Rotor warping

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drakon543

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slotted and drilled and slotted rotors help a little by keeping brake temps slightly cooler. better grade pads like the hawk pads can handle higher temps before leaving high spots on your rotors. the main benefit is better stopping power but the other effect is less rotor warping. powerstop and stoptech(centric) are good options that dont break the bank. they are generally offered in kits rotors and pads with slightly better than stock pads.
 

kbuskill

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I purchased from R1. I put together my list and called to build a custom kit. The rep was incredibly patient and thorough, going over every part number, etc. I bought :

Gmt900 fronts w/ geomet drilled/slotted rotors, their top pad (new product, OE select or something, they are a ceramic based compound), and hardware kits.

GMT800 rears w/ geomet drilled/slotted rotors, OE select pads, hardware kit, parking brake shoes and hardware.

Total $435. Full disclosure, he gave me a holiday sale code on the package. Was $512 before discount.

I have heard the GMT800 rear brakes were slightly bigger but never really researched it...

Can you give us a run down of the difference and if it is a direct bolt on?
 

HiHoeSilver

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I have heard the GMT800 rear brakes were slightly bigger but never really researched it...

Can you give us a run down of the difference and if it is a direct bolt on?

Mine is a gmt800, so yes, direct bolt on. The GMT900 fronts are an upgrade for me. Have never seen anyone go the other way.... Good question.
 

gpracer1

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I did R1 geomet slotted rotors. I took them to my cryo guy and had them done, swapped to police package calipers/pads and high quality brake fluid.

I drive my hoe like my vette and it stops great now. 6 months of severe duty and no warp. Worst thing you can do is hard braking then stop, and hold brake pedal. If I have to do that I put it in neutral and let off the brakes or creep.
 
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7SubTrooper

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Thanks appreciate the info. Most discussion I've read on brakes is all about stopping power which has never felt like an issue but pulsating has been.
 

SnowDrifter

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What's your driving style? That has a lot to do with whether or not you warp rotors.

TBH I'm surprised I haven't warped mine yet. Go from 80-90 to zero then sit and wait for an opening in traffic to make my turn. I try to *creep* forward a bit so the pads aren't sitting in one spot on a hot rotor
 
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7SubTrooper

7SubTrooper

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What's your driving style? That has a lot to do with whether or not you warp rotors.

TBH I'm surprised I haven't warped mine yet. Go from 80-90 to zero then sit and wait for an opening in traffic to make my turn. I try to *creep* forward a bit so the pads aren't sitting in one spot on a hot rotor
My wife daily drives it to work less than 10 miles in 35 mph zones so no heavy stopping. We take lots of road trips with. We are in the Pacific Northwest with lots of Mountain passes. I am a truck driver so naturally I always on and off braking on long grades any ways.

Can't remember exactly which pads I bought last but were either from Orielly or Auto zone. It's that time where your at the counter and all I hear is them rambling store brands like duracrap and prices and just pick one. After some bad part experiences with some of this stuff I have been trying to stick to ordering from Amazon on parts ive researched. Seem to have dropped the ball with pads I'm going to assume.

I'm looking at EBC and Hawk on Amazon. Reviews are kind of wack from what I have read in forums..
 

intheburbs

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What's your driving style? That has a lot to do with whether or not you warp rotors.

TBH I'm surprised I haven't warped mine yet. Go from 80-90 to zero then sit and wait for an opening in traffic to make my turn. I try to *creep* forward a bit so the pads aren't sitting in one spot on a hot rotor

I've always felt that the half-ton trucks are underbraked. Not enough brake power means the brakes stay hotter longer, and then it doesn't take much of a puddle to warp a rotor. Both my '01 Suburban and '09 Sierra Denali are prone to warping rotors. Happens once every couple of years, sometimes more. One time it was blatantly obvious - had a freak torrential rain, hit a deep puddle, and the brake pedal immediately started pulsing.

Meanwhile, my 3/4-ton Suburban hasn't needed any brake work in over five years and EIGHTY THOUSAND miles. When I last rotated the tires, there was still plenty of meat on the pads on all 4 corners. Have never had a warped rotor; she still brakes smooth and steady. And yes, I drive it like I stole it.
 
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petethepug

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The norm is to get a 2nd tour of duty off a rotor after the first pad swap.

Having gone through 2x rotors up front due to brake pad material accumulation / warping is due to the driving style and mostly the material in the pads being used.

Don’t change the driving style, do change the parts to newer technology. That also doesn’t mean a higher spend.

Annodizing parts in the States is expensive due to EPA regs for not allowing waste products to be dumped on school playgrounds and the lakes used for drinking water. Figure about $40-$80 ea rotor if done in the US.

At the moment, ceramic pad & annodized / slotted / drilled rotors are on the cheap. I’ve had these on the 08 AWD Denali XL for 6 Mo. Used the hi temp grease as directed and have better than new, silent performance. Value!


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