[Jarrett]

I think I'm in need of a brake job and I'm wondering if there are any better aftermarket rotors for my '99. Not long after I drove my truck off the lot it started shaking when braking. I was told it was warped rotors. Well I never worried about it and @ around 20k miles I had my truck serviced at the dealership and they said the rotors needed to be turned. Well that lasted for about a month before the vibrating returned. Now I have 34k miles and my brakes have been squeeking. I'll probably bring it in to my local mechanic this week and get them checked/replaced. If the rotors need replacing he'll probably want to replace them with oem replacements. I'd like to go to some better rotors that'll resist warping more. I'm not looking for some big performance parts, just something better, maybe the same size but cross-drilled or something. Sorry for the long post.

 

[Roadrunner]

That sounds like a common ford problem, but the thing is that rangers are not usually know for warped rotors, that is usually f150's and up. Ford has not had the greatis brake history, most of the ford brakes that I have had on my vehicles have had problems. One thing you might want to have you machanic look at is if the brakes are binding. This can cause warping of the rotors, and that was the problem on my days older f150. As for crossdrilled rotors, mosty people don't seem to think they help much, my personal believe it that they are only for visual effects. They don't seem like they would have much effect on braking. To get really high performance braking you might want to swap in a set of rear disc breaks. Or even go for a bigger set of front discs. Al this stuff is very expensive. The best and cheapist thing to to would be have the break system checked and get good quality rotors and pads.

 

[Guest]

Good suggestions Roadrunner. Crossdrilled and slotted rotors serve a purpose, that being they dissapate heat better. They also help keep some of the crud off that builds up on brake pads, and help prevent glazing. I personally swap out the factory pads for Wagner semi-metallic at the first opportunity. They run about $30 a set for front pads. Usually the rear are OK. They don't dirty up the front wheels nearly as much either.

 

[Guest]

sounds like two things. You ride the brakes hard and you or someone that worked on your truck didn't toque the lug nuts with a torque wrench. If you don't torque the lug nut evenly on the rangers they will warp the rotors much faster. Also if you constantly wait until the last second a brake real hard it will wear out your pads much faster and the added heat generated will eventually warp the rotors.

 

[Jarrett]

sounds like two things. You ride the brakes hard and you or someone that worked on your truck didn't toque the lug nuts with a torque wrench. If you don't torque the lug nut evenly on the rangers they will warp the rotors much faster. Also if you constantly wait until the last second a brake real hard it will wear out your pads much faster and the added heat generated will eventually warp the rotors.

As far as torquing the lugnuts too much, that's possible. I've only taken my truck to my local dealer to have my tires rotated and balanced and there are some dumbasses working there. I don't ever brake hard. Everyone that rides with me messes with me for slowing down and applying the brakes so far away from a stop. I also leave lots of space between me and the car in front so I've got longer to stop. I think the factory rotors are just ****.

 

[RGONOT]

I had alot of trouble with me 1990 F-150 brakes/rotors. I took it in to the shop so often the guy asked if I was racing it. For a daily driver it went through pads quickly and I replaced the rotors twice in its 110,000 mile life. But I havent had any trouble with my Ranger (30,000 miles and counting) Maybe you got a bad batch or the lug nut theory. It never hurts to upgrade from the factory equipment...

 

[Manifest]

I have noticed similar problems with my 98. From what I can tell the rotors are not warping but RUSTING. When they rust they peal, leaving uneven sections on the rotors that cause the shimmy in the wheel when breaking. Since my truck is just out of warranty I doubt that they dealer is going to do anything, but it started doing it at about 25k. Turning the rotors helps, but only for about 10K before they do it again. When rotors flake this way there is just something wrong with the metal.

I first noticed this when I found thin pealed parts of the rotor on my driveway. Anyone know where to get some decent aftermarket rotors for our trucks like brembo?