Discount Brake Rotors – China Didn’t Warp Your Brake Rotors!
Does this mean that quality brake rotors are a thing of the past as well? What makes a brake rotor inferior? What is the quality of steel that is being used?
Some of these questions are valid, but carry more relevance if you are actually racing your vehicle. If you are shopping in the realm of simply finding a replacement brake rotor for your car, there is much less to worry about. Certain factors can lead to the warping of a rotor; however, it is inaccurate to assume that it is related to the new brake rotor being manufactured in China.
Understanding braking systems is the first step to understanding the cause of a warped rotor. When you start to feel a pulsation in the brake pedal while braking you may have a warped brake rotor. The other factors that may cause this pulsation is a rust build up or a deeply grooved brake rotor. The rust build up vibration is usually due to the corrosion that is allowed to develop because a vehicle has sat for a period of time. A grooved brake rotor that leads to brake pedal pulsation is usually so worn that the edges of the pad wear area on the brake rotor are hitting the edges of the pad surface unevenly. When the rotor has worn down beyond its service limit the metal is too thin to disperse the heat generated by the braking process and it can cause warping.
A completely different situation occurs when you have malfunctioning brakes immediately after installing new brake rotors. New rotors can be purchased from a variety of automobile parts stores, auto parts warehouses, and discount auto parts stores, it doesn’t matter – generally speaking they are of all equal quality and again, virtually all are manufactured overseas, primarily China. They can be new performance brake rotors, or new discount brake rotors. A new rotor can create a brake pulsation for variety of reasons. Improper installation is a common culprit. Failure to properly service the existing brake caliper during a new brake rotor and brake pad installation can lead to the warping of brake rotors.
There are several things that a brake caliper needs so that the new rotors and pads will function properly. The brake caliper slider pins have to “slide” in order to engage or disengage the brake pads, and the brake pads have to be able to move freely in the carriers. The brake pads have a metal backing plate, and that metal makes contact with the metal carrier. This metal on metal contact creates a potential corrosion area that wreaks havoc on a properly functioning brake. When a brake job is performed, it is imperative that the carrier surface is cleaned. This means removing all the rust. Some carriers can be grinded or sanded, some need to be sand blasted because of the difficulty in sanding some of the grooves. An anti-seize compound is then used to prevent further corrosion between the pad and carrier. The pads need to be able to slide freely when the brake is depressed and released. The slider pins are the other brake part that needs to be addressed. The slider pins have to be rust free and properly greased, as does the area in which the pins slide. Something that a lot of people overlook are the rubber boots that the pin slides through; and there are many different caliper designs so this is more important with certain calipers. Generally this rubber boot or guide is removed and the corrosion behind it is sanded down. This corrosion tightens the sliding action of the pin and significantly reduces the effectiveness of the caliper servicing.
The point of explaining this caliper servicing is because this is what typically leads to the warping of brake rotor(s). When the caliper is not serviced or more specifically the sliders don’t slide and the pads are getting stuck to the carriers, there is a chance that the brake pad will continually rub on the rotor. A brake pad that makes contact with the rotor when it shouldn’t will lead to the over heating of the rotor that will ultimately warp the rotor. In addition to a seized brake caliper there are a couple of other things that can cause a warped rotor. When the new brake rotor is placed over the studs and seats on the hub it has to sit flush on that hub.
Corrosion is again seen as the enemy here; the hub needs to be sanded smooth before installing the new rotor. This metal on metal contact between the old rotor and the hub has had a lot of time for corrosion to develop because brake rotors are often only changed after several years, and after many miles. A small amount of corrosion near the center of the rotor leads to a more significant difference at the edge of that brake rotor because this is where the brake pad clamps down. A rotor that is not sitting true to the hub will cause a brake pedal pulsation that feels just like a warped rotor, and if you keep driving like this you actually will warp the brake rotor.
The last thing that I want to mention is the unequal torquing of lug nuts. Your wheel is held on using lug nuts or wheel bolts, and those same nuts or bolts are what are responsible for properly holding down that rotor as well. Unevenly torqued lug nuts can lead to brake-pedal-pulsation and eventually warped rotors, essentially, having the same effect of an improperly seated rotor due to corrosion.
In conclusion, after recognizing all the possibilities and potentials for pedal pulsations and warped brake rotors, it becomes significantly more difficult to blame China. Bottom-line if you are looking a quality replacement brake rotor for your vehicle go ahead and save yourself some money on your rotors buy “Made in China”.
Shane White has over 30 years’ hands on experience in the Auto Repair and Aftermarket Auto Parts industry. As a fully licensed mechanic Shane ran a successful garage for over 10 years. Over the past 9 years Shane has focused on the managerial side of the Auto Repair and Replacement Auto Parts industry. Currently Shane is Vice President Operations with Prime Choice Auto Parts ( http://www.primechoiceautoparts.com ), a Factory Direct to consumer, online store, specializing in High Quality – High Value Aftermarket Auto Parts like Hub Bearing Assemblies, Complete Strut Assemblies, Brake Parts, Car Starter Motors and Alternators for all makes and models.
About the Author
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