Best rear brakes to prevent front rotor warpage

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

T

tmils470

10 Year
Joined
Feb 3, 2014
Threads
17
Messages
87
Location
Walnut Creek CA
Checking threads and found a lot of front warped rotors.
I know many car companies built the SUVs with more front bias to keep the rear end in line on panic stops.
Is the 100 brake system biased too much to the front?
Can someone suggest a "better" rear pad that will do more work and lighten the load on the front brakes?

Is there anything out there to even it out and make the rear brakes work harder? Pads? Bias change?
Rotors?
Or should I go with less work on the front brakes? Pads?

I need to change both front and rear brakes rotors etc and I don't want warped front rotors in 15k miles or less.
 
I don't think the 100s are more inclined to brake rotors "warping" than any other car. Never had problems with mine, just regular brake jobs.

The best thing I have seen to keep rotors in spec is to use pads that actually wear, none of that lifetime crap.
 
Don'r recall reading reports of warped rotors on a regular basis here. The rotors on the 100 series are beefy, and have a very long service life if treated well. Warped rotors on these trucks are only likely when another problem arises that may cause warping or something dumb like washing the truck when the rotors are hot after a drive. Nothing like cold water on one side of a hot rotor to cause it to warp. Brake pressure bias toward the front is typical for most street vehicles. ABS provides a limit to braking effort in front, so the only situation where overheating is an issue is in prolonged steep descents which are better handled by selecting a lower gear vs relying on braking alone.
 
A.R.T. Cryo'd rotors & Porterfield pads [Assuming you don't want to move up to the best solution: Stoptech BBK (front)].

My A.R.T. rear rotors are still going strong with 130k tough miles and never been turned. With my 8,000lb rig (in full touring mode) I simply couldn't ask for better.
 
So . . . yea, my LC had "warped rotors" front and back at around 85k. Read a lot of brake threads here and elsewhere about the topic (can rotors really become "warped" - I'll leave that one alone here!) and decided to replace the front with DBAs and OEM pads. After getting the rear PS one resurfaced, it was Ok for a while but then decided to replace it w/ DBAs and OEM pads the same as the front when it had a run out. Also went with stainless steel brake lines (except center line) at about the same time.

The results were very positive - especially for short, sudden stops on pavement and long, steep, off road descents. Much improved tow braking as well. Overall, I was very pleased. Keep in mind this is a very mildly built LC. Others on here tow and store much heavier loads. So you'll see cryo'd rotors, high performance pads, and big brake kits as well.
 
I am quite pleased with OEM replacement rotors and pads in 2012. I used ceramic grease on the pad backing and the StopTech process for "bedding" the pads. I have quiet and smooth stops. On the 100 I found the rear brake pads wear out much faster than the front; in my LC as well as LX. Perhaps this is the impact of what you were wondering regarding rear brakes working harder? My rear brake pads need replacing around 30K miles, fronts about 100K.
 
I bought my LX with 63k miles and a seemingly easy life. All OEM, and the front rotors are warped and the rear rotors need replacement due to wear.
I plan on replacing with OEM pads and rotors but was looking for an improvement in what I thought was a problem.

What are "DBAs" ?
 
There was a service bulletin on warped rotors L-BR004-01 that involved using on board lathe to get a smooth flat surface to eliminate vibration. I prefer to get a new rotor. As an alternative, I am considering NAPA as a source for rotors. They look better than the standard fare. I have an 03 RX that stops well but with a noticeable brake vibration, so I have a similar concern at the moment.
 
331k miles and no warped rotors. In my experience one of the key things is to make sure you correctly torque your lug nuts. Do it wrong and the rotor will warp.
 
LXPearl said:
...On the 100 I found the rear brake pads wear out much faster than the front; in my LC as well as LX. Perhaps this is the impact of what you were wondering regarding rear brakes working harder? My rear brake pads need replacing around 30K miles, fronts about 100K.
Click to expand...
Same here on an '01 LX.

Steve
 
I have a bad habit of using whatever they have for sale at Slee. I don't always buy from them, but if they have it listed for sale on their site then I go with it.


...via IH8MUD app
 
The 80 and 100 series warp the OEM rotors all day, every day. That is why "brake" and rotor threads are so common on here. Its also why we sell so many drilled and slotted rotors.

360.webp
 
I think there is more to warped rotors than what is being discussed here.

Sometimes, "warped rotors" are a misdiagnosis and is actually brake pad leaching into the rotor. When braking, this grabs the pad and makes it feel like they are warped.

Keep in mind, heat is a major factor in any scenario. Driving style and conditions can have a big impact on this.

Quality pads are just as important as quality rotors.

If you have lots of issues, a slight change in driving style can help.
 
Duiser Offroad said:
The 80 and 100 series warp the OEM rotors all day, every day. That is why "brake" and rotor threads are so common on here. Its also why we sell so many drilled and slotted rotors.
Click to expand...
I disagree.

tmils470 said:
Checking threads and found a lot of front warped rotors.
I know many car companies built the SUVs with more front bias to keep the rear end in line on panic stops.
Is the 100 brake system biased too much to the front?
Can someone suggest a "better" rear pad that will do more work and lighten the load on the front brakes?

Is there anything out there to even it out and make the rear brakes work harder? Pads? Bias change?
Rotors?
Or should I go with less work on the front brakes? Pads?

I need to change both front and rear brakes rotors etc and I don't want warped front rotors in 15k miles or less.
Click to expand...
The 100 is slightly rear biased at low pedal pressures, ranging from 106 % rear pressure at weak braking to 60% at hard braking. (%% in relation to front brakes pressure). That way, at a normal defensive driving style, you get more wear at the rear. Otoh, if you always keep full speed towards all junctions and then convert all the kinetic energy to heat through the brakes, you get more wear up front.
As the rear pads have a smaller surface, they often wear faster than the fronts, unless all your braking is hard :)
 
It's very rare to see a rotor actually warp unless you get them red hot and enter a water crossing. Most of the pulsating is from uneven transfer of brake pad material on the rotor after a hard stop, or long downhill section where the driver rides the brakes down and makes a complete stop. After the pad material is transferred, the pad will not glide over the rotor smoothly compared to the rest of the rotor surface. Since you cannot actually burn off the material (embedded into the rotor at this point), turning them or replacing them is the only option.

If you are required to make a hard stop, or ride your brakes down the hill and then required to make a complete stop. I would advise to stop short and apply soft pressure to the brakes and roll forward, this will allow the pads/rotors to cool and exit the pad material transfer temps. I rolled forward very slowly after getting off the highway and doing a 80MPH>0MPH stop. If your brakes are overheating and have brake fade, do not hold the brake pedal down. Use the emergency brakes to hold the vehicle until the rotors cool.

Drilled and slotted due dissipate heat faster, but they can just as easily have material transfer after a hard stop. Rapid heating/cooling of aftermarket drilled/slotted rotors can induce cracking.
 
2000UZJ said:
Drilled and slotted due dissipate heat faster, but they can just as easily have material transfer after a hard stop. Rapid heating/cooling of aftermarket drilled/slotted rotors can induce cracking.
Click to expand...

Do you have a link to any studies done on the heat dissipation? I haven't ever been able to find any. Even Porsche admitted on their site a few years ago that the drilled/slotting were only for dissipating water vapors during wet track sessions, with no mention of the cooling effect. (This has since been taken down). I believe Stoptech had/has a similar article on their site.

The rotors are already vented, so I'm not sure if the holes really do much for cooling. If anything, it would be more prone to "warping" due to the material taken away (heat sink). This is why Toyota went to a much thicker rotor after complaints of rotors warping on the 1st Gen Tundras.
 
phsycle said:
Do you have a link to any studies done on the heat dissipation? I haven't ever been able to find any. Even Porsche admitted on their site a few years ago that the drilled/slotting were only for dissipating water vapors during wet track sessions, with no mention of the cooling effect. (This has since been taken down). I believe Stoptech had/has a similar article on their site.

The rotors are already vented, so I'm not sure if the holes really do much for cooling. If anything, it would be more prone to "warping" due to the material taken away (heat sink). This is why Toyota went to a much thicker rotor after complaints of rotors warping on the 1st Gen Tundras.
Click to expand...

Cross-drilled rotors are good for fast heat dissipation and reduction in braking gasses, but they are more prone to warpage due to less rotor material/surface, and lower peak temperature tolerance before "warping". They are not ideal for longevity. A OEM rotor will cool and heat evenly during the braking stage, and cool evenly (which is what you want). Drilled/slotted rotors can have hot spots and cold spots after stopping and that will result in different pedal feel depending on driving conditions, etc. Drilled/Slotted rotors do reduce brake fade, but that is due to cooler operating temps.

It's a double edged sword to be honest. You want the rotors to maintain a reasonable temperature between two parameters, the peak temperature needs to be as high as possible, and it also needs to cool as quickly as possible. However we all know that heating and cooling metal quickly can cause warping. There really isn't a good answer for that question.

OEM is obviously going to be the most standardized option with the longest life and good performance, slotted drilled will give you a very "slight" edge on initial bite and immediate cooling, but you reduce the life and reduce the peak temp that the rotor can withstand before it "warps"

I am NO brake expert, I've raced for quite some time and have had my fair share of slotted rotors or not arguments. I've found that on the track, slotted/drilled perform slightly better when you are really romping on the car in the corners and under hard braking after the main straight (160MPH - 60MPH). However on the street, I see very little improvement over the OEM's (I have slotted/drilled). I do notice quite a bit more brake dust, and depending on how hard I have been driving the LC, different brake pressure and brake depression upon normal driving. For me driving the LC hard results in firmer brake pressure and less brake pedal input, slower driving, and cool rotors result in more brake input for the same stopping distance. If I had to do the brakes again on my truck, I would go back to OEM. Sure, the sporty rotors look great, but the only thing you are gaining on this type of truck is a thinner wallet due to added brake wear. If you really want to increase the braking power of the truck, you need to do a proper StopTech BBK like Spressomon has done. A simple bolt on aftermarket rotor kit with some pads won't net you much in terms of braking and reducing stopping distance. You need a lot more rotor and pad surface to make a difference on anything.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom