Mix and Match brake rotor brands. Your thoughts?

[Twisted1]

I felt compelled to ask the consensus what your opinion is about this topic. My last post drove me to create this post, as some members stated that they don’t like mixing rotor brands when doing a brake job.

My understanding for the most part is, any brand of rotor that comes in a white box is 90% of the time coming from the same, 2-3 manufacturing facilities overseas.

What are your thoughts on mixing rotors? Whether different brands per axle, or maybe even at each corner?

 

[tah8436]

On my beater cars I usually just buy whatever decent pads and rotors are cheapest/on sale. I don't think about matching front and rear brakes, but brakes on the same axle I tend to keep the same brand.

 

[Andyd95]

Per axle doesn’t matter - if a car gets a single axle brake job it’s going to be mismatched and there is no harm.

Per corner - yeah that’s weird, wouldn’t do it on my own car but in the real world it happens sometimes - accident cars (insurance only paying for one side), you might get a car with a locked up caliper and customer only approved 1 caliper and rotor, not common but happens.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Per axle doesn’t matter - if a car gets a single axle brake job it’s going to be mismatched and there is no harm.

Per corner - yeah that’s weird, wouldn’t do it on my own car but in the real world it happens sometimes - accident cars (insurance only paying for one side), you might get a car with a locked up caliper and customer only approved 1 caliper and rotor, not common but happens.

^^ this.

Every manual I have ever seen says replace rotors in pair per axle. Otherwise our going to be pulling sideways likely when breaking / uneven for a variety of reasons.

Front to back not as much an issue.

 

[ClutchDisc]

I don’t mind different brakes front to back but I would never mismatch rotors or pads from one side to the other on the same axle (front to front for example). Does it matter if you do? Not sure but I don’t.

 

[Klutch9]

I’ve done it. It made no difference. I don’t know that I would mix different pads on the same axle, but a basic economy steel rotor from one brand to the next, it would be hard to tell them apart.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

I wouldn't do it, and I don't see a reason to do it, as you can always get a pair of the same rotors.

 

[D60]

I have not mismatched pads but absolutely have on rotors on single axle. A fresh rotor is a fresh rotor.

On racing applications I'm sure it matters. For 99.9% of everyday use, the brakes don't know or care.

It's a big metal disc. Granted, most of what I'd be referring to is 2015 or older. I probably wouldn't mix rotors on a '25 Denali

Once rotors are turned down you think they're identical? No way rotors wear exactly the same left and right, esp if (but not ONLY IF) they're being turned due to a dragging caliper. And most will get varying depth of cut when machining -- just go 'til you have a clean surface.

 

[D60]

I wouldn't do it, and I don't see a reason to do it, as you can always get a pair of the same rotors.

Not if you're uber cheap like me. I'll grab one Warehouse Deal and one RA closeout. Sometimes one is coated and one is not.

I don't do this for customers, but for my four vehicles and my non-profit's ~dozen vehicles -- ABSOLUTELY!!

 

[Twisted1]

Not if you're uber cheap like me. I'll grab one Warehouse Deal and one RA closeout. Sometimes one is coated and one is not.

I don't do this for customers, but for my four vehicles and my non-profit's ~dozen vehicles -- ABSOLUTELY!!

Same with rotors for me

 

[robbobster]

I’m way too OCD to do this in the same axle.

Considering BITOG is forum dedicated to lubrication minutiae, and based on the replies above, I’m guessing most members will be similar

 

[DCDG]

I felt compelled to ask the consensus what your opinion is about this topic. My last post drove me to create this post, as some members stated that they don’t like mixing rotor brands when doing a brake job.

My understanding for the most part is, any brand of rotor that comes in a white box is 90% of the time coming from the same, 2-3 manufacturing facilities overseas.

What are your thoughts on mixing rotors? Whether different brands per axle, or maybe even at each corner?

I would match pads and rotors as axle sets. and avoid using a higher friction coefficient in the rears over the front. if your front pads are GG either equal or less at the rear. GG/GG GG/FF Etc.

 

[Twisted1]

I would match pads and rotors as axle sets. and avoid using a higher friction coefficient in the rears over the front. if your front pads are GG either equal or less at the rear. GG/GG GG/FF Etc.

Excellent point, @DCDG

 

[444-eh]

i match everything with lifetime warranties that i can use when needed. but i have some trucks/vans i got for cheap/used and i was doing some hokey stuff with those vehicles for a bit and i honestly couldnt tell a difference when the pads and or rotors were a mismatched mess of whatever was cheapest including used junkyard parts.

bleeding old fluid is overlooked in my opinion. ive seen people who never crack open a bleeder ever and after starting to crack them myself i almost always do it now despite the rusty risks. bleed one side and not the other as a test and you will never want to -not- bleed them again. its not safe but it was informative...

 

[D60]

i match everything with lifetime warranties that i can use when needed. but i have some trucks/vans i got for cheap/used and i was doing some hokey stuff with those vehicles for a bit and i honestly couldnt tell a difference when the pads and or rotors were a mismatched mess of whatever was cheapest including used junkyard parts.

bleeding old fluid is overlooked in my opinion. ive seen people who never crack open a bleeder ever and after starting to crack them myself i almost always do it now despite the rusty risks. bleed one side and not the other as a test and you will never want to -not- bleed them again. its not safe but it was informative...

U-pull-its have prices for brake pads and I don't fault a guy for using them if it helps a family stay on the road and save money. At least they're maintaining their brakes, even if with used parts.

It's better than metal on metal.....

 

[444-eh]

U-pull-its have prices for brake pads and I don't fault a guy for using them if it helps a family stay on the road and save money. At least they're maintaining their brakes, even if with used parts.

It's better than metal on metal.....

usually $1 a pad. i've pulled brand new top of the line raybestos pads with the logo still visible. $45 plus tax at the parts store, $4 at the yard. just look at pics of burned pads and dont buy ones that look like that or show any signs of less than regular wear.

along the lines of mismatching: mismatching shocks/springs/struts on one axle is very unsafe and not recommended.
i replaced one dead 'coil over shock' (not a strut) once on a euro car. the donor vehicle was identical, similar mileage (100k), exact same oem bilstein shock and oem coil... it was very dangerous for a day or two, a little less dangerous after a week, and about a month in the "new one" from the yard finally settled in and got used to having weight on it again and felt balanced with the other side. those bilsteins are a different animal though (in a good way). anything else and i wouldnt even have tried it.
but i saved over a grand doing that during the 2020 parts apocalypse...

 

[D60]

usually $1 a pad. i've pulled brand new top of the line raybestos pads with the logo still visible. $45 plus tax at the parts store, $4 at the yard. just look at pics of burned pads and dont buy ones that look like that or show any signs of less than regular wear.

along the lines of mismatching: mismatching shocks/springs/struts on one axle is very unsafe and not recommended.
i replaced one dead 'coil over shock' (not a strut) once on a euro car. the donor vehicle was identical, similar mileage (100k), exact same oem bilstein shock and oem coil... it was very dangerous for a day or two, a little less dangerous after a week, and about a month in the "new one" from the yard finally settled in and got used to having weight on it again and felt balanced with the other side. those bilsteins are a different animal though (in a good way). anything else and i wouldnt even have tried it.
but i saved over a grand doing that during the 2020 parts apocalypse...

I mix 'n match shocks on live axles....granted, typically leaf sprung -- but sometimes coils like front axles on '94-02 Rams. You'd never be able to tell.

OEM warranties will almost always only replace a single leaking shock or strut. Here again though, you'd then theoretically end up with one "used" OEM strut and one new OEM strut, so both from the same manufacturer (probably)

 

[D1dad]

I did ebc on the rear and ac delco golds on my daughter’s work car. New Amazon warehouse centric pads and all is well 2 yrs later. In fact, the rotors have the exact same amount of corrosion even though they’re from different manufacturers

 

[DCDG]

I would compare rotor specs I think RockAuto is good for having detailed information on parts. if one manufacturer is +/- overall height over the other you may notice a slight difference in pedal feel/behavior. Probably not that noticeable on a solid rear axle for example a rear Bendix rotor for my vehicle has an overall height of 62.2mm an Autospecialty rotor is 62.10. However the cat is skinned for whatever the application is the rotor would have to be within spec of the oes.

 

[50yr Street Mech]

I keep the front rotors the same, with same brand of pads to reduce pulling and what not. Rear rotors and pads I could care less. I've even had drilled and slotted on one rear side, and a solid on the other side. Made no difference in stopping performance.