Rotors & Brakes for Trucks

[JODOHL61]

Everybody and their brother sells or makes rotors & brakes. How do you really know who's is good without braking the bank?
I have a 2018 Ram 1500 Tradesman 4x4 quad cab w/ 5.7L Hemi.
I do a lot of hunting, 4 wheeling, camping and hauling wood. Sometimes I end up on extremely steep hills and mountains. So I'm looking for new rotors & Brakes since it time to get new ones anyway.
So, who's do I buy? NAPA, Auto Zone or maybe Power Stop?
Any ideas?
Can't afford Brimbo or I'd have them..

 

[dbrannon79]

Welcome to the forum @JODOHL61 for local auto parts stores, there all the same afaik. Napa or O'Reiliy would be my choice between them. you can get better stopping power from drilled rotors but at a cost of wearing your pads down sooner. it really depends on if and what issues your facing.

when I had my old 4Runner the rear rotors were warped from heat, after doing a full brake job replacing everything with new they warped again in a few months of normal driving. some have heat and warpage issues where others don't. a common thing is replace all the rubber hoses and check caliper slides for wear and lubrication. those two things are the #1 killer of a good braking system.

 

[Will L.]

I couldn’t disagree more with the Doug on this one.

There are not many parts I say dealership for, pads are one.

run like hell from the stuff at average parts stores like autozone.
Napa has some ok ones but you get what you pay for.

The heavy metallic pads get longer life by less braking power and destroying rotors.
Save money on non critical things like transmission alternator etc.
bad brakes= short life or long life full of pain, misery & economic destitution.

Wagner OEX pads are known great on dodge.

The rotors- do research and find out what company makes the factory ones. Dodge rotors are not horrible- dodge doesn’t make them it is someone like Reybestos, Wagner, etc. you might find them at AMAZING prices- LOOK OUT! Tons of Chinese knock off parts that save 40% and are total garbage fake stuff.
Cheaper than dealership is ok but make sure the place you buy is an AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTOR for them. Worth the call/email to the manufacturer before buying.

Drilled / slotted rotors always comes up.
Drilled is when you brake so hard/often you are overheating your brakes. The holes don’t make the pads last longer they slow brake fade. If you are in muddy areas the holes collect mud and wear out or ruin pads much faster.

Sloted rotor is to micro cut away the surface of the pad to give a fresh surface for maximum stoppage- but wear out the pads faster on purpose in the sacrifice for performance.

Chryogenic treatment of rotors is always a win except the cost. Never pays for itself on rotors except performance.

 

[Will L.]

More long strory-
I had a Chrysler 300 years ago- had to buy new calipers because autozone top of the line aftermarket pads had dimples in wrong spot and cracked the caliper pistons.
Factory pads were $100, the best autozone atthe time were $60. “Saving $40” cost me nearly $600 for brake parts, damn near a crash on the freeway. Oh- and a transmission for $3,000 by jamming it into park is what stopped it. The parking brake didn’t slow it fast enough. Hind sight I should have scrubbed it into the jersy barrier and just totaled the car for the $1,000 deductible.

 

[jrsavoie]

I've been using plated stuff for years. Started with AC Delco Professional and lately I've been using Powerstop.

I'm not so sure I like The slots and holes, but most of my failures over the years have been due to lack of caliper maintenance and calipers hanging up.

The galvanized or powder coated calipers and better quality parts seem to be less problematic.

 

[WarWagon]

So, who's do I buy? NAPA, Auto Zone or maybe Power Stop?

As mentioned you need to lube the caliper pins often on a RAM. All 4! I did the rear pins on mine even though I was just doing the front pads. Some were dry already.

Autozone's krap trashing a rotor when the pad came unbonded is here in the carnage thread. I pumped the brakes, because the pedal first hit the floor after the thump of the pad coming off, and was about to hit the E Brake. Otherwise I would have stopped in the back seat of some small sedan stopped at a light. I won't set foot in an Autozone anymore esp. after they fired a "Hero" Vet employee for stopping a robbery under their coward no hero policy.

6.5 carnage

thought I'd start a thread on just pics of 6.5 carnage. If there is another that I couldn't find mods please merge.

www.thetruckstop.us

O'Reiliy

They no longer carry Wagner. Just the in-house labels made by who knows who or where. Sad the parts stores think we only care about cost and are in a race for Cheap Cheap Cheap.

I use either Raybestos, Wagner, or OEM from a online OEM dealer selling wholesale. Including for slotted rotors.

Last RAM brake job I did was with the OEM MOPAR pads and you need to be aware they sell a "Value Line" that doesn't last as long as what the factory puts on. My 3500 RAM front pads were $340.00. alone from Mopar Parts Giant. com

The MOPAR value line is $70.

Hawk brand is also mentioned, but, I haven't used them myself.

Drilled / slotted rotors always comes up.

They are great for getting ~3K more miles out of the pads on the undersized 1/2 ton '90's GM krap brakes. Also the slotted rotors clear the water off faster say on rear disc brakes esp the 99+ GM 1/2 tons. I prefer slotted as they don't crack like drilled rotors. For the OP's RAM solid rotors are fine.

If the OEM Rotors do not have any hotspots you can just put the MOPAR pads on and call it a day. Changing pad material or brands requires resurfacing. Do not turn rotors with hotspots as the tool bounces off the hot spots and the "hard spot pedal pulser" will be back very soon: just get new ones.

 

[MrMarty51]

If I reuse the old rotors, no warpage or hot spots, no pulsing pedal, I take the air DA sander with 80 grit self adhesive papers and go round and round and round and round and, well, You get it.
Smooth them up real nice on both sides.
If I do get rotors turned then I take them to the shop here that uses a grinder and not a lathe.
The cutting tool of the lathe bounces right over the hot spots, grinder wipes them right off.
I also have noticed that once a rotor has been turned then they dont seem to warp again under regular circumstantial use.