Which rotors? Where to buy?

[OutbackMat]

This is for my '97 LOB. The fronts shake the steering wheel and the rears make me chug to a stop. It's time for new rotors! I think the pads were replaced around 30K ago, and they don't squeek, so I'll let them go, but I need rotors all around. Frankly, I'm surprised I got as much out of these as I did!
I was looking on the rockauto website; they've got some cheap Wagner rotors and I've used Wagner with reasonable results in the past, but I see a lot of people here like Brembo. I wasn't impressed with the Brembo rotors I used on my Neon--and that thing was 700lbs lighter.
So I'd like some recommendations on plane jane (maybe better than OEM) rotors and where to get them.

[rougeben83]

autozone rotors, $35/ea. Seriously.

[Huffer]

^^ Seriously. I spent money on Brembo blanks and should have gone with the cheaper ones.

It's the pads that matter more.

[nipper]

I did the autozone thing myslef, 35.00


nipper

[OutbackMat]

Sounds good to me. Are these "lifetime" rotors or anything? Just the bottom-o-the barrel Chinese stuff?

[nipper]

I think they were the next level up.

They were the Duralast brand.

When its a chunk of metal, I am not that pickey about the source, though they do have cheaper and much much more expensive. I matched mine with ceramic pads and have been happy with them.

[decke48]

most of the steel today is scrap to begin with. since must new steel is rarly produced..

[deadlydave]

NAPA Ultra Premium Rotors. They're built to manufacturer spec and the vented rotors actually have the OEM proprietary pattern for proper airflow and cooling. Most cheapie rotors use a simpler cooling vane design.
http://www.napabrakes.com/wps/portal/napabrake/c1/jY7LDoIwFES_yPS2UMpWIrSVyiVWHrIxLIxpIuDC-P2WnW6qmeXJmRkyEJ95fLnb-HTLPN5JT4bkUqd1TpVkgJrHwIxtVWbrY1lQz8-fPNI7YLyIqIATTVv-j10lpUZWeW54Bmwfq6bZHkBq-GF369vw-spD_d9-i7lfwMhYIaRAEexHTEillulKHlPTg9ObN3KlfM4!/dl2/d1/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnB3LzZfUDhQRTFIRzIwT0k1NDAyTFNWSEJTUFJLRjE!?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/affinia_websites_content_en/affinia.websites.content/Products/General/napa_brakes/Rotors/

[OutbackMat]

That sounds like what I'm looking for, Dave. My biggest complaint with the Brembos was the lack of cooling veins and the resulting fade under normal driving.

[jey]

You might not have warped rotors - it could be uneven brake deposits on your rotors:

http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_warped_brakedisk.shtml

[OutbackMat]

This is true...but how can one tell?

[rougeben83]

This is true...but how can one tell?

scuff up your rotors, spray some brake cleaner on them, then rebed the pads (ie brake the snot out of them). Would be cheaper than getting whole new rotors...

[jey]

From the link I posted:


The obvious question now is "is there a "cure" for discs with uneven friction material deposits?" The answer is a conditional yes. If the vibration has just started, the chances are that the temperature has never reached the point where cementite begins to form. In this case, simply fitting a set of good "semi-metallic" pads and using them hard (after bedding) may well remove the deposits and restore the system to normal operation but with upgraded pads. If only a small amount of material has been transferred i.e. if the vibration is just starting, vigorous scrubbing with garnet paper may remove the deposit. As many deposits are not visible, scrub the entire friction surfaces thoroughly. Do not use regular sand paper or emery cloth as the aluminum oxide abrasive material will permeate the cast iron surface and make the condition worse. Do not bead blast or sand blast the discs for the same reason.

The only fix for extensive uneven deposits involves dismounting the discs and having them Blanchard ground - not expensive, but inconvenient at best.


I've also managed to eliminate brake rotor wobble before by taking some good, hard, 105 mph to 40 mph applications - I happened to be at a track day :)

[OutbackMat]

Well, the vibration has been going on since before Christmas, so I don't think I've escaped with the easy sanding fix. And the discs are too thin to cut again.
So I'll check out the Napa Ultra Premium rotors.

Thanks again, Guys.