rotors

I need to replace my rotors--I have no idea how to remove the front rotors. PLEASE HELP!!

I have a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee - 2wd

To replace the front rotors, you need to remove the calipers.
DONOT LET THE CALIPER HANG BY THE HOSE.

Once the rotors are replaced, torque the wheel nuts to the specified torque for the vehicle or you rise early failure of the rotors due to warping.

Best you invest in a manual of some sort if you are going to undertake work where safety is a high priority.

JD

JD's right, a Haynes or Chilton manual will only cost you 10-15 bucks and will provide some helpful information about the most common repairs. I'm not too familiar with the newer Grands but there should be a couple of bolts holding the caliper on. Once that is loose you can swing it up out of they way so you can get at the rotor.
ByronP

Get used to it.Those rotors warp all the time and you will be changing them a lot.I'm a tech at a jeep dealer and that is one of our most common problems.Chrysler tried fixing it with new calipers but that did nothing.You might want to check with a dealer because they warranty a lot of those for a long time.

Is the issue here the size of the rotors for the weight of the vehicle?

i wish i knew.chrysler cant even figure it out.and they spent a lot of money trying.they tried blaming it on the calipers and came out with a new design but it didnt fix squat.some of these things come in with 3000 miles and the brakes pulsate so bad i dont know how the people drive these things

you will need a 7mm (if my memory is correct) hex caliper bit to remove the caliper bolts. you should be able to get one at autozone, etc.

Is the issue here the size of the rotors for the weight of the vehicle?


In a way it is. The rotors are composite construction, with a solid cast wear ring and stamped steel center. One piece cast rotors with vents are more stable and cool better but add weight to the vehicle- and probably cost too. That makes them less desirable to the manufacturer.

The last set of front rotors lasted me 40k miles and 2 years. That was with religious attention to wheel bolt torque whenever I rotated the tires. I could have just changed the rotors but chose to replace the pads at the same time. I also replaced the calipers ($25 each) just for precaution sake and 110k miles on them.

JD

Hey JD, are there cast/vented rotors available to replace the stock rotors? i've never looked into it...

Hey JD, are there cast/vented rotors available to replace the stock rotors? i've never looked into it...

Not that I know of. The best I can do is get the top line napa or wagner rotors. Thats short of going to the more expensive slotted ones.

Would be nice though. Maybe a cross over part if someone were to look close enough.

JD

I've seen a cross-drilled rotor somewhere for the JGC. I'm about to have to replace the rotors on my wife's, so I'll see if I can find the link again.

not cross drilled, vented discs. cross drilled rotors don't do much of anything but look neat. vented discs have channels in the middle of the disc that help dissipate heat better.

http://www.jegs.com/photos/915AR8242.jpg

see how the disc has air space in the middle. that's a vented rotor.

rotors can be cross drilled where they just drill holes through the disc, slotted, where the cut slots across the contact area, and/or vented where air channels are cast into the rotor.

That's what I ws looking at. Do you know what those run or who makes them?

Cross drilled rotors also wear the pads faster, so take that into consideration if you are looking at them.

http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=120352&prmenbr=361

those are vented and crossdrilled. i just want vented, if i can find them

http://www.jcwhitney.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=3971&catalogId=10101

there's some cheaper vented, drilled, slotted ones.

Ther are slotted rotors and rotors that are slotted and cross drilled. the function of the slots and cross drilling has verry little to do with cooling.

The benefit of the slotts and cross drilling is in the release of the gasses produced when the pad material heats up to reduce brake fade at the linings.

These are available for the jeep at a COST but don't give much protection against warping and parallelism faults that cause the pedal pulsation.

JD

Right for everyday driving, vented discs are just an added expense.

As I understand it, warping is essentially caused by stepping on the brakes too hard. This, combined with the compound used in the rotors allows the rotors to lose their shape in the location that the pads were in contact with the rotors.

Most warping of rotors is caused by uneven torquing of the wheel nuts or something that will make the surface uneven when they are tightened.

Rapid and uneven cooling will also contribute to warping as will siezed caliper mounts or pistons.

Cheap rotors may not have the same stress relief done on them as the top line rotors. Also the cheaper rotors may have casting variences, especially in the vented rotors.

JD

I am also in need of replacing the rotors on a 01 JGC.

I was quoted $50 per rotor, not sure if that was resonable. The main issue was the pads, they were $89 a pair. That seemed high.

Does anyone have information on where to get replacements at a better price?

Yeah do it yourself for 50 bucks, lol. There are a few places that will do it for a lil cheaper but take it to your trusty mechanic.

50 bucks per rotor is not so bad, that last time i did my rotors i pair 33 apeice at my local autoparts store.

Grands are bad on brakes. I'd think twice about the cross drilled rotors. They are expensive and I've heard people complain about them cracking(especially the cheap ones). Stillen makes a pretty decent rotor but $$$.
ByronP

I am also in need of replacing the rotors on a 01 JGC.

The main issue was the pads, they were $89 a pair. That seemed high.

Does anyone have information on where to get replacements at a better price?

Brakes are not the place to cut corners. The $89 pads are likely to be the ceramic/metalics. They are by far the most cost effective pad available for the type of vehicle the jgc is.

There are cheaper parts available for the brakes but............... are they worth the risk of your wellbeing both physically and financially if you cant stop adequatly(sp?_)

JD

I saw these on e-bay a few days ago-I also need new rotors on my jeep and was considering these slotted and drilled rotors. Not so sure now after reading the posts on the advantages of them. ANyway- here is the link if any one wants to check them out-the seem well priced but its tough to tell what quality they are-any comments or concerns????

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7916122021&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

That is a reasonable price for rotors for sure.

Not having used E-bay I'm not sure what the shipping and handling charges mean. Looks like $40 but is that for the first rotor or all of them?? There is another $25 for each additional item.

I looked for a website for the company "US Rotors" and couldn't find one so that is a flag so far.

Are they someone elses brand name. I think I've seen the brand before but can't remember where.

Your right about knowing the quality.

I'm not a big fan of ebay. I guess I have too much "Missouri" in me and like to inspect what I'm buying before I pay for it.

Besides that, they probably wouldn't be a bad deal.

JD

$40 OEM Mopar Pads (http://www.tenaflyjeepmoparparts.com/frbrpa1th20g.html)

Pads are usually sold in sets (as in 4 pads) for the front or the rear. That place has resonable prices on OEM parts..

noticed they have the caliper/rotor update there too.

JD

Hey, I have another question regarding this:

What year did they move to the 4 wheel discs? Has there been similar problems with the 4 wheel disc models?

thanks

I "believe" 1994 was the first year that 4-wheel discs were offered as an option, but it may have been 1993.