Good aftermarket replacement brake rotors
05-08-2006, 08:09 AM
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Good aftermarket replacement brake rotors Ugh. My second trans am and my second case of warped (BADLY) front brake rotors. What are some good OEM replacement aftermarket brake rotors? I need some badly. Was thinking about checking autozone's stuff. My friend used to work there and told me they offer lifetime warranties against abnormal wear like warpage. Any input?
-Mario
-Mario
05-08-2006, 08:30 AM
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Originally Posted by taintedmeat
Word on Autozone, I've heard the "Duralast" brand rotors and pads are supposed to be good quality with a solid warranty.
05-08-2006, 10:11 AM
#4
Duralast used to be crap. I don't know, they may be better now. Over the past few years I've bought duralast, several Napa's, and several AC delco's even and they have all been chinese rotors.
I did brakes last fall and the only thing I could find that was confirmed to be US/Canada made were Raybestos stuff. I have no problem with them, but then again all the other stuff above was Chinese and the duralasts are the only ones I had problems with.
The autozone warranty is valid but to me it isn't worth the gamble of using bad parts. I'd rather spend an extra $20 on a rotor than have to tear it off to get a new one. Think about it, when's the last time you were in a shop and saw them using Autozone parts? Almost always OEM or Napa.
Most of autozone's house branded or not branded parts are of very poor quality. Great place to get branded parts and general supplies, but not a good place to buy generic replacement parts.
I did brakes last fall and the only thing I could find that was confirmed to be US/Canada made were Raybestos stuff. I have no problem with them, but then again all the other stuff above was Chinese and the duralasts are the only ones I had problems with.
The autozone warranty is valid but to me it isn't worth the gamble of using bad parts. I'd rather spend an extra $20 on a rotor than have to tear it off to get a new one. Think about it, when's the last time you were in a shop and saw them using Autozone parts? Almost always OEM or Napa.
Most of autozone's house branded or not branded parts are of very poor quality. Great place to get branded parts and general supplies, but not a good place to buy generic replacement parts.
05-08-2006, 06:01 PM
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The Duralast rotors are alright for what you pay for them, but I wouldn't buy them again. They have no coating on them. As a result mine showed surface rust in an astounding 3 days. I vote brembo blanks.
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05-08-2006, 11:13 PM
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Originally Posted by 9silverbird8
The Duralast rotors are alright for what you pay for them, but I wouldn't buy them again. They have no coating on them. As a result mine showed surface rust in an astounding 3 days. I vote brembo blanks.
i wouldn't say that the duralast rotors are anything special they are an OEM replacement and autozone seems to hold to their word on the warenty. i haven't had any problems w/ my rotors or brakes both from autozone and by the way. alot of shops use autozone parts maybe not in your part of the county but all midias's use autozones parts (as long as AZ has them)
05-08-2006, 11:20 PM
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I bought the cheapest set of drilled/slotted rotors I could find on eBay cuz the GM's I kept buying would warp in about 3-4K miles. Not a single complaint and about 10K on them 
05-08-2006, 11:48 PM
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Originally Posted by waiting2bl33d
compeltly wrong. when changing your rotors i hope to god that you sprayed them w/ brake cleaner (which will eat away the coating) then when you don't drive them for awhile they will get the rust just like any rotor. it is bare metal of coarse its going to rust.
i wouldn't say that the duralast rotors are anything special they are an OEM replacement and autozone seems to hold to their word on the warenty. i haven't had any problems w/ my rotors or brakes both from autozone and by the way. alot of shops use autozone parts maybe not in your part of the county but all midias's use autozones parts (as long as AZ has them)
i wouldn't say that the duralast rotors are anything special they are an OEM replacement and autozone seems to hold to their word on the warenty. i haven't had any problems w/ my rotors or brakes both from autozone and by the way. alot of shops use autozone parts maybe not in your part of the county but all midias's use autozones parts (as long as AZ has them)
The Duralast rotors have no zinc or any other type of rust inhibiting coating on them, as you say it is bare metal, hence why they rusted in 72 hours. The guy here can do whatever he pleases; I just dont think that saving ~$50 is worth having my rotors looking like **** everytime i dont drive the car for a few days. Maybe that wouldn't bother you, but it sure bothers the hell outta me.
05-09-2006, 01:21 AM
#12
Originally Posted by waiting2bl33d
compeltly wrong. when changing your rotors i hope to god that you sprayed them w/ brake cleaner (which will eat away the coating) then when you don't drive them for awhile they will get the rust just like any rotor. it is bare metal of coarse its going to rust.
What is this suppose to mean???
05-09-2006, 08:01 AM
#13
There are a lot of different levels of rotors out there and whether or not you want to pay for quality you may or may not appreciate is up to you. The original question was what a good oem replacement was, and to that end it is my opinion the cheapest but still ok answer is rotors from the North American Raybestos line. Going that route you can have a good level of confidence that the rotor is oem geometry (same factory cooling fin arrangement, same mass reduction patterns, same sizing) and of good quality (no casting defects or material problems).
People like Autozone because they are all over the place, they are cheap, and thier parts have a "lifetime warranty". But thier house branded stuff is junk. You might have good luck with it but I always recommend evaluating if the cost savings is worth having to replace/service the part again. To many people it is a fair trade.
People like Autozone because they are all over the place, they are cheap, and thier parts have a "lifetime warranty". But thier house branded stuff is junk. You might have good luck with it but I always recommend evaluating if the cost savings is worth having to replace/service the part again. To many people it is a fair trade.
05-09-2006, 10:23 AM
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Originally Posted by stillremains
What is this suppose to mean???
05-09-2006, 10:36 AM
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Originally Posted by 9silverbird8
Exactly what im trying to figure out. Im just glad im not the only one who couldn't make any sense out of it.
When you install new rotors, they come from the factory with an oil on them to prevent flash rust while shipping. You are supposed to spray them with brake cleaner before installing.
05-09-2006, 01:51 PM
#16
The misunderstanding is that plain rotors come with a light oil on them (it's tacky, sticky gunk) to keep them rust free during shipping. Brake parts cleaner will strip this off, and you should do so before installation.
Nicer rotors can come zinc plated, painted, or otherwise treated to resist corrosion. These won't always have the garbage on them and therefore might not need cleaned.
Nicer rotors can come zinc plated, painted, or otherwise treated to resist corrosion. These won't always have the garbage on them and therefore might not need cleaned.
05-09-2006, 01:54 PM
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I put on drilled and slotted rotors from Race Concepts . The price was less than $250 for all four (shipped) on an Ebay deal. I have over 5K on them and they're absolutely awesome so far. There are other Ebay deals but you want to be careful selecting a reputable supplier. I've heard of the cross drilled rotors cracking around the holes. Hasn't happened to me yet but its something to look out for. I also put on Hawk Pads that I special ordered at Pep Boys. The set up totally kicks ***. I had an emergency stop the other day because of a pedestrian jumping out on the street in front of me. He'd be dead if I had my stock stuff on there!
