practical studies in rotor warpage, please share), a lot of it is in varying pedal pressure. If you heat the rotors up a lot, let up once you are nearing the stop, and don't keep your foot jammed into the pedal, clamping one part of the hot rotor with fairly massive force. I don't think it's coincidence that I sometimes see actual pad imprints on warped rotors.

Another big thing is brake pad choice. There's a reason AutoZone can sell 'lifetime' pads for $20...they're practically made of cast fucking iron. I'd rather have the pads wear faster and be able to do the occasional padslap rather than have the pads last 2-3x longer and have rotors that need machining or replacement every 10k. But even with good parts, I've actually seen people create teeth-rattling vibration in less than that (10k miles, that is)...so the way you drive is a big part. It can also be very vehicle-dependent.

And lets not get into the whole 'rotors don't warp' thing...everyone knows what people mean when they say 'warped rotors.'
 
phucheneh said:
The lug nut thing is generally bullshit, unless someone is REALLY being retarded. Even, then, I have my doubts...

It's all heat-related. Don't ride the brakes, for one; but also, don't stomp them to slow down quickly and then continue to hold pressure on them. IMO (a lot of it comes down to opinion- if someone has some practical studies in rotor warpage, please share), a lot of it is in varying pedal pressure. If you heat the rotors up a lot, let up once you are nearing the stop, and don't keep your foot jammed into the pedal, clamping one part of the hot rotor with fairly massive force. I don't think it's coincidence that I sometimes see actual pad imprints on warped rotors.

Another big thing is brake pad choice. There's a reason AutoZone can sell 'lifetime' pads for $20...they're practically made of cast fucking iron. I'd rather have the pads wear faster and be able to do the occasional padslap rather than have the pads last 2-3x longer and have rotors that need machining or replacement every 10k. But even with good parts, I've actually seen people create teeth-rattling vibration in less than that (10k miles, that is)...so the way you drive is a big part. It can also be very vehicle-dependent.

And lets not get into the whole 'rotors don't warp' thing...everyone knows what people mean when they say 'warped rotors.'
Click to expand...

I agree with this. I also have used autozone pad they never give me any problem The only thing is their pad last one year. It never fails. The only pads that last for a long time are original brakes..

Rotor warp are overhyped. Just brake normal it will be okay. A guy or a mechanic told me once that my rotor needs turning. I ignored him.
 
Do you drive an auto with both feet? I see cars flying down the highway with their brake lights on. You might be using the brakes without realizing it.
 
I do...but that was over the course of 6 years. I'd estimate my driving as about 50/50. I'm also convinced that having an MT makes a big difference as well since I try to utilize engine braking as much as makes sense.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
 
Rotor warping is a heat disappation problem.
Or uneven hardness in the rotor material.
Many recent vehicles trade air flow for low drag, many economy cars use the lightest smallest rotors/calipers possible.

Personally I am hard on braking (gas is for go, brakes are for stop, and practice breeds proficency when needed).
OTOH I like sporty cars with good brakes so they seem to last without warping rotors. Also buy reputable aftermarket pads.(not easy research)
OEM tend to be dust free .

Traditionally european cars intended for high speed autobahn use come with large well ventilated rotors and calipers.
You won't save any money though, service, wheels and tires,insurance, etc cost extra.
 
I've been practicing a simple habit with my current car, if an event happens that requires heavy breaking from high speed I slip the tranny into neutral or park, you don't want red-hot pads in forced contact with the rotors. 78K/7yrs so far, all my rotors are fine..
 
You shift into park while moving at high speed? Your rotors may be fine but I'd be worried about your transmission.
 
I suspect you aren't actually warping them but may be getting uneven pad deposits. Turning the rotors would clean them off and allow the pads to re-bed themselves. The uneven deposits could cause shuddering.

You may want to look into a better pad that would withstand higher temps. Also bedding them in properly when changing them is a must. Each manu has their recommendations - usually slowly building up heat through a series of stops, and then a proper cool down period.
 
nerp said:
You shift into park while moving at high speed? Your rotors may be fine but I'd be worried about your transmission.
Click to expand...

I think what he means is that after he has come to a stop, he puts it in P and takes his foot off the brakes.
 
The big thing I see is those people who can't gently approach a stop light properly- they do the little number where the front of the car dips, the ass-end flies up, and the person behind almost hits them. And that's the position where their foot stays buried.
 
Autozone lifetime warranty pads are trash. Your life depends on these things.. We're talking braking distance differences in 10s of feet here.

Good brakes (and rotors in particular) help, but in my experience the people who have these problems tend to drag the brakes off of the highway. In other words, make sure you aren't using the entire offramp to slowly slow down. At the very least, let off the brakes every now and then for a few seconds to let them cool off.
 
Apex said:
The warped rotor myth:

http://www.stoptech.com/technical-support/technical-white-papers/-warped-brake-disc-and-other-myths

IMHO, you should probably first try a different brake pad compound.
Click to expand...


I'm still not convinced.. Like the OP's situation, this guy isn't sanding his discs or swapping pads. It also seems to be people who are abusive (allow brakes to heat up too much) tend to have the most issues.

Maybe it is variations in the rotor causing pad build up, but IMHO the term warped rotor is ok to use.
 
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