So I heard the standard grinding screeching noise under a stopping yesterday.  Looked at the front brake pads and they are shot.  Went on RockAuto for a new set of pads and rotors.  I noticed a lot of different options.  Prices ranging from 25 each for rotors up to 250 for the top end.  Is there a substantial difference between the low end, mid grade and top end?  I don't pull heavy loads, just daily driving to work.  I'm of the school of thought that you get what you pay for.  I just hate to waste money if its not really any better.  I know the pads are substantially different depending on application but the rotors are my real question.  Whats everyone else running, recommend, certain things to stay away from?  Any certain combination that works better than others.  I live in Montana so we don't really have major corrosion issues.

 

Thanks

Bill

 

For some reason I thought it was just the 3500 that had the PITA front rotors. Never had a 2500 only 3500's. Although that hd steering on the 99 gave pretty good service life couldn't complain one bit on that one. The 02 is @ 115k and just did ball joints, and track bar. Rest of the steering is OEM as far as I can tell. 

On 5/16/2019 at 10:20 AM, Rotax3006 said:

I might keep an eye out for one but a $1000 buys a lot of brake pads. 

 

Not really. When you figure like @JAG1 a set of units bearing in the front, rotors, calipers, and brake pads. Once you run a steep grade and you overheat the brakes most everything will need to be replaced for safety. JAG1 found out that the heat from the rotors cooked the grease out the unit bearings, warped the rotors, burnt the brake pads, and possibly doing seal damage to the calipers. Only takes one steep grade to do damage.

 

Even better yet he wasn't towing. Just carrying his camper in the bed of the truck.

 

$1,000 only covers maybe 2 sets of everything.

Edited June 1, 20195 yr by Mopar1973Man

29 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

 

Not really. When you figure like @JAG1 a set of units bearing in the front, rotors, calipers, and brake pads. Once you run a steep grade and you overheat the brakes most everything will need to be replaced for safety. JAG1 found out that the heat from the rotors cooked the grease out the unit bearings, warped the rotors, burnt the brake pads, and possibly doing seal damage to the calipers. Only takes one steep grade to do damage.

 

Even better yet he wasn't towing. Just carrying his camper in the bed of the truck.

 

$1,000 only covers maybe 2 sets of everything.

And you do not want to find out what it's like having a front bearing go at highway speeds neither. Very hazardous shocking feeling. My truck threw itself into the fast lane without warning. I was glad no one was beside me.

On 5/31/2019 at 8:55 PM, JAG1 said:

And you do not want to find out what it's like having a front bearing go at highway speeds neither. Very hazardous shocking feeling. My truck threw itself into the fast lane without warning. I was glad no one was beside me.

 

Did you experience a catastrophic failure at speed? That would be a ride for sure, probably about like blowing a front tire.  

 

I definitely drive like moparman, lots of following distance and the middle pedal doesn’t exist. 

 

This most recent failure was a result of a frozen caliper. The other side looked new still. Need to pay closer attention when I rotate tires. 

11 hours ago, Rotax3006 said:

Did you experience a catastrophic failure at speed?

 

I have as well. Darting back and forth in the lanes couldn't hold it straight and completely failed in Downtown Boise. Lot of metal grind noise which was loud enough to hear in the cab with the windows up. 

 

11 hours ago, Rotax3006 said:

 

This most recent failure was a result of a frozen caliper.

 

Again another common failure for excessive use of the service brakes. The brake fluid gets hot and cakes up to the pistons in the caliper till pistons start to hang up. Which in turn creates the problem, even more, being the piston will not fully release the brake pads. You can prevent this failure with 30k miles brake fluid changes and limiting the use of the service brakes and lean more on the exhaust brake.

I lost one around 40 mph. Cant imagine that happening at freeway speeds. 

This is a complete thread derail but I don't want to start a new thread just for this. Apologies in advance. Reading about things failing while driving made me think of this. Last night I finally got my truck rolling after it being down for almost 14 months. Made it probably 10 miles, blew a boot off the turbo somehow (I think it snapped, I probably over tightened it... Close to 2 years ago!). Pulled over and took me a few minutes to find it... In my back tire. FFS.

 

... Brakes work good though. Hah.

 

 

3 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:Again another common failure for excessive use of the service brakes. The brake fluid gets hot and cakes up to the pistons in the caliper till pistons start to hang up. Which in turn creates the problem, even more, being the piston will not fully release the brake pads. You can prevent this failure with 30k miles brake fluid changes and limiting the use of the service brakes and lean more on the exhaust brake.

I should have clarified better, the caliper froze up on the pins and wore one brake pad off. I’m guessing from all the mud, snow and that wonderful magnesium chloride the state uses.  I’m in no way implying that an exhaust brake wouldn’t be sweet, I’m just not going to spend the money on me right now. Maybe down the road though. 

59 minutes ago, kzimmer said:

This is a complete thread derail but I don't want to start a new thread just for this. Apologies in advance. Reading about things failing while driving made me think of this. Last night I finally got my truck rolling after it being down for almost 14 months. Made it probably 10 miles, blew a boot off the turbo somehow (I think it snapped, I probably over tightened it... Close to 2 years ago!). Pulled over and took me a few minutes to find it... In my back tire. FFS.

 

... Brakes work good though. Hah.

 

 

The old standard insult to injury.........

On 6/2/2019 at 1:12 PM, kzimmer said:

This is a complete thread derail but I don't want to start a new thread just for this. Apologies in advance. Reading about things failing while driving made me think of this. Last night I finally got my truck rolling after it being down for almost 14 months. Made it probably 10 miles, blew a boot off the turbo somehow (I think it snapped, I probably over tightened it... Close to 2 years ago!). Pulled over and took me a few minutes to find it... In my back tire. FFS.

 

... Brakes work good though. Hah.

 

 

At least it didn't end up in the turbo 

9 hours ago, dave110 said:

At least it didn't end up in the turbo 

 

Haha, yeah it was the pressure side.