96 Olds Ciera Wagon Front Rotor Issues

3000mi ago changed out front rotors & pads to Autozone default brand (Duralast I think). In the beginning braking was smooth as glass. Now HORRIBLE vibration while braking 35-40 and 60 up.

Put on new front tires last night due to old ones being bald.

Vibration has not changed - still very bad.

Read somewhere that not tightening lug nuts to proper torque could cause rotor wapage. I've changed many-a-rotor and never heard of this.

Also, I went through some puddles last week during the torrential downpour we finally had here in Southwest FL.

Crap rotors? Lugnut torque issue? Fast cooling of rotors with water puddles?
Why the heck so warped after so few miles?

Please help me answer this question before I tear apart the front end again and spend time that that I really don;t want to spend on it. I'm not twenty anymore.:banghead:

Thanks!

It's likely you have some warpped rotors now, and rapid cooling can be a contributor to that condition... just take your rotors in and have them machined if the price is reasonable, or go to autozone and put up a fuss about your rotors being warpped... sometimes you do get them out of the box and they need machining, usually the cheaper brands. Anyways, thats your problem, so you don't need to worry to much.

I have just replaced the rotors at about 3,500mi or so since last rotor replacement. This time I lubed up the caliper slides real well (they were very stiff to slide; now they are just stiff to slide). Also this time I torqued the wheel lugs (I have never done this before). I torqued to 80ft-lbs but book for older model Ciera says 100ft-lbs. Not sure but 100 seems too damn tight. But at least all the lugs are equal tighness for sure now.

I have a correction to my original post:
I did not get brand Duralast rotors; last time and this they are Valuecraft brand ($16 each, true and ready to install from Autozone).

Again, we'll see how long these rotors last... I'm going to try not to abuse them.