Brake rotors 2 different brands?

[dan765]

Hello all, just a general question. When I’ve got some maintenance work coming up on a car, I usually start buying parts before hand so I don’t have to buy everything all at once. This time around, I bought a front brake rotor a couple weeks ago, but then I went to buy the second one but it’s out of stock.

What are your thoughts on having front brake rotors that are different brands?

 

[Furious]

I don't recommend it, the hardness could be different between the two and one could wear different from the other, also possibly thickness differences.

My suggestion would be to return the other get a refund and get a matching pair from a different brand. I personally have good luck with Autozone Duralast rotors.

 

[doitmyself]

At my moderate OCD level, I would not do it. I want both sides of the axle to be as similar as possible regarding brakes.

Curious to see what the real world people have to say.

 

[DemoFly]

It doesn't matter at all if they are off the shelf, white box, blank rotors.

 

[atikovi]

If one was coated and the other wasn't, or a different color, it might bug me for appearance sake, but since you don't look at both at the same time on the car, I could probably live with it. How much is a matching rotor from another seller?

 

[Chris142]

Won't make a bit of difference. Get what you can get and put it together.

 

[D60]

I totally just did it on the rear of the wife's F150 because, Amazon Warehouse Deals. I was able to put together a full brake job for crazy inexpensive

Do what lets you sleep at night. I sleep just fine.

 

[Greasymechtech]

I have 4 different branded rotors on two different cars. How else can you compare brands? I am the one that causes odd rotor inventory everywhere.

So, as long as the pads are in full front or rear sets, don't worry about it. And pad sets don't need to be matching.... like the ASP pads in the front and EHT pads in the back of my Avalon, or the EBC front and OEX pads in my Highlander....

 

[JMJNet]

The car will blow up on you. J/K.
Despite popular belief, the car don't care.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

If they're cheap uncoated white box rotors, it doesn't matter because they're probably the same

 

[Kruse]

I did a complete brake job on one of my vehicles during the peak of the national panic, 2+ years ago. (It was my Navigator) I sourced parts from all over the place. Between the ball joints, control arms, tie rods and rotors, I must have used 5-6 different brands. The two rotors I used were different brands. One rotor was as smooth as glass, the other actually had a cross-hatch pattern, like they used to heavily cut into fresh cylinder walls. I used both of them and checked the rotors and pads about a month later. The rotors looked the same by then and the pads on the “ rough “ side didn’t have any adverse wear. After that, I didn’t worry about it anymore.

 

[RaymondP]

If it was me I would buy a matched pair of cryo-treated rotors for each axle. Not always easy to find, but worth the effort. Expect to get 2 - 3 times the life of the factory rotors with cryo-treated rotors. Initially thought this was a gimmick, but after trying found the benefits are real!

 

[dogememe]

Lots of people buy just one rotor, say if a caliper went bad a took it out. Is it the right thing to do? No, but it’ll be OK.

 

[Kira]

Expect to get 2 - 3 times the life of the factory rotors with cryo-treated rotors.

At what premium?
Got any brand names?

On English car sites items like non-stock tire sizes raise all the red flags as the insurance companies will deny a claim in the name of {unsafe} modifications to the vehicle.
If you wuz in a big crash, wouldn't differing rotors on the same axle raise the same flags?

 

[D60]

At what premium?
Got any brand names?

On English car sites items like non-stock tire sizes raise all the red flags as the insurance companies will deny a claim in the name of {unsafe} modifications to the vehicle.
If you wuz in a big crash, wouldn't differing rotors on the same axle raise the same flags?

No. Perhaps razor thin pads or rotors worn down to the vanes. Otherwise, no.