My front rotors were pretty badly warped a couple weeks back so I bought some new ones from Pep Boys. Pretty expensive ones too. I replaced the rotors (pads and rear rotors/pads appear to be perfectly fine). Once the new front rotors were installed, it was like I was braking on a cloud. It's a beautiful thing. I drove my motorcycle for a week while letting my car sit. Then I went to Florida (I live in KY) and I let my car sit. When I got back and drove my car for the first time, I felt a "pulse" in the brake pedal. And I can feel/hear the "puh puh puh puh puh" the car makes while braking. It's not major and the car isn't shaking, but I know that's just around the corner.

When I bought my new rotors, I was real easy on them. Drove them about 200 miles with no harsh stops and never let them stay engaged for a complete stop (when i'm going REAL SLOW I'll let off the brake and let my car roll to a stop). I'm still easy on them right now. I just have no clue how they could already be warped. Is there another problem I'm facing? I cleaned off the rotor oil, I greased up every joint and moving part really good... I just don't know what else it could be.

(I have a 5 speed and use the e-brake and put the car in 1st while parked.)

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

02 V6 5 speed

 

Did you start with new pads when you did the front rotors?

 

Did you bed the rotors in? Rotor bedding requires a series of light stops, followed by moderate stops and then heavy high speed stops(over simplifying the process), all with cool down periods in between. When doing that they get HOT, but it finishes the treating process. Not staying on the brakes when you come to a stop is good, but without the proper bedding to allow the rotor to cure under the high heat/pressure, they're not completely bedded.

 

If you did bed them correctly, you likely have a caliper hanging up. This could be
1. the flexable rubber lne colloapsing or swelling internally(in which case the inner pad generally wears faster),
2. the caliper slides could be siezed or nearly siezed(in which case the outer pad generally wears quiker),
3. you could have old brake fluid that has collected water and the water boils when the caliper heats up causeing it to lightly apply the brakes and overheat the rotor.

 

agreed^^^^

 

How long were you driving with the warped rotors? They might have caused uneven tire wear & that's what you're feeling now when you hit the brakes

 

"Did you start with new pads when you did the front rotors?"
No, my pads still had a lot remaining. I just replaced the rotor.

"Did you bed the rotors in?"
I didn't use that process. Do you know a link where I can find it? And when I get my rotors turned, can I then do the bedding process or is it unnecessary?

"If you did bed them correctly, you likely have a caliper hanging up."
I'll try to check this stuff out. Thanks.

"How long were you driving with the warped rotors?"
It couldn't have been longer than a couple months. And I don't think uneven tire wear is the case. When I immediately installed my rotors, the braking was ultra smooth.

Thanks for all the tips. If you can think of anything else, please let me know.

 

You should always bed new pads and rotors. Wilwood has good bedding procedures on their site. And it's a good idea to re bed them after having them turned, since it removes the transfer layer. And in all honesty, turning rotors is pointless unless the surface is no longer true. Slight wear is ok, even a lip on the edge, and they're fine as long as the surface isn't warped or heavily grooved.

I run abrasive high temp pads on my Wilwood discs, and with hundreds of thousands of miles of hard braking, have only replaced rotors once and never had them turned when changing pads.