Need advice...warped rotors ROUND 2

[carlo$]

dude, your calipers are sticking. no, the pads don't have to wear down like you think. your calipers are failing somehow.

[Eyekutr]

Originally Posted by carlo$

dude, your calipers are sticking. no, the pads don't have to wear down like you think. your calipers are failing somehow.

i think you are wrong, you really think all of us with warping issues on these cheap a@@ rotors really have sticking and faulty calipers....common things occur commonly, these rotors suck and I should have probably replaced the pads when the dealer agreed to turn the rotors the first time...

[judge34411]

Originally Posted by carlo$

dude, your calipers are sticking. no, the pads don't have to wear down like you think. your calipers are failing somehow.

Originally Posted by Eyekutr

i think you are wrong, you really think all of us with warping issues on these cheap a@@ rotors really have sticking and faulty calipers....common things occur commonly, these rotors suck and I should have probably replaced the pads when the dealer agreed to turn the rotors the first time...

Well calo$ might not be far off, I doubt they where sticking from brand new, but if your dad was leaving his foot hanging around that brake pedal it will tend to have the same affect.

Happy driving.

[Axxis8203]

with a vehicle this new i really doubt that the calipers have issues...

as for the warping, i personally do not believe in "turning" aka grinding rotors as all this does is remove material and makes the rotor more prone to warping as the metal is now thinner. i think part of the problem you are having is due to the fact that the OE rotors are crap coupled with crappy OE pads which are basically glue and compressed cardboard. this combination coupled with poor braking practices can "warp" the best pad rotor combinations. i refer to "warping" as a subjective term here as the rotor does not actually warp. instead, what happens is that pad material deposits unevenly on the rotor surface thereby creating an uneven friction surface creating the feeling of warping...
you can read more of these concepts by researching carroll shelby and his articles on braking.

all that being said, i see no problem reusing OE pads as long as they are not semi-metallic or ceramic-kevlar blend. and the OE pads on our vehicles are not either of these.

i would recommend replacing the rotors with Brembo Blanks which can usually be had for $30-$40 from importrp.com and for better braking performance using a set a EBC redstuff pads and performing a proper bedding-in procedure (http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_bedinstock.shtml).

i do not care much for the claims made towards cross drilled or slotted or combo rotors. they have longevity issues and unless you're autocrossing you really will not be reaping many of thier advantages.

of course, a little brake etiquette and technique will aid in prolonging the useable life of any pad/rotor combination, and as such here a few pointers:

make sure you bed-in the new brakes, this will create an ideal friction surface and becomes more important as you use higher performance pads.

avoid standing still (coming to a complete stop) after a high speed stop as the hot pads sitting on a single spot on the rotor will stress the metal and cause uneven pad material depositition. instead, "crawl" the vehicle...
a typical hard stop, say from 70mph as you would expect coming off the freeway using an offramp, can raise pad temps up to 600 degrees. add this to the fact that once you've gotten off the freeway you're now sitting at a stoplight, you can see where this creates havoc on brakes...

avoid deep puddles of standing water, as obviously throwing cold water on a hot rotor will cause metal fatigue. and sometimes it's impossible not to drive through puddles, so in those cases just reduce speed and try to minimize splashback.

[slaulau]

Originally Posted by Eyekutr

Hey judge
I bought it brand new in 07, at 20k miles, rotors were warped and dealer turned them and kept original pads. No accidents, car drives perfect and straight, suspension is straight and tight. Thanks for the info

I am having the same issue, how much did it cost you?

[Eyekutr]

Originally Posted by slaulau

I am having the same issue, how much did it cost you?

I paid a guy $70 and he threw on my ner rotors up front and pads and swapped pads in the rear (no turn or swap rotors)....

[SE_2007]

i would say put new pads, rotors and torque to the right specs. then you should be fine.

[gdanaher]

The last time I had to actually repair a caliper, the year was 1975. None since that time. They can end up leaking and need new seals, but as far as binding up, well, it just doesn't happen often enough to consider. The test for this would be exaination of the wear of pads on both sides, and if one side is decidedly more worn, then yes, something is hanging up, but it could also be a missing spring or expander.

With 4 mm left on the pad, it's time to replace them if you are working on it already. I'm actually fond of the Toyota pads and they aren't that much more than your neighborfhood parts store. Almost dust free as well. For rotors, check prices. Toyota might be at the high end of the price chart for oem rotors, so check prices for Wagner and Raybestos rotors. Try to avoid anything made in India. Steel will tend to warp, and that you already have experience with.

As above, check the pads for consistency, replace the pads and rotors and drive.

[Eyekutr]

Update...gdanager, I am with you and your advice is well taken. Carlo$ your suggestion that the calipers are faulty was not confirmed. The caliper pistons moved in with ease and smoothly, the brake guy had no suspicion on faulty calipers. I got the Raybestos AT "no turn" rotors as sonmeone suggested, they seem to be og good quality, time will tell. As for the rears, unless your pads have worn down and you have really damaged the rotors, you are going to be fine throwing on new pads without resurfacing the rotors. I was surprised to throw on ceramic pads in the rear and a few days later, it almost appeared as if the rotors had been turned. They were no longer so shiny and the surface lines looked like they had disappeared....weird....anyhow, all is well.

[omairtheman1]

when you resurface rotors or install new ones you should always put new pads on... i would take the cheap way out and resurface them again and put new pads... since you only have a few K miles

[judge34411]

Maybe this would be a good time for a pole on brakes? These are big cars and if the setup is a little substandard, an a little to aggressive braking is added into the mix . Well it would be interesting.

One thing for sure. If your brakes are warping very young. Try changing your driving style. Dollars to donuts the pad material is not being laid down even. Normal driving will not normally heat a brake to the point of pure heat to warp (100 to 0 is not normal). If you really do try and change driving style and the problem persists I would look at going the non stock brakes route.

[warpedrotor]

Calipers binding up does happen, usually with older high mileage cars, but there is mention of this problem with Camrys in a consumer magazine. Not only do pistons seize up but the sliding pins do too. Next time the brakes are serviced the hubs should be checked for runout, hubs, even on new vehicles, can be defective causing the same effect as warped rotors. Also make sure the hubs are free of rust and debris before the rotors are reinstalled.