Brake calipers and rotors?

[Harley McIntyre]

My rotors are shot, fronts are warped and all of them have lip, calipers arnet doing to hot either, they also have that spongy feeling, so I'm wanting to just do brake upgrade. ive seen some powerstop kits for the explorer with drilled and slotted rotors, but I was wondering what you guys think a good brake upgrade would be, what have you guys used and how do they perform?

 

[Rcflyer330]

Well I have heard power stop kits are good and so are ebc brakes. Right now I am running ebc plain rotors and performance friction carbon metallic (pfc) pads front and rear so far very happy with that combo. Before the ebc rotors I ran brake performance dimpled and slotted rotors with both wagner thermoquiet pads and pfc pads.

Here is what I have found. I have had bad experiences with thermoquiet pads. For me they didn't last more than 30k miles probably closer to 20k. The stock motorcraft pads and rotors still had some life left when I replaced them around 70k. They did made noise when cold and clicked in the caliper when I applied the brakes. I replaced them do to warn pads. This was with the brake performance dimpled and slotted rotors. I have not had any good luck with thermoquiet pads on any vehicle. We had a 2006 Hyundai Sonata that had them and they did the same thing with standard rotors.

Next I had the same brand dimpled and slotted rotors but new with pfc brakes. They where awesome with great stopping power. I found out on this set that the inner side slots and dimples would fill with dust causing deep grooves on the inner pad and less rotor contact. When I changed out this set (30k miles) I still had plenty of pad left with even wear both sides but the inner surface had maybe 1/2 inch of total pad contact and the rotors where warped.

So now I have ebc rotors and pfc pads. fronts have been on for a year maybe 10k miles and can still barely see the original crosshatch marks on the rotors. rears only 500 miles and I am very pleased with them. The initial bite compared to the dimpled and slotted rotors feels less but way better than stock pads and rotors. a little side note the wet brake performance ( like after you get car washed or go through a puddle of water) between the two rotors is night and day the slotted and dimpled rotors dry and bite quicker than the plain rotors.

From my experience I would not do slotted, drilled, or dimpled rotors unless you want or have a reason too. I would highly recommend pfc pads for whatever rotor you choose or to use a kit that comes with pads and rotors from either power stop, ebc or well known manufacture. if you go with drilled or dimpled rotors make sure that the holes or dimples are staggered from one row to the next. if they are all in line when the rotor is spinning you will get deep grooves from where the pad is always making contact with the rotor and where the pad passes over a hole. I would not recommend Wagner thermoquiet pads or brake performance slotted and dimpled rotors. I did notice a very slight noise from the slots and dimpled rotors when I applied the brakes. it was most noticeable when the windows where open and there was a curb on the road to reflect the noise back into the car

a little on prices pfc pads are more expensive than most pads (around $92 for rear and $94 for the front) ebc rotors are not cheap either ($140 for front and $160 for the rear). In case you are wondering I don't know why the rear ebc rotors are more expensive than the front everyone else is the opposite.

Hopefully that helps some. There are some older threads in both the modified and stock section for brake recommendations if you do a search.

 

[07EddyB]

I appreciate the work you put into that post. But I have to say - the Thermoquiets have been my go to pads for at least three brake jobs. They have performed very well for me with standard rotors. As always, YMMV, but I don't think they deserve the rep you are giving them.

 

[Harley McIntyre]

Wow that was super thorough, thank you for the input. I'll probably just get a powerstop kit with normal rotors then, hopefully they are bigger than stock at least. These explorer's never had enough braking power when they came out in my opinion.

 

[Rcflyer330]

I appreciate the work you put into that post. But I have to say - the Thermoquiets have been my go to pads for at least three brake jobs. They have performed very well for me with standard rotors. As always, YMMV, but I don't think they deserve the rep you are giving them.

A little add on, like most things I buy, I did a lot of research when I did my pads and rotors the first time choosing thermoquiet pads because they are highly recommended by everybody for most vehicle makes and models. it just happened that my experience was bad on two different cars with with the same pads. Its was the front pads that where the noisy ones rears where great.

I did edit my first post I changed my wear numbers as they where way too low after rereading it and thinking about it. I changed the brakes when the car had around 70k miles and they where warn out by 95k miles. I also changed some of my wording.

Thank you 07EddieB those are just the problems I had otherwise they where great and stopped really well on the explorer. The squeeking when cold was only in the winter and went away after two or three stops. But the pad shifting pad in the caliper is what was really annoying and that was all the time from when they where new. I guess when I bought them I expected more and that's where I made them sound worse than they really are. To be honest I have not had a replacement pad/rotor combo last as long as the stock pads and rotors.

 

[CDW6212R]

For an upgrade, research the Aviator front spindles/rotors/calipers.

Below that, stick with best pads, mid level rotors, SS brake hoses if you can get them, and first flush all fluid with top quality DOT 4 brake fluid. That's short and sweet, and you can do it.

 

[Explorer_PL]

Like CDW said, to increase the braking power, you'd need to do the Aviator conversion to install bigger size rotors.
I never even tried, but I do not believe you can dramatically improve your braking with better pads, the Explorers just brake the way they do and it's the entire system design issue. I use AutoZone Gold pads and it works for me.

The premium pads and drilled rotors from all those aftermarket companies sound like the advertisement of cold air intake adding 25 hp which is a total BS, sorry
Maybe the improve the braking a little, but not to the point they are worth extra bucks - this is just my opinion, but what do I know ?

 

[CDW6212R]

You can gain a small amount with slotted or drilled rotors, but just maintaining high quality pads, fluid, and stock rotors will net more than the slotted etc. That's due to losing brake power from lesser pads, fluid, and rotors, they perform worse with age. So do the most important things first, and splurge for better brand rotors if you feel comfortable with the higher cost.

The worst choice is to pick cheap brand rotors or pads, drilled cheap rotors are the ones that crack often, while slotted never do.

 

[GodStang]

I ordered Power Stop for my wife's Van and they ended up sending me Slotted rotors. I installed the kit and really really like it so far. I will do them on my explorer next.

 

[GodStang]

For an upgrade, research the Aviator front spindles/rotors/calipers.

Below that, stick with best pads, mid level rotors, SS brake hoses if you can get them, and first flush all fluid with top quality DOT 4 brake fluid. That's short and sweet, and you can do it.

Front brake upgrade

Here is the link for ours. I may do this after upgrading the sub.

 

[MotorCityFats13]

I use the autozone max pads with ebay slotted drilled rotors the full set was less than $140.... the 4 rotors didnt add any extra stop unless I drove through a flooded street but those pads are well worth the $140 investment... i first put them on my 1998 and then swapped them out for the 2007 and paid the difference.... i have warranty swapped them about 5 times and they were never in danger of being low and I can do multiple 60-0 panic stops and they never fade or give off a smell

 

[dacaur2]

I bought a full set of "max brakes" drilled/slotted rotors and ceramic pads for my explorer in april 2017, and have been thoroughly happy with them over 35-40K miles so far.. This is the set I have (amazon link).
I hear people all the time saying things like "unless you drive a race car, you dont need drilled and slotted rotors" etc etc, and in everyday driving I agree they likely don't help much if at all. But, anyone who has ever started a decent with good vibration free brakes and gotten to the bottom of a canyon with warped rotors will agree they are worth it.
The extra heat dissipation surely wont help in day to day, work and back driving, but that ONE time you are loaded with camping gear and have to use the brakes a LOT and they don't warp like a solid rotor would makes it worth it right there....

 

[CDW6212R]

I'm sorry but rotors do not warp because they are solid rotors. Cheap rotors warp because the steel is lower quality than better brand rotors. Cheap drilled rotors will warp, and they will crack given hard enough braking.

If you discover brakes that you like a lot, and they survive hard braking without warping, great. Conclude that those are high quality parts, from a good brand. Remember that brand and when possible suggest it to others.

There are tons of parts brands available now, 25 years ago a person could know them all and know which are great, or crap brands. Now it's way harder to know anything about the tons of never heard of before brands. They are all on equal ground advertising, they are all on the same sources, eBay, Amazon etc. Word of mouth is great to help others to find good parts, thanks for helping.

 

[dacaur2]

Regardless of what you call it or the actual mechanics behind it, heat is the #1 cause of "my car didn't vibrate when I hit the brakes before, but now it does" (when the issue is actually brake related)
I never said cheap rotors of any type were better than quality rotors. It is a fact that a drilled rotor will run cooler than a solid rotor of equal quality.
I just gave my personal experience with one brand that I have had on my explorer for about two years now with zero issues.

 

[Explorer_PL]

They warp when braking, getting the rotors hot and then hitting a water puddle

 

[CDW6212R]

...
The extra heat dissipation surely wont help in day to day, work and back driving, but that ONE time you are loaded with camping gear and have to use the brakes a LOT and they don't warp like a solid rotor would makes it worth it right there....

Don't be a prick, you stated/implied that solid rotors will warp while a drilled rotor won't under the same conditions. Don't use heat as an excuse, the issue is quality of steel, not heat. Any rotor will do fine if not pushed hard. Low quality rotors will warp under hard use, whether they are drilled or solid. High quality rotors will not warp no matter the usage, or whether drilled or solid. The middle ground quality rotors should be avoided for people who are hard on brakes. If you are hard on brakes, get the best brands. It's still all about quality, and pads are more important than rotors.

You said it, so don't defend it and attack me for pointing out facts. Be helpful, but when you make a mistake in wording or judgment, be humble and accept the result.

 

[thebrakeman]

Don,
Both posts from decaur2 seem to be simply stating his position, and I see nothing in either post that is an "attack" on you. Conversely, your post 13 seems to start argumentative, and in post 14, you resort to name-calling. You both made your points. Let the OP decide what to do, and please don't let this thread continue to degrade.

 

[Dan'sBlueEB]

They warp when braking, getting the rotors hot and then hitting a water puddle

While that can happen, the biggest cause of rotor warping is incorrect torque on the lug nuts. I loosen and then properly torque, with a cross pattern, ANY time ANYONE has taken a wheel off of my vehicles.
I have personally experienced having my wheels rotated when a thousand miles from home and the rotors were warped by the time I got back, lots of mountains between. I re-torqued properly and the pulsating corrected itself. All these shops that cut rotors for pulsation should just stop it!

 

[swshawaii]

Warped' Rotors Myth - Correctly Service Brakes ... - Brake & Front End