Best Rotors?

[Myrosia]

I need to replace my front rotors.

Could you please suggest the recommended rotors I should replace with? I found a website called Brembo but not sure if those are ones you guys suggest?

Thanks.

Maria

1999 Ford Contour SE, V-4

 

[98SVTC]

I doubt that you'll need anything more than original replacement items from your Ford dealer or your local parts supplier like Autozone, etc. Going with Brembos or other high performance type rotors is just plain overkill on a street car unless you're going to race it or something.
Karl

 

[TIREGUY200]

I would love same feedback on this one too. I have had 5 sets of front rotor's on my 99 in the last 92,000 miles. I have tried OEM x 2 , Brembo slotted x 1 , and Auto Zone cheap and upgrade 1 x each , all with the same results. Warped after 10-15,000 miles. Any thoughts?

 

[SVTJON87]

I would love same feedback on this one too. I have had 5 sets of front rotor's on my 99 in the last 92,000 miles. I have tried OEM x 2 , Brembo slotted x 1 , and Auto Zone cheap and upgrade 1 x each , all with the same results. Warped after 10-15,000 miles. Any thoughts?

you get on the brakes to hard?:shrugr your calipers are sticking. ive never had that problem

 

[96RedSE5Sp]

DO NOT go with stock Ford rotors. Years ago, I heard that Bendix were much better. I don't know if that's still true.

 

[Blackfoot]

I would love same feedback on this one too. I have had 5 sets of front rotor's on my 99 in the last 92,000 miles. I have tried OEM x 2 , Brembo slotted x 1 , and Auto Zone cheap and upgrade 1 x each , all with the same results. Warped after 10-15,000 miles. Any thoughts?

Did you replace the Pads and properly seat them??

To answer the original question I believe the Best Brand is the Search Brand. If you go to the Brakes section there is a ton of information about rotors. There is a FAQ there that will answer most of your questions. Welcome to CEG!!!

 

[BrApple]

I highly suggest getting an american or canadian made rotor, rotors made with steel from over seas are not of the same quality and will tend to rust to the hub.

Also my thoughts on brakes, they allow you to stop and therefor keep you on the road and safe, why would you go cheap? same story with tires ...

 

[Myrosia]

Did you replace the Pads and properly seat them??

To answer the original question I believe the Best Brand is the Search Brand. If you go to the Brakes section there is a ton of information about rotors. There is a FAQ there that will answer most of your questions. Welcome to CEG!!!

Thanks. I just went through that entire thread. I found nothing suggesting which rotors are the best.

 

[AliasJerk]

First of all, there is no such thing as a V-4, your motor would be known as an I4 (inline 4)

But if you want the best stock replacement rotors, I would suggest Bendix, you can get them at Advance auto, they are a little more pricey but its entirely worth it for a rotor that very likely will never warp.

I had a set on my old Corolla, no matter how hard I beat on them they always stopped nice a smooth

 

[Rager]

I just replaced pads and rotors with Rayspestos(sp) brand, both items.

US made and semi-metalics, and I'm real happy with them. I took a file to some of the rust on the pad retention ears. The pads should slip into their guides with a minimum of effort.

AFA warpage, sometimes just making sure and torqueing the wheels, with a torque wrench is needed. Although if the rotors are warped- they're warped.

Time will tell, I have only a few hundred miles on them.

AFA seating them I know there's a few procedures out there, a few for use on a track. I went for a drive with about 20 minutes of average use. Then did a few strong 55-60mph stops to almost zero with 1 minute cooldowns in between.

 

[Necronommicon]

If they are warping that quickly you are most likely riding the brakes too much or something to that nature. You could always spend more $ and try getting some rotors that where Cryo'd

 

[LauraSVT]

I would love same feedback on this one too. I have had 5 sets of front rotor's on my 99 in the last 92,000 miles. I have tried OEM x 2 , Brembo slotted x 1 , and Auto Zone cheap and upgrade 1 x each , all with the same results. Warped after 10-15,000 miles. Any thoughts?

Slider pins, man, slider pins. Check 'em out -- they could be sticking, keeping the pad in contact with the rotor, creating heat, causing warpage.

As for rotors, I agree with 98SVTC about going with the Motorcraft parts. Brapple's right about the cheap eats overseas rotors -- the steel isn't as good as what we've got here. Besides, if you buy Motorcraft, you'll be supporting the boys and girls in Dearborn, directly or indirectly (thumbs up).

 

[svtavino]

Everyone should read this about warped brakes. http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_warped_brakedisk.shtml#
What I have found is don't buy cheap rotors. Although I had good ones warp on me I think it was the pads. (bendix titanium) Cheap rotors usually also run thinner than the better ones besides the cheaper material. What I did to get rid of the warping every 10k miles on my wife’s mystique was upgraded to svt sized rotor and changed pad material(bendix ceramic). I think if i just changed the pad material it would have fixed it originally. Since the last pad change, over 1 year ago, it has been shake free. The warping was definitely due to where she was driving on a main road with lights with speeds near 50 then to 0 at least a few times during her ride to work. The bendix titaniums have been fine on my other vehicles so it really depends on where you are driving.

 

[F111D F]

The main thing I've learned about our Contiques after 65k miles and 4-5 frt brake redo's, was Ford's bean counter engineering used too small rotors. (260mm) I upgraded to 278mm. got brackets at junk yard off of a Cougar (15 embossed in the bracket) and reused the stock calipers. I happened to get a deal on-line for Brembos (278 mm) and very happy with the outcome. Replacing the caliper bushings also in very important, wish I'd pushed the Advanced before for not making them readily available. (On-line it's cheaper than store and for some reason the store could not order just the bushings????? Two pieces of Neoprene or some polymer. Also New Bendix Titanium Pads and I broke it in very easily for the first 250 miles. All the other methods IMHO are for racing pads. Over 8000 miles and many trips through my ole previous torture/rotor warping Chicago I haven't had such a fine pedal. Just as smooth as new!!!!
The Brembo's are very good quality casing and machined like the ones I got from Stazi. The inherent braking-- the transfer of the pad material to the rotor is so even with this rotor-- I think it's has to do with bigger rotor and a good material used in the rotor, but mainly the rotor size reducing heat stress. Thank you to the on-line site for the email offering a deal I couldn't refuse--- for less $ 50 I got two ea Brembos shipped. Even at $45-$48 plus shipping will be worth it, good rotors. Upgrading to 278MM IMHO is mandatory. I only wish I'd ordered two sets for on my back-up Mistake LS. The hard part is finding a donor Cougar, $20 is whole lot better than $100 bucks a piece from Ford parts for the brackets.
One more note the for those in winter salt roads the Brembo's vent air from the outside and not the normal inside, makes easy for flushing the salt out of the rust prone vents, even if you do coat them.

 

[TIREGUY200]

Did you replace the Pads and properly seat them??

Yes. I have also done every one from oem to antozone and also the greenstuff pads. I have tried to break them in before also. Yes I do get on them hard very regular, but 15k per set? I did read on and there are grear suggestions on this thread and i'll try next time/ Thanks for the help all.