Brake Rotor Issues

[AlanL]

My truck is my daily driver and has about 75K miles.

I recently brought it in for new tires ( revos :) ) and a state inspection. The tech showed me the brakes all around and the fronts looked fine (with normal wear to the pads and rotors) but the rears looked terrible. The rear rotors were quite rusty. The outside of the rotors (facing the wheel) had a about 1/2 inch of rust around the outer edge of the rotor surface. The inside of the rotors (facing the backing plate) had about 1/2 inch of shiny surface near the middle of the rotor and rust along both the upper edge and near the center.

The tech said he sees this all the time with these trucks. He didn't try to sell me brakes and said he'd give me a sticker, but that the brakes were border line and I should do them soon.

I've never seen a vehicle with a properly performing brake system have this type of issue. I'm surprised that the tech sees this so often.

Is the issue with the rotor material or the material the pads are made from?

I'd like to go aftermarket for both pads and rotors and do the fronts as well because I have noticed reduced braking over the past few months. Does anyone have a recomendation for non GM pads and rotors?

Has anyone else had this issue?

-Al

[FBJR]

I think both SSBC and Baer Brakes make a Big Rotor upgrade that uses the same calipers. Comes with rotors, pads and calliper mounts. Only downside is you need to run larger wheels.

[AlanL]

Thanks, I just want to replace what I have rather than upgrade the entire system.

When the rear rotors aren't all rusty, the truck actually stops pretty well.

[Mark Rinker]

My '01 had the same 'weird rears' when I bought it with 75K. Rusty on the outside edges and grooved severely. I complained to the selling dealer's service department who had done all the maintenance to date (the truck was sold new there) and they simply replaced pads with severe duty units to appease me.

Since we tow heavily and constantly, the rears get more use and the rotors actually shined up pretty nicely, but the pads went away quickly.

At ~120K last summer, we did all the rear hardware (rotors, pads, calipers) as well as rear axle seals. Haven't looked closely at them since, but will now at the next oil change.

Interestingly, I sold my '05 LLY with 75K and the brakes looked like they were an even 60% remaining all the way around. This is with 90% towing miles!!! GM must have improved some of the rear brake parts recently...or the fact that it was alway towing caused things to wear more evenly.

I think the rears rust up on daily drivers because they are underutilized and don't create enough heat and friction to keep things clean and rust free...

[colt49]

I was reading about these rotors that are subjected to 300 degrees below zero for 60 hrs and it changes the atomic structure in the rotor. The results from this is said to be life 3 times regular rotors excert. They are to be super in severe service applications-cops fleets etc. I still worry about Mag Chloride road treatments eating at them. That maGC eats up brakes bigtime. They just might be worth a shot to see if it's really that good with ceramic pads. I wonder if Nascar uses them for the torture they put on brake systems. Good flushing with water soap at carwash is all I can do to try and make it a bit better and not let it just sit on there and eat at the brake parts.

[WILLYD-MAX]

The 02 in my sig. has 118,000 miles mostly towing and the rear pads and rotors are in top shape. I think the pads will probably go 200k.:D

[AlanL]

I've tried frozen rotors on the race car and they've had exactly the same issues as non-frozen rotors... I finally got to the point where I barely use the brakes ( they just slow you down anyway :) ) and I don't have issues with that anymore...

With regard to the truck, you may be onto something with the towing because I haven't towed much the past 30K miles or so and prior to that I think the rear rotors looked great whenever I'd looked at them.

Hmm... I going to wait a little while to see if anybody comes up with other suggestions and if not I'll just go with stock I guess. The braking of the truck sucks right now, so I can definitely feel that the fronts are doing a disproportionate amount of the work now.

-Al

[carco]

Yes, someone said towing works the rear brakes harder and that is true. AA truck none to light loads or a person easy on brakes will have more rear brake problems on any 4 corner disc brake vehicle especially trucks. Rear discs are not used hard enough on light loads. bob..............

[Mark Craig]

Those are Powerslot rotors, they are all we sell. They reduce and or eliminate warpage, and really take a pounding as compared to stock rotors too. Get a set of them and Hawk pads and you'll have much shorter stops, no fade and you'll likely never wear them out either! As far as the mag chloride the Powerslot rotors are 100% MIL spec cad plated, they look good this way but are also unaffected by the road gunk!! Call us if you have any questions on them, we'll be glad to help.

Mark @ DPPI


I was reading about these rotors that are subjected to 300 degrees below zero for 60 hrs and it changes the atomic structure in the rotor. The results from this is said to be life 3 times regular rotors excert. They are to be super in severe service applications-cops fleets etc. I still worry about Mag Chloride road treatments eating at them. That maGC eats up brakes bigtime. They just might be worth a shot to see if it's really that good with ceramic pads. I wonder if Nascar uses them for the torture they put on brake systems. Good flushing with water soap at carwash is all I can do to try and make it a bit better and not let it just sit on there and eat at the brake parts.

[MaxACL]

Mark,

I'll be passing through Nashville about the 26th. Do you have Stanadyne products in stock?

Mike at 214 448-3527 or miketheboo at hotmail dot com

[Mark Craig]

MaxACL,

Yes we keep it, been getting low on the Performance Formula, call us before to make sure it's still available if that's the one you're after!! Be great to see you.

Mark @ DPPI