Replacing Front Rotors On My 3.5l 300.

[rfgervasi]

I have a severe vibration on the left front only at highway speeds when I apply the brakes. It goes away under heavy braking. Should I replace the rotors or can I resurface them? My machine shop said that he might have to remove too much metal to get the rotor straight. Whats the best quality rotor I can get for the money? I dont drive the car often but want quality when I do. I have seen rotors on ebay. Is that the way to go? I have emailed Dave @ Zeckhausen Racing. Are they the best?
Should I go with the plain rotor or will I be in the same situation eventually?
Should I go for the extra $$$ and get the slotted? I think the caliper slide pin might be hanging up on that side, maybe thats why the problem on one side only. Will the deal warranty any of this? Anyone have some insight on this?

[cesare_ita]

good job! i`m from spain, sorry for my english

[DYNAMITE44]

i'd personally stay away from the ebay rotors. although i've never used any from ebay, i've heard some horror stories about people with drilled/slotted rotors cracking.

zeckhausen is a great resource, but the most cost-effective way to fix your problem is with stock replacement parts.

i personally don't resurface rotors. the holes in the end of the rotor seem to get filled with rust and when you resurface, those holes don't get cleaned out, so i assume their ability to disapate heat is diminished. sure with a resurfaced rotor the surface is nice and flat again, but its also thinner, and thinner usually means weaker.

[HEMI_MAN]

You could also check out the powerslots, ive heard alot of good things about them!

[rfgervasi]

I have read on some threads about R1 Concepts rotors and they are sold both on EBAY and through their own website. They offer 90 day warranty against warpping. I also found some on brakeperformance.com for about the same price with a lifetime warranty. I am torn.

[DZeckhausen]

Originally Posted by rfgervasi

I have a severe vibration on the left front only at highway speeds when I apply the brakes. It goes away under heavy braking. Should I replace the rotors or can I resurface them? My machine shop said that he might have to remove too much metal to get the rotor straight. Whats the best quality rotor I can get for the money? I dont drive the car often but want quality when I do. I have seen rotors on ebay. Is that the way to go? I have emailed Dave @ Zeckhausen Racing. Are they the best?
Should I go with the plain rotor or will I be in the same situation eventually?
Should I go for the extra $$$ and get the slotted? I think the caliper slide pin might be hanging up on that side, maybe thats why the problem on one side only. Will the deal warranty any of this? Anyone have some insight on this?

First question - how can you tell the vibration is coming from the left front side only? It's virtually impossible to tell by feel. Is there some visual evidence of a problem with the left front rotor?

Have you tried bedding the brakes to see if it makes the problem go away? It usually does and the cost is zero. I would do this first, before spending a penny at R1 Concepts, eBay, or Zeckhausen Racing. See: Instructions for bedding in your brakes

[rfgervasi]

Originally Posted by DZeckhausen

First question - how can you tell the vibration is coming from the left front side only? It's virtually impossible to tell by feel. Is there some visual evidence of a problem with the left front rotor?

Have you tried bedding the brakes to see if it makes the problem go away? It usually does and the cost is zero. I would do this first, before spending a penny at R1 Concepts, eBay, or Zeckhausen Racing. See: Instructions for bedding in your brakes

thanks Dave you are right but I also feel it when the brakes aren't applied. Thats makes me think the caliper is not fully releasing and over heating the rotor.

[DZeckhausen]

Originally Posted by rfgervasi

thanks Dave you are right but I also feel it when the brakes aren't applied. Thats makes me think the caliper is not fully releasing and over heating the rotor.

If you feel it when the brakes are off, then you probably have some rotating imbalance that may or may not be related to the brakes. It could be a bent wheel or a damaged tire. Does this only occur at certain speeds?

[rfgervasi]

40 mph and up. gradually gets worse the faster I go. Get worse when the brakes are applied at those speeds.

[DZeckhausen]

Originally Posted by rfgervasi

40 mph and up. gradually gets worse the faster I go. Get worse when the brakes are applied at those speeds.

I would suggest that your first step is to have the wheels balanced, preferably at a shop with a Hunter GSP9700 Road Force balancer.