I know this issue, or atleast something resembling this issue has been beat to death with no conclusive consensus. However I think this is a valid question and shouldn’t be flamed for “not searching” (because I have spent the last 2 days searching and reading) as it is kind of a different slant on the issue.
I am looking to buy rotors, REAR ROTORS specifically. I would like to hear input regarding which rotor is less prone to “warping” or material build up on a vehicle that is used for spirited daily driving; the infamous Brembo blank or an Autozone $16.99 (Duralast brand; 2 year warranty) rotor. Though I am asking about rear rotors specifically, experience up front would be good to have too. Whether or not Brembo blanks are the best for a spirited daily-driver/ semi-street performance driven car has been unclear to me as I have seen many posts complaining about the soft materials used in their composition leading to uneven brake surfacing or other problems. Finally, I will most likely use some ceramic pads in the back (Akebono ProACT).
Well I don’t know much about the Autozone rotors aside from how cheap they are, but I’m definitely going to invest in some Brembo blanks for the rear of my car as well. Right now I have stock 140k mile “warped” rotors on the back and it’s ruining the overall braking experience in my car with vibration.
My personal experience is that you get what you pay for, whether you’re getting car parts, computer parts, or virtually anything. It’s not worth cheaping out on something such as your brakes, although the rear brakes aren’t as important. Still, I don’t think you want to go around changing your rear rotors every 2yrs or so…
BTW, good choice with the Akebono pads. I’m using those very same pads on both the front and rear of my car at the moment.
No, I really wouldn’t like to get only 2 years out of the rotors. Ideally I could get 4-5 years, maybe 40-60,000 miles out of a set of rotors and not have to turn them more than once or twice during that time. I plan to use quality pads. Never semi-metallic.
I would love to see a pair of rotors for 100K miles. Unfortunately a share of people with Brembo blanks report having to resurface up to 2 times a year. And only getting a very short life out of them.
Hmmm, interesting… Those guys were probably using some sort of hardcore brake pads to wear rotors that quickly. I’ve heard ceramic preserves rotors well and I’ve been using ceramic for a long time now. I just replaced the front rotors at 137k miles for the first time in the car’s life and to my knowledge they’ve only been turned once or twice. As I said earlier, I still have to replace my rear ones which are now at 140k miles…
I hope these Brembos don’t crap out prematurely on me, it would be a shame… In light what some of the people on the forums have said, I may consider saving $20 and buying these Autozone rotors for the rear… Surely they’ll be better than what I have now
brembo blanks are SOFT. i had a set with some pbr(axxis) metal master pads. great grab and i foundout why, the pads were really digging into the rotors.
i dont know about autozone, but i am using kragen rotors on my car with kragen raybestos pads hehehe their not THAT bad stopping wise and i dont see any wear on the rotor too. the pads are very dusty though.
I went with the Autozone Duralast 17 dollar rotors with a 2 year warranty. And I am gonna be using a good pad. But I am gonna clean them before installation because some rotors come shipped with a coating on them I heard. Anyone know what denatured alcohol is? Is it just isopropyl alcohol?
I just got my pair of the Duralast rotors, going to put them in this weekend. Hopefully they’ll fix my braking vibration. Does isopropanol work for cleaning them? I didn’t clean my front rotors when I put in the new ones but I think the pads managed to clean them off anyway.
mySeventhRib - If you read all the historical posts then you should already understand the relationship of the materials used in a rotor and the materials used in the pad you choose.
Add the fact that the rear brakes do very little of the total work while braking I would just stick to OEM rotors and pads. Even if you “abuse” them from time to time as long as you do a proper “break-in” then you will be fine. As long as that pad is able to lay down it’s required layer you will be fine.
I am not kind to my brakes, and the fronts have suffered every common Integra problem over the years. I have also owned my Integra since the day it rolled off the boat. I only remember changing my rear brakes once when the calipers “froze” and that was around 95K-100K. I never used the AutoZones you asked about, just oem.
