warping brake rotors 99 burb

I am looking for some advice on this issue.Some time ago I replaced the front pads and rotors on the vehicle.Some time later I was experiencing a vibration when appling the brakes.It appeared to come from the back brakes.I depressed the park pedal and could feel the vibration.I changed the rear shoes and drums.I am not particularly fond of brake components made in China.I went to an extreme and got the drums turned before installing the drums.I wanted to make sure the trueness of the drums.After driving the vehicle,a vibration was still there.Since I had a spare set of rotors,I changed them and the vibration went away.After some time a vibration came back.I then decided to put my exchange rotors on and put ceramic pads on.I had gotten the rotors turned to make sure they are true.This worked for about 7500 kms and I changed the rotors again.I know that the rotor gets thinner with each turning of the rotors,but they should last longer.I am thinking of putting rotors that are drilled and groved for increased cooling.Any suggestions on my plan?Would getting larger rotors and calipers remedy this problem?From what I can tell the rear brakes are functioning properly.I don't pull a trailer but at times the vehicle is loaded with groceries from going on shopping trips.Thanks for taking time to read my story and do appreciate any help.
chuck's

the slotted rotor swap sounds ok.as far as the warping rotors
stay away from MADE IN CHINA ones because they do warp
very easily.i do not know if original setup has been an issue
for the burb.
Good luck
btw what brake parts are chinas that are on truck now??

the slotted rotor swap sounds ok.as far as the warping rotors
stay away from MADE IN CHINA ones because they do warp
very easily.i do not know if original setup has been an issue
for the burb.
Good luck
btw what brake parts are chinas that are on truck now??

yes when they get hot and going threw water will do this also.

my advice / opinion............

you wasted your time and money on cutting the rotors and drums.....

ceramic pads should not be used with OEM grade rotors............

I got my lifetime warrantee rotors, pads at advanced auto..."LIFETIME WARRANTEE " ....ANY FAILURES ITS FREE !

On the rear drums...these are good for about 50,ooomiles..this is because asbestos is no longer used as the shoe material...the drums get worn down at a very great rate.


when you remove the drums if the shoe is worn at the top only this is saying the drums are toooo big and must be replaced...

If you have to adjust the park brake cable the drums are too big..

If the front rotors and brake pads keep failing the drums are too big...

Do you torque the wheels down in 3 steps, using a torque wrench? Doing so might just help your problem.

For years, on many, many vehicles, I would tighten wheel lug nuts in sequence, often with an impact gun. I never checked lug nut torque (I went by feel and experience) and never had a problem, until I got my '97 Deville, back in 2007.

That car gave the original owner, and me trouble with rotors that wouldn't last 6 months before warping, for quite a few years, regardless of the brand used. Even US-made AC Delco rotors would warp. .

I started torquing wheels down in 3 steps using a torque wrench to 80 ft lbs. This is what was taught to me in my auto service community college, even though I never bothered to do this in the past, until several others had mentioned doing so fixed their warped rotor problems.

Since then, I've had no warps, even with cheapie Chinese rotors

The rotors that I have are ones made in USA.The other ones I think are still OEM.The brake drums are Chinese.I have inquired about drilled rotors and found that they were not that expensive.This will probably be the route that I will take when the vibration returns.May be it won't.I do torque my wheels on.I don't do it in three steps,but usually it is done in two.Thanks for the help.
chuck's

From what I understand Gm uses the exact same braking system on the suburbans as a 6foot box single cab 2-wheeler. So then it is no surprise that they completely suck on a truck that weighs 2000lbs. more. I had the same issue and instead of investing in a very expensive upgrade and an adjustable proportioning valve I ordered slotted/drilled rotors and ceramic pads from a company off of ebay called brakemotive. I am on my second set of these and have since put them on several other vehicles and everyone loves them. It was 95.00$ for front rotors and pads and they last longer stop better and never warp as long as installed properly. I would recommend them to anyone looking for a slight performance upgrade.

Make sure your caliper pins are sliding properly. I wore through a new set of HD pads in 7000 miles of 90% freeway driving, also ruining my rotors. When I pulled it all apart for the new rotors we discovered the caliper pins were sticking and corroded. That destroys both pads and rotors....and make them vibrate.

Drilled/slotted rotors are a waste of money. They have less mass, less metal, so lower heat capacitance = warping faster.
Ceramic pads are a bad choice too, they function most effectively at high temps, which is exactly what you're trying to avoid.

Did you bed the pads in correctly? If not, they won't be very effective and you'll wear the rotors quickly, overheat them, and warp them.

Drilled/slotted rotors are a waste of money. They have less mass, less metal, so lower heat capacitance = warping faster.
Ceramic pads are a bad choice too, they function most effectively at high temps, which is exactly what you're trying to avoid.

Did you bed the pads in correctly? If not, they won't be very effective and you'll wear the rotors quickly, overheat them, and warp them.

I bought them for towing which will give you high heat. The ceramics do need to warm up a little but they bite way better I can assure you. The last set I had on there lasted four years and never warped. There is a reason why all performance and race cars use them and I have been nothing but impressed with their performance and have seen no real side effects that would tell me to turn anyone away. The dealer brakes would fade with a high speed stop with a load, I am yet to have these fade.

I bought them for towing which will give you high heat. The ceramics do need to warm up a little but they bite way better I can assure you. The last set I had on there lasted four years and never warped. There is a reason why all performance and race cars use them and I have been nothing but impressed with their performance and have seen no real side effects that would tell me to turn anyone away. The dealer brakes would fade with a high speed stop with a load, I am yet to have these fade.


these rear drum trucks/suv vehicles do have the brake fade when trying to rapidly stop/slow down . drums are the problem.

I know of many that use the ceramic pads with the sloted rotors and this brake issue is resolved.

rear drum brakes are not good when they get hot.

I have rotors front / rear so I don't have this issue.

As mentioned before ya need NEW brake drums and shoes. But ya need to check the rear wheel bearings for lateral and axial play first. Won't be the first time worn bearings and/or axles has caused this problem youre havin.
Ya oughtta change the brake hardeware too. Them springs, links and retainers do wear out and things dont align and realign the way they're supposed to. (good point mishalah). Alot of people overlook this.
I dont cut drums and rotors anymore. Having them cut doesnt guarantee they are true and their life and performance is limited not to mention the associated problems with them and the extra time it takes isnt worth it compared to new parts. I always ask my customers, " Do you want good brakes or superb brakes"?. No one has complained yet.
I try not to buy anything made in China, it's the new Japan, but that's next to impossible and impractical for most of us. Nowadays quality is the responsibility of the buyer. You can have something made for this much but if you want better quality control in the product it'll cost you this much more.
Use quality drums, rotors and ceramic linings whenever possible. Ceramics are superior for heat control, fade resistance and give minimal dusting. Never use ceramics on cut rotors or 'pad slapping'. They won't set in properly, won't perform and will be short lived.
Also need to check front bearings, hubs, steering and suspension components prior to doing brake work so as to uncover anything that might cause problems later. If anything is questionable ya gotta make a determination and advised the customer prior to doing any work. JMHO