Gen 4 brake rotor SOLUTION!!!!!..........

[redgtxdi]

OK guys, I searched & searched. I saw plenty of threads that said this topic has been discussed to death yet no definitive answers...........(actually kinda' seems like nobody knows much of anything on this matter).

My history.........

'98 I-4 sedan w/ 120,000 miles on its 4th set of rotors. I've used.........

#1.) OEM
#2.) Canadian
#3.) Chinese
#4.) more Chinese

Set #3 was the best by far. In fact, when set #4 warped in a month, I took 'em off & threw 'em back over the counter at the Pep Boys guy & explained to him how they were NOT the exact same parts I got last time....(I knew 'cuz I even had the old boxes from set #3)...and set #3 lasted 2 years before they warped. I'm now on set #3 again.......(had 'em turned & STILL working)......but they're starting to warp a bit now so I'm really looking for some rotors that can stand the test of time. I'm sick of warped rotors.

To answer all the naysayer's questions..............YES I, know brakes well. I've done a million brake jobs & never seen brakes warp as badly as they do on my Gen 4! My '95 Geo Prizm (Corolla) has DREAMY brakes. My '98 Ford F150 has great brakes. My '89 Mazda truck had great brakes. Our '02 Toyota Tacoma work truck has "fair" brakes and NONE of these vehicles has/have warped rotors like the Gen 4.

So..............

Brembo blanks???
Those R1 perf. drilled/slotted on ebay??

WHAT ROTORS ARE THE BEST ROTORS FOR GEN 4??? (Please don't say OEM. They are no better than mid-grade rotors from your local auto-parts stores!)

[Eye8Pussies]

brembo blanks


but since your car seems to be warping them so easily, I would check the condition of your calipers- sliders may be seized, or uneven pressure, etc. may be time for a rebuild

[DarkMastyr]

Stoptech rotors...

http://www.urdusa.com/product_info.p..._id=1230100005

Hey you asked. No complaining about price.

[v-cam]

hmmm... there is an under lying problem there. It would have to be more than just cheap rotors. Do what 8eye said. You wouldnt want to warp your brembos... expensive.

[Mike Gerber]

I agree with eye8pussies. I would definitely check the caliper slide pins. I had a problem with my 98 I-4 where I didn't feel I was getting enough braking power. When I really dug into it, I found a rusted and seized up slide pin on the left front. Fixed that with new pin and boot and sand blasted clean the area in the caliper mounting bracket the pin goes in to. Then I used new high temperature disc brake grease in the caliper mounting bracket and on the pin and reinstalled everything. I never had another problem.

I might also suggest trying full ceramic pads, if you haven't already done that. The pads could be building up too much heat.

If that doesn't work, I would next try replacing the rubber brake lines at the calipers. They may have collasped internally and are not allowing the fluid to flow back when you take your foot off the brake pedal. This would result in constant pressure on the brakes and hence the overheating and warping of the rotors.

Mike

[jhbhatia]

Originally Posted by Eye8Pussies

brembo blanks

but since your car seems to be warping them so easily, I would check the condition of your calipers- sliders may be seized, or uneven pressure, etc. may be time for a rebuild

^^ what he said, and this time just replace EVERYTHING.

[redgtxdi]

Thanks for the replies guys.


Brakes are in great shape. I always keep things top notch. Fluid is clean, lines are good. Calipers are smooth. Pins, sliders, etc. always clean & well lubed. (FWIW, I *did* have to do a repair on my Prizm calipers that had a stuck pin, but the Camry has absolutely clean as a whistel, brakes).

They're simply under engineered. I could probably blame a little on the rears as they don't do much, but front brakes on the Gen 4's are just a little whimpy. (Interestingly, Prizm/Corolla brakes are muuuuuuuch better.)


As for pads........I've tried 'em all. I like OEM a lot, but the set I've found work best are what they call the "Gold" (Gold stop?) from Auto Zone. They grab the absolute best. Very quiet. Low dusting. Just great pads all the way around. I thought it was all in my head since they weren't their *best* pads or even *lifetime* for that matter, but the AutoZone manager once agreed w/ me. He said he won't use anything else in his cars. They simply grab better, more consistently and are just a great all-around pad. (VERY similar to OEM).

And, yes, I've tried the ceramic.(Raybestos QS) I don't like them. If they get hot & cold too fast.......they crack!! (Burned up 2 sets proving my point to Pep Boys).

[marc780]

Set #3 was the best by far. In fact, when set #4 warped in a month, I took 'em off & threw 'em back over the counter at the Pep Boys guy & explained to him how they were NOT the exact same parts I got last time....(I knew 'cuz I even had the old boxes from set #3)...and set #3 lasted 2 years before they warped.

This is indeed an unusual problem, only warped rotors i ever had were from wear. 2 years is too short, i wont bother asking you to evaluate your driving etc.

How long do the pads last? Are they worn unevenly? If the rotors are outlasting the pads, this would be a new one on me - sounds to me like a master cylinder or maybe even ABS, if equipped, although you would probably see the dash light come on.

After so many rotors, we know the following, the rotors are not defective. So my thought is something is applying the pads when they shouldn't be. Check: ABS, pull codes if you can, or just drive it around til brakes are hot and raise it, and spin the wheels. If they are sticky (some pad contact is normal, there are no return springs at all). If BOTH front wheels spin with too much resistance, it is entirely possible that both front calipers need changing! (Gummed up and sticky pistons, slider pins dry and need brake grease, others.)

Check: ABS for codes. Master cylinder. proprtioning valve inop. Warped 9steel) wheels. 1 or more cylinders with sticky pads or shoes. Stuck e-brake (4 wheel disc only). Stuck wheel cylinders (rear drums).

[redgtxdi]

Hmmm..............no, no friction. Wheels are free spinning. (And, there actually *are* pad separators that are used on the pads. They are installed with pre-drilled holes in the brake pads themselves and apply a constant retracting tension to the pad.).


Pads wear normally and evenly. I'd feel the ABS if it were coming on & to be honest, even if the ABS came on during regular braking, that would not have this type of effect on brake rotors.

My brakes even did this from new. Everybody here remember the Gen4 brake recall?? Toyota turned my OEM rotors & they warped when new *and* when turned. (though turning warped rotors is a practice in futility).

I think the underlying problem is simply an under-engineered braking system. Even *with* one seized caliper my Prizm brakes MUCH more efficiently than this.

BTW, I'm probably harder on brakes than most which is why I warp more than most, but this isn't the first time I've heard of warping rotors on Gen 4's. It used to be a pretty common topic on TN.com!

[redgtxdi]

And I should clarify something about the *warping*.


Considering *degrees* of warping I'd say my current rotors........(Chinese set #3 from above which were used for 2 years and then turned about a year ago & are still running great)............are currently only mildly warped.

IOW, You can't really *feel* it in the wheel so much as you can *hear* when you're braking at speeds above 40-50mph.

Come off a freeway offramp & there's the sound of warped rotors. Now my first set (the original Toyota OEM's) were warped so bad that I was coming down a mountain during about the 2nd year of ownership & those suckers whobbled the steering wheel like nuts. Fwwwoooop.........in the trash they went! Second set of OEM's were MUCH better but eventually warped too.


So in this case, I'm simply looking for rotors made with the best materials available......(note how set #4 warped HORRIBLY within a month & the folks at Pep Boys knew why!) . Junk rotors can't take ANY heat!!