[censored] from RockAuto and Centric

[Trav]

Quote:
dont believe you will walk into a chain parts store and find any pad rated higher than FF

Any place that sells Bendix will have the CT+3 which are mostly GG rated, a few stores around here have them in stock.
They are about the same price as FF rated Raybestos but stop like boat anchors with little dusting.

 

[BearZDefect]

As much as I like the selection and prices from Rock Auto, my experience with them is similarly unfavorable when it comes to customer service:

Once they sent me the wrong part, nothing like the description. I contacted them for a replacement, writing verbatim their part description vs the label on the part they had sent me. Their response was that they picked what the computer told them, I had to be wrong. I could send it back at my expense for a credit if I wanted to. I did not bother, it wasn't worth the trouble for a $6 part, but I had to go out and buy the very same (supposed) part locally to complete the job.

That did not stop me from buying from them again once in a while, but I am wary of their style. Rock Auto makes no mistakes (according to them) so you get what you get. End of story.

I have also received some very poor quality parts from them, but I had no prior experience with that brand so another lesson learned: Just because a reputable business like Rock Auto sells it does not mean that the brand isn't junk.

 

[barlowc]

OP Update: So I just got off the phone with RockAuto. They called and talked with the "experts" at Centric again and were told that the sole cause of runout on rotors is improper installation. You got to be kidding me! So the runout on our Saturn's rotors after 55K miles is due to improper installation at the factory? Not likely.

So, in conclusion...

Centric manufactures [censored]-poor products with a 90 day / 3000 miles warranty that they don't back up.

RockAuto won't do anything to support their customers and makes things right.

I won't ever be buying another Centric product, and I won't ever again make a purchase from RockAuto.

 

[NHGUY]

Remember,that Chinese steel has no built in flaws....
And Chevy Vega didnt use steel that had built-in rust when new..
Isnt it amazing how big business can alter the truth,in their favor?

 

[Trav]

That really sucks!
I have never used Centric but from your experience i wont be either.
I have had some problems with Rock also but also some good experiences.
Mufflers and pipes.. They don't pack them just stick a label on them and off they go, most of the time i get them pretty beat looking.

Don't ever try to accumulate parts for a project over a few weeks, they will not stand behind them even if they sent the wrong part and you just want to exchange, forget it, you own it!

 

[HTSS_TR]

I bought few parts from Rockauto in the past, luckily I didn't received wrong/defective parts that need their services. Lately I mostly bought parts online from Amazon mainly for their outstanding services, and most of the times the total cost were lower too with free super saver shipping.

 

[MNgopher]

Rockauto carries junky parts and the good stuff too. One shoudl do a little hoemwork before buying is all that means.

I've had no problems on quite a few orders with them. I had one defective part, and the return and exchange was not an issue. I sent it where I was told, and 2 days later had my replacement part.

For low cost parts, the potential for needing to do this is one reason I tend not to buy those online.

As far as the OP is concerned, has there been any second opinion to what the dealership techs have to say? I'm not implying they are being dishonest, just noting its pretty easy to condemn non-OEM parts at a dealership as being the problem.

 

[stephen9666]

To the OP-

Here's a post I made in another thread about a similar issue. I'll repost it here. Again, more than just a "warped" rotor can cause pedal pulsation. And, more than just a warped rotor can cause the lateral runout that causes pedal pulsation.

Originally Posted By: barlowc
They called and talked with the "experts" at Centric again and were told that the sole cause of runout on rotors is improper installation. You got to be kidding me! So the runout on our Saturn's rotors after 55K miles is due to improper installation at the factory? Not likely.


The first video in this post even explains how lateral runout can increase over time not due to a warped rotor, but to improper installation.

I definitely have sympathy, I'd be PO'd too in your situation, but I haven't seen any information that proves the rotors really are warped. Even if the dealer told you they had a lot of runout (and you haven't provided the numbers), that's not necessarily caused by warped rotors.

It still could be a bedding or rotor installation issue causing your problem.

Originally Posted By: stephen9666

Here's a (somewhat ghetto) video that describes runout. Most of the info on runout is in the second half of the video. It's only 1:30, so it's a quick video. Long story short, lateral runout is the side-to-side movement of the rotor as it is spun. Excessive lateral runout can cause a pedal pulsation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMp5G9J1P48

Again, there are issues other than a "warped" rotor that can cause a pedal pulsation. For example, it could be caused by runout in the hub/rotor assembly, which isn't necessarily due to a warped rotor. Or, it could be caused by uneven pad deposits on the rotor.

Here's another video made by someone. It's poorly shot, but it shows how they measured runout and noted it was out of spec. The person then cleaned the hub. After that, the rotor runout was in spec.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8dykdHPRR0

Here's the Harbor Freight tool used to check the runout in the last video.

http://www.harborfreight.com/clamping-dial-indicator-93051.html

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: barlowc
OP Update: So I just got off the phone with RockAuto. They called and talked with the "experts" at Centric again and were told that the sole cause of runout on rotors is improper installation. You got to be kidding me! So the runout on our Saturn's rotors after 55K miles is due to improper installation at the factory? Not likely.

So, in conclusion...

Centric manufactures [censored]-poor products with a 90 day / 3000 miles warranty that they don't back up.

RockAuto won't do anything to support their customers and makes things right.

I won't ever be buying another Centric product, and I won't ever again make a purchase from RockAuto.


There is some truth to that, unfortunately. Proper installation would have meant that you should have measured the lateral runout of the rotors before driving the car for the first time. If the rotors were truly defective with that much runout, you should have found it during install (through measuring) and corrected the situation right away.

 

[UG_Passat]

Centric owns Stoptech....

I have no problems with with Centric Premiums with Akebono Euro Ceramic pads on my VW.

The Centric 120 series is basically the bottom barrel C-Tek rotors.

My independent VW mechanic also thinks highly of Centric rotors as well...

One thing when I do rotor replacement... was the hub face scrubbed of loose rust?

 

[PandaBear]

It is not warping, it is uneven casting quality. If the rotors were cast correctly and installed correctly, in theory it wouldn't warp.

In your case, the cast is uneven and therefore when it warm up the thickness change and therefore pulse.

 

[ronbo]

I just bought a pair of BREMBO for $80.00 delivered from Autoplicity.com and got them in 2 days. Lucky I didn't go the RA route.