Since I do my own brakes I see various options for rotors. Assuming just normal rotors and not slotted/cross-drilled. Is there an actual difference within the three models sold by Raybestos, and, is there a difference between say a $15 and $25 rotor?
For most cars, I find that premium rotors cost 2-3 times as much as economy rotors. I have no doubt that the premium ones have a better grade of steel. I suspect they last longer and resist warpage better than the economy ones, though I don’t know how much longer or how much better. What I do know is that I’ve for the last 5+ years I’ve been using mostly economy-grade on my customers cars, and haven’t had any problems. I suspect it falls into the “ten percent better, one hundred percent more expensive” category.
Pads are a different story. I use almost exclusively premium-grade pads, and I’ve found them to be markedly better than economy-grade.
I don’t have real data, just anecdotes. Non-OEM parts have always sucked for me. Non-OEM pads are dusty and have made my rims dirty. Non-OEM rotors warp too easily. With OEM parts, I get the same performance as the originals, and I’m happy with that. Not my normal scientific analysis, I’m afraid, but I’m lucky enough to not have to pinch pennies, so I don’t.
It usually depends on the quality of the aftermarket parts. Premium-grade aftermarket parts, with a few exceptions (e.g. certain sensors on certain vehicles, some catalytic converters) work as well as OEM parts. In a few cases (e.g. certain gaskets) the aftermarket parts are better, having been engineered to overcome a weakness in the OEM design. However, as you’ve observed, the aftermarket offers economy-grade parts that are not up to OEM quality. These of course are popular due to their price point, which means more to some customers than high quality.
As for brake pads, I’ve been using Wagner ThermoQuiet for over ten years on a wide variety of vehicles and never had a problem with them. I think they’re often better than OEM pads.
One thing to avoid, unless you actually need them: “competition” or “high performance” pads (Ferodo and the like). Yeah, you’ll stop much faster, but they wear extremely quickly and they’ll eat your rotors too.
True racing pads are great when they get really hot, which happens with high-speed racing. However, they stop quite poorly (sometimes dangerously so) at normal braking temperatures.
Since we have brake experts here, can I get better rotors and pad for my 03 Accord Sedan without screwing up the nice ABS feature I have? I want to stop in less distance for safety purposes without wearing out my brakes. I do not wish to imply that I drive unsafely or use brakes excessively.
Normal mechanical repairs will not affect the ABS. In some designs, the rotor is different for ABS vs. non-ABS; other than that pad and/or rotor replacement will not affect it.
I recommend Wagner ThermoQuiet pads; in many cases cars stop better after I install them. Some of that could be old pads compared to new, but I don’t remember noticing it when installing other brands of pads in the past.
I don’t have any knowledge of the rotors making a difference in stopping power. I do know that brand new rotors, or newly resurfaced rotors, need some break-in time. They don’t reach their full friction potential until some pad material has been imbedded into the rotor surface.
Yes there is a difference between rotors. Whether the Raybestos stuff just comes in different boxes or is really different? I doubt any here have enough experience to say. Some cast rotors have hard and soft spots. Often pulsating brake pedal isn’t from warpage, but high spots that were harder and didn’t wear down as quick. Turn them and they quickly develop the same high spots. I often find price is no guarantee of quality.
Note, I try not to ever have to make a hard stop, but sometimes being able to is quite handy.
I find the ABS itself causes pulsating brakes when braking hard. Comes in handy? Shit yeah, prevents collisions and saves lives.
I take that to mean, or a definition ofburnishing.
I have done this incorrectly in the past where I hit the brakes to hard in the burnishing process and blew out a brake line. But what better time to do that!
As for aftermarket rotors,
I have customers request USA manufactured brake rotors and other than the super premiums usually 2 piece ones all we at CarQuest have available is the imported ones. I have talked to the support staff about my customer requests and was told CarQuest has a representative overseas to keep watch on manufacturing quality.
Why do German cars have so much barke dst? Every M-B, BMW I see has dirty wheels-it seems like the brakes make a ton of dust-which sticks to the wheels.
Not meaning to hijack but certainly related…
OEM rotors on my F250 7.3 diesel warped sooner than later causing bad pulsating. After one brake job when the rotors were turned ever so slightly, they warped/pulsated within 15k miles.
I got high grade, aftermarket, slotted, cryoed (sp?) rotors all the way around. (The rear brakes weren’t even close to needing this) Coupled with *high grade *aftermarket pads designed for this type of rotor, this VERY heavy truck stops almost as well as my Accord even with a loaded trailer being towed. (The trailer does have its own brakes linked to the truck braking system AND yes, I adjust the trailer brakes properly before hauling down the road.) I currently have over 100k miles on these brakes with lots and lots of wear left.
Conclusion… when it comes to brakes, cheap aftermarket can save you money while putting you into/under the rear of that semi stopped in front of you, or into/over that women and her kids in the Saturn in front of you. High quality (breathtakingly expensive) aftermarket can empty your wallet while giving you what you wanted in the first place and being a whole heck of a lot safer.
Speed is great, acceleration is even better, but stopping/slowing when you want/need to is better than anything.
If your car is in full ABS in a panic stop the limiting factor is not the brakes. They would gladly lock up given the chance, the ABS is preventing that.
The limiting factor is the tires. Newer, bigger, stickier tires will shorten stopping distances, new brakes won’t.
Because they are using a performance brake pad in these high end cars.
There are many types of pads and it depends upon what you want and how you are driving.
Ceramic pads are almost dust free, but sometimes they squeek and the stopping power is poor. But they last a long time and produce little dust.
Most drivers do not want squeeky brakes on the new car they just bought so the pads that come from the factory on grandma’s Camry are softer and wear out sooner. Not due to the way people are driving or a problem with the car, just to meet the expectations of the customer, that the brakes should’t make noise.
For performance driving the pad is for better stopping power at the expense of pads and rotors. And they make more dust and eat up rotors.
If you are driving a BMW it just goes with the regular maintenance of the car. Hell, some of the newer ones no longer even have a dip-stick so you can check the oil. You let the car tell you when to take it in for service.