Getting the most out of your brake rotors

[plant.one]

'07 aveo 5, 229k mileage.

I drive a LOT. on average 3000 miles a month and sometimes as much as 1k miles a week. Often in heavy stop and go traffic on the expressway.

needless to say this plays hell on my rotors. i find myself doing brakes at least once a year - lets call it 25-30k and im warping a rotor out and getting a split in the webbing.

i tried the new "premium" brake rotors from auto zone this last go-round, and they were worse. like 16k and they're starting to warp already type of worse

ive been running ceramic brake pads for years now.


what i'm looking for are suggestions as to where i can go with rotor quality to extend this interval, will switching to something like a drilled/slotted rotor really help that much?

i'm looking at like going to something like these

http://smile.amazon.com/Max-KT066981...words=TA066981


thoughts/imput from you high mileage drivers out there?

[slayerized6]

Stick with OEM.

[avguy]

... i find myself doing brakes at least once a year - lets call it 25-30k and im warping a rotor out and getting a split in the webbing....

Warped/broken rotors? Unless you drive really aggressive and are standing on the brakes all the time, seems like something is not right. Do you use a gun on the lug nuts? If so, any idea how tight they really are?

[MetroMPG]

Sure your calipers are in good shape? I've warped rotors in the past because of sticky calipers (slider pins, I believe) causing uneven braking pressure on one side.

I also go through rotors about every year or 2, but for the opposite reason: I don't put many kilometers on my car, and they tend to rust to the point that normal driving doesn't quite scrub the surface smooth again.

[plant.one]

Sure your calipers are in good shape? I've warped rotors in the past because of sticky calipers (slider pins, I believe) causing uneven braking pressure on one side.

last service the caliper pins were fine. they get lubed every time the brakes have been serviced, and the caliper compressed no problem with just hand pressure. i guess that could be the issue this time around, havnet had them off to check yet.

[plant.one]

Warped/broken rotors? Unless you drive really aggressive and are standing on the brakes all the time, seems like something is not right. Do you use a gun on the lug nuts? If so, any idea how tight they really are?

couldnt tell you the torque, whatever discount tire runs them to when they rotate them every 6-8 weeks (on average). i konw they do use a torque wrench for final check, just not what its set to.

i dont think i'm a super aggressive driver, however as i noted i do spend a LOT of time in stop and go traffic on 696 and 275, so i do have to brake rather heavily on a semi-regular basis. there's a lot of really sh!tty drivers here on the roads in metro detroit :/

im sure at least part of it is the fact that i've been using auto zone rotors the last few services just out of convenience.

i really do try to keep on top of my maintenance, with the extreme driving schedule i run i dont have a choice. i keep a maintenance log on the car to make sure i'm on top of stuff and so i can track the service interval's on everything.

[avguy]

Perhaps the brake wear and life for the amount of stop/go you do is 'normal'. But I don't understand why you're seeing multiple warped/broken rotors. I've never had a single warped/broken rotor in 50 years of driving. Yes, rotors replaced due to normal pad wear, but that's about it. Also, I use cheap rotors and good pads (which is not an uncommon strategy around the various auto forums). So I'll ask if you've seen the damaged rotors yourself, or is it a shop telling this to you? Not doubting what you're saying - just trying to understand how you could be getting repeated rotor damage.

[plant.one]

i'm not a mechanic, but i did stay at a holiday in express once a couple years ago hehehe

the shaking in my front end when i brake tells me they're warped.

the fact that it happens worse during extreme driving conditions (lots of braking) tells me its a split webbing that's expanding as the rotor heats up. at least that's what my experience leads me to believe.

replacing the rotors has in every case resolved the issues. the pads have never had more than ~30% wear on them.

just trying to understand how you could be getting repeated rotor damage.

buying sh!t parts at auto zone is my guess. its about like buying tools by the pound at harbor freight (which i dont do anymore for the same reason).

im starting to feel like i'm stuck in the movie tommy boy.



which is why i'm looking for other options.

[avguy]

Can you list which suspension/steering components have been replaced over those 229K miles?

[plant.one]

the last major steering/suspension service was done at 190400 miles. that list includes the following (this was 9/29/14)

outer tie rods
both CV shafts
front struts and mounts
stabilizer bar linkages & bushings

the same service the AC compressor was replaced, along with the plugs and wires, the serpentine belt, the timing belt/idler pulley/water pump.

the lower control arms were not serviced because the mechanic said they were in great shape.

unfortunately my logs got wipe in late 2013 due to a hard drive crash - i went cloud based maintenance logs right after that - so i can't give you the 105k-160k service numbers, the wheel bearings were replaced in august or sept 2013.

pads and rotors were done at 181900 (6/21/14) and again at 213500 (5/30/15)
tires were replaced at 184500.

i purchased the car at 105k miles, about 15k after the previous owner went through the 100k service on the steering and suspension & timing belt stuff. he's a car guy and this was about 1 of 15 cars he had owned (he was thinning the garage down due to moving) and he's OCD on maintenance. he offered me all the service logs on the vehicle when i purchased it but since i know how obsessive he is with proactive maintenance, i declined (trusting that everything was tip top, which it was)