Rotors warped in under 10k miles...what to do?

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Originally Posted By: ctrcbob
OK guys. I hear so much on what causes rotors to warp. I have a friend who swears its because the rotors get wet in the rain when the rotors are hot. (Not!!)

You can believe what you want, however IMHO, here is why rotors warp.

When you are driving along, at a good speed, and a traffic light changes to red, what do you do? You slam on your brakes, right? OK, when you stop fast and hard, at a light, what do you do next? You sit there at the light, with your foot on the brake, hot pads on hot rotor. That rotor gets "heat soak". That is, the section of the rotor on the pad gets hotter than the rest of the rotor. When you start off again, that part of the rotor that had heat soak, is just very slightly warped because of the temperature difference. Do this often enough, and before you know it, the rotor warps enough that you can feel it when you brake. Having the rotors very hot in itself is not a problem, but having one section of a rotor much hotter than another section of the same rotor IS a problem.

Here is what I do. A pain, but I do it often. When I have to stop fast, while stopped, I either: (1) put car in neutral, and remove my foot from the brake,hot pad not pushing hard on hot rotor] or (2) once I stop, while still in gear, I allow the car to roll (very slightly) forward, very slowly, so the pads cover the whole rotor, being careful not to roll forward enough to get into the crosswalk or cross lanes.
I do this every HARD stop, and I've done it for years. Sometimes I put it in neutral even after easy stops, waiting at a light.
I NEVER GET WARPED ROTORS, and have not had warped rotors in over thirty years. (HOWEVER, my wife does not use my method, and her Lincoln gets warped rotors - no use trying to tell her what to do as that would only lead to an argument - I was born married).


this is true! this is exactly why many rotor manufacturers says do NOT come to a complete stop when bedding in pads.....but this isnt the only reason.

to people in this thread to clear up information:
92 accords have captive rotors......pita to change

all hondas in general require 80ft pd torque on lugnuts. you can go higher, no point but what you want is consistency.
 
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As whimsey pointed out in his successful 'pad slap' above, many times you need do nothing to the rotors unless they exhibit symptoms.

Note that no one said rotors NEVER warp, just rarely. I am also in Florida, so we know nothing of the weird corrosion issues you guys face up north.

And many people get all hung up on the rotor when what they really need is a different pad.
 
exranger's problem is very similar to my experiences with Hondas. I have a 94 Accord (different body style, same brakes) as his 92. Brakes are a total pain, but I have changed them a few times trying to fix the judder which inevitably returns after a few thousand miles. I have tried the break-in procedures as well, to no avail. I do not believe I have any worn suspension components - steering is tight and the car aligns fine.

My 95 Civic is showing the same problem now. I even put Brembo rotors and Axxis pads, again juddering after a thousand miles or so.

Now I just live with it, and assure my wife occasionally that the brakes are fine and she doesn't need to worry... but this problem is so stupid!

Could this be related to worn caliper pins or pad slides (the little stainless thingies in the brackets)???
 
Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
Originally Posted By: doitmyself
I thought that ceramic pads were supposed to be easier on rotors?


I've heard the opposite, which is why I avoid ceramic pads.


Me as well, I love organic pads. My favorite pads are Napa Tru Stop standard pads. They work great.
 
The popular STOPTECH articles about pad deposition refer to racing and very hard street use. The pads have to get extremely hot for this to occur. In anywhere near normal driving, any deposits are worn off faster than they are applied.
This is verified by the Stoptech experts.
 
Probably the best course of action with the captured rotors is to take the car somewhere that can machine the rotors on the car. They're low milage rotors so should be enough material to turn them. If you go through the trouble of taking the rotors off and even if NAPA warranty them, the problem will probably return. Turning the rotors on the car will get the lateral run out within spec as installed and should be the permanent fix. You might also consider getting a new set of pads and returning the current ones.
 
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