Brake rotor quality

[Phillip Cross]

Does anyone have any info or opinion on quality of replacement rotors. Advance Auto offers Wearever for $35; Bendix for $80; and Raybestos Premium for $90. I need all 4 and would of course like to buy the cheaper. Any big drawbacks???

[BlazerBoyLT98]

I have been told buy mechanics who are friends and would not rip me off that you can get away with the cheaper rotors, but with anything you usually get what you pay for. Don't expect the lifetime to be the same as a quality rotor and don't expect them to fight off warping like the more expensive brands. I have purchased the cheap brands and warped them with in 10,000 miles. I now own bendix rotors on the front and I have had more times where I have had to put the peddle to the floor and there is no sign of warping and the pads have lasted longer.

[rksnc]

I run a shop and have no problems at all with the cheaper rotors from Advance. I use them all the time. But I will not use there brakes pads. May sound funny but they seem to be to hard. Now if they have bendix pads in stock I would go take way.

[Phillip Cross]

I know what you are saying about the pads. The last time i did brakes on another Blazer i used advance auto's cheaper rotors and their cheaper pads. the pads were a little oversized I think. Any way it was hard to bring the caliper back over the new rotor with the new pads on and the barkes went red hot on test run. (My 10 year onld is still talking about it.) Luckily nothing was ruined and the parts are still good 10K later.

[chcknugget]

I have the NAPA "made in the USA" rotors and was assured that they were of high quality. So far so good- they were $45 a piece. I've heard they're made by bendix, but maybe not.

[BlazerLT]

For the price of the cheap ones, you can replace them twice or three times.

[chcknugget]

Originally Posted by BlazerLT

For the price of the cheap ones, you can replace them twice or three times.

I guess it falls under the fix it right and forget about it philosophy.

[rlith]

Originally Posted by chcknugget

I guess it falls under the fix it right and forget about it philosophy.

If brakes are done properly, even cheaper rotors last a long time. On my last set of wearevers I got 60k out of them before the wreck. I run a set right now with raybestos. Have about 20k on them and almost no meat gone.

[chcknugget]

Originally Posted by rlith

If brakes are done properly, even cheaper rotors last a long time. On my last set of wearevers I got 60k out of them before the wreck. I run a set right now with raybestos. Have about 20k on them and almost no meat gone.

It's not the branded rotors I'd have a problem with, it's the $15 ones on ebay, or no-name "foreign" parts where God knows who made them by what specification if they bother to follow them.

[Phillip Cross]

Thanks guys. I installed the Wearever rotors on the rear last night. they work fine. big improvement over the worn ones. I noticed that the setr bought are made in China. I guess that is why the price is so much lower.