some of you might remember that its the 2nd time my rotors are warped (have 25k miles right now).

i remembered someone was saying its b/c i was on my brake for too long, and that got me thinking......

I usually brake pretty far from where i have to stop, so i brake pretty damn long but light on my brake.....was this the cause of warped rotors?

so, i was thinking....should i just cut the distance that i usually take to brake and just brake shorter & harder?

would this help out at all?

 

Do you use a torque wrench on your wheel lugs?

 

Hard braking will warp the rotors also so long braking is good and easier on your components.

To keep from hotspotting my rotors if stopping from very high apeeds I'll throw the car in neutral if I happen to come to a stop light and release the brakes.

 

am i suppose to use a torque wrench on my wheel lugs? i usually just tighten 'em as hard as i could

shiat....i can see flame coming already

 

A fully engaged handbrake on a very hot rotor for extended periods of time can warp them as well.

 

If you don't have a torque wrench, I believe the rule is to tighten the bolts up, and then give it a 1/4 turn.

 

Another good way to not warp your rotors is to not brake at all. Cut a hole in the floor and go flintstones style. That's about the only sure way, but I bet these crappy rotors would still warp, air probably damages them

 

thanks fred

 

 

I think i have warped rotors, because when I slow down from a high speed really quick It sounds like I have some heavy duty ABS, but I have no ABS at all. I dont have any squeeks from the pads so I assume those are fine. Usually I slow down really far from where Im going to stop so I dont know why this is.

BTW, I think they are 161k mile rotors.

 

that's what i do too, but my rotors are warped....so i think maybe being "ON" the brake for too long cause this. maybe we should just brake shorter & harder?

 

Factory spec is 72 to 88 foot lbs, I torque mine at 80 foot lbs and have no problems. You can purchase a new 1/2 inch digital (clicking) torque wrench on eBay for about $16 plus shipping. A very worthwhile investment. Sounds like you might have been over tightening your lug nuts, $23 is a lot less than turning or replacing rotors.

 

Try pulsing when braking. Keep your braking distance the same, but do this--press the brake a little firmer than you do now (you do gentle right now), then let off, then brake again, then let off, etc etc. This will prevent the brake pad from heating up a lot, and will also reduce the time it makes contact with the rotor.

Also, after braking really hard, try to not hold the brake down. This will cause the brake pad to make an imprint on the rotor.

Other than just some of this basic stuff, you can't really do much. Just be gentle and keep your pad-to-rotor contact time to a minimum.

 

When you splash cold water on a hot rotor, it'll definitely warp em through time. The rotors get very hot and change shape very slightly...about 1/4th of rotor section is covered by the pads. This prevents the rotors at that point to get wet. So...wash your car when it's cooled off.

 

http://www.raysradiator-hotrodshop.c...0vibration.htm

"Most experts agree that overtorquing or unevenly torquing the wheels lug-nuts will cause a brake rotor to warp. When changing a tire you should use a torque wrench or torque limiting socket on an impact wrench to tighten the lug-nuts."

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/jk/020109.htm

"Incorrect tightening of the wheel nuts also can warp a rotor. When installing a wheel, snug up the wheel nuts and then tighten them in two stages using an alternating criss-cross pattern. Using a torque wrench is critical on modern vehicles. Some shops tighten wheel nuts with air impacts. Others use "torque sticks" designed to limit the torque on the nuts. Neither is accurate enough for today's cars. Make sure they use a torque wrench. If you experience brake pulsations after changing a wheel, loosen the wheel nuts and retorque them. If this is done as soon as possible, the rotor will usually correct itself. Leave it too long (more than 1000 km) and it remains warped."

 

Wow, so those carwashes I go to on the side of the highway on my way home from work = bad idea. You learn something new every day.

-Wisky

 

Lug nuts are too tight. Get a torque wrench.


Dave

 

Well, those car washes aren't too bad because you're car is in either in motion (the rotor is turning) or you're out driving again in less than a minute.

What you don't want is to have a hot rotor, douse 75% of the rotor with cold water, and leaving the other 25% of the rotor hot.

 

Sooo much misinformation here it's scary..


how do you think your car is slowing down? your brakes convert kinetic energy (speed) into thermal energy (heat) by way of friction.

If you're stopping from 60mph to 0, you have to absorb the same amount of heat into the rotors no matter how hard or gently you brake the car. pulsing the brakes wont' help, and will hurt, if anything.

driving too easily will also hinder them, because you're constantly dragging the brakes, and they never have a chance to cool off very well.

driving too hard will warp rotors because slamming on the brakes on a cold rotor will give it "heat shock" and heat up the outer surface while the inside of the rotor is still cold. this is what usually results in the tiny surface cracks. (which will slowly develop into larger and larger cracks until you have rotors that look like mine)
http://www.ee.utulsa.edu/~mblehm/pics/car/4_28_02/

the best way to drive on your rotors us to do them like you do your body during a workout.. do a nice easy warm-up. brake a few times nicely on them.. then do the workout.. do your auto X laps or stupid-fast stops on the highway or whatever...
then do a cool-down period. drive a few more miles using easy braking to cool the system down before shutting the car off.

it's essentially the same with a supercharger or turbo on the car too. if you beat on it cold or shut it off hot, you'll cause lots of damage.

 

I agree, this is what i do. Still have my original rotors on after 49,000 miles.

 

when applying brakes at high speeds, my pedal vibrates and so does the steering wheeel...
is the only cause of this warped brake disks?

i'm pretty sure this is what i have. but wanted to make sure before i bought some new disks.

i know for a fact that my wheels have been put on way too tight.. those people use those air wrenchs. at lease 150lbs of torque cuz i have problems taking off the wheels by jumpin on the wrench w/ all of my body weight...


so where can i buy some new disks non oem, and how much?


thanks.

 

If your sure it happens only when your braking its probably warped rotors... Depending on how bad it is or how worn the rotors are it may be worthwhile to just get them turned... If your steering wheel shimmies it might be due to an unbalanced tire, those weights sometimes pop off for the dumbest reasons... I'd still say warped rotors tho.

And the best way to avoid gradually warping your rotors is, like someone said, to do a cool down period before parking. If your pads are real hot and you park they will keep the covered portion of rotor hot while the rest cools down. Basic thermal physics here people...

Pretty much the golden rule is don't be riding the brakes hard right before parking...

Phoenix1911

 

On an extreme scale, maybe. On a moderate scale, it will not damage your rotors.

Case in point: When you are driving down a steep incline for a moderate period of time, do you keep your foot on the brake to maintain an exact constant speed, or do you brake a little then release, and repeat to keep a mean speed? The first method with warp your rotors, the second is recommended.

Plusing the brakes with short hard pulses probably will hurt. But, using the method described above for most breaking is by far the best method.

 

Right, that's what I was trying to explain. I didn't mean you slam on the brakes, let go, slam, let go, etc etc. I meant you do casual, gentle pulsation if you're coming up on a stop ahead. Obviously, if you need to slow down/stop much quicker, then you can't really pulse.

I don't see how this is bad for the brakes, or rather, how it causes more damage. What you're doing is limiting friction, and thus reducing the amount of heat the pads build up. You're also reducing contact time between the pad and the rotor. Pulsing also allows the pad to cool down a little during the times when it's not touching the rotor.

Don't get me wrong--hitting the brakes hard, and then letting go, and repeating like that is just as bad as slamming on the brakes, but if you gently pulse the brakes, you should be alright.

Cooling down the brakes before parking is also good.

 

Mine were warped too.....I just replaced them with the Stillen kit.