01tl4tl

Mike PA

What we are trying to do is show the differance between glazed surfaces- an easy fix
OR warped rotors- odd, but not unknown- so cause has been discussed

More members will actually have glaze build up from easy driving on the brakes than will warp a set of quality rotors.
Similar post about another brand- same story- I drive around at 25 mph and never hit the hills for fun, "self diagnose" warped rotors- actually glazing- heat em up and clean em off
You cant use these high performance brakes like grandma is riding with you.
Wanna drive mellow- buy the right parts
Dont blame the parts for your driving

Edward'TLS

01tl4tl, thanks for your detailed explanation. I have been a big fan of car modding for 17 years, and I fully understand and so agree on what you said about impact guns putting uneven torque on rotors. That's why I always keep a torque wrench at home. But standing beside a wheel nut installer to give instructions at his work is a little too extreme for me and others.

I wish you were the Master of all mechanics giving your valuable instructions to everyone out there who tightens wheel nuts. However, this is the absolute perfect world that you and me can sincerely hope for. Meanwhile in the real world, careless mechanics, garage boys, tire shop installers, etc, continues to screw up wheel nut torque by the hours.

A hugh percentage of sedan buyers are family men and women who have no knowledge of the technical aspects of their cars, such as rim width, tire rotation pattern, wheel nut torque spec, wheel nut torqueing pattern, to name a few; unlike us and other forum members who are here to learn more on our cars. These are not dump people. Some are lawyers, accountants, medical staff. But they are the smart people in their own field of work, and automobile knowledge may not be their specialty. They always say leave those to the car experts who unfortunately mostly likely are not the students who learnt the trade from you or me. If you tell these family people about the proper way to torque nuts, they will more likely ask you what a torque wrench is. Some don't even check oil and tire pressure by themselves, let alone checking if all wheel nuts are torqued properly. All I'm saying is that me and you can continue to preach to people to torque nuts properly, and at the same time thousands and thousands of other drivers are at the mercy of mechanics and shop boys who want to finish their wheel nut job in whatever way they deemed fastest.

Now my question : if improper wheel nut torque may warp rotors, then it doesn't really matter which aftermarket brands (plain, slotted, drilled) one use, because bad wheel-nut installlers will mess up the torque and warp the new rotors for you. Am I correct ?

As for my current and 2nd set of Rotora fronts, I didn't and won't do any break-in/bed-in procedure because I want to see how long this pair will last before warping. I want to do a comparison with my 1st pair that had gone through the procedure, so that it'll satisfy my curious mind as of the necessity of the procedure. This is what this forum is for. People try something new and see if it's better or worse. People learn from the results.

Once again, I wonder how many of those family people will do this break-in/bed-in procedure after they have their rotors and pads replaced.

01tl4tl

Hi Edward

You make good points- so let me reply to a few.

I do not find it overkill to stand by my car and ask the tech to follow the procedure.
And I am happy to explain it to Managers and anyone who will listen, as it can save a life.

The initial installation with uneven and improper torque is the killer of MANY types of parts.
OVER torque is really a killer and often related to tire changing with air guns.

Be it Intake Manifold gasket that leaks and must be replaced in a 1000 miles (Edelbrocks must be retorqued 500 miles after gasket install ) or oil pan that leaks and leaks, or the brake rotors.

Most drivers of the "family" type will never notice the vibrations/noise of their generic brand rotors and pads. The break in procedure for those parts is drive gently a few days and no panic stops, so you can let a customer leave safely as long as the car has been driven around the block by a tech first- to make sure all the parts are on tight!

The hi-tech rotors and pads require a specific manufacturer tested and approved bedding in procedure. Because of their special materials- there must be a transfer layer of material to rotor- it improves braking and reduces noise, and some rotors need the heat cycles on them first.

Those of us with said product are also more aware of sounds and vibrations, and probably own a torque wrench.

So when you get home and say the readings are 70 120 120 110 85
Do you think uneven stress loading to other parts has been applied during the drive?
Not to mention the 80 lbs probably not even on the list?
That little vibration that cant be identified?

Thankfully you fix them all right away so should not have real probs unless drastic imbalance between lugs

Members of the random public may have bearing failures and other axle/cv issues earlier than others-care to hazard a guess why?

If each person that reads this and learns how to do it right- and they tell 2 friends-
at least everyone we know will be educated AND able to change their own flat tire because the lugs are on human tight, not tool tight.

Pity the person who relies on others in todays world.
Self Serve is a Survival Skill in the Automotive Jungle!

01tl4tl

I wish you were the Master of all mechanics giving your valuable instructions to everyone out there who tightens wheel nuts.

Thanks for the offer but I just want to be Master of the DMV Drivers Exam

In which case some AZ people will be offered jobs as bus drivers
Because most of the general population will be Public Transit from now on!