Rotor selection
Even my NAPA ones....
02-16-2012, 03:06 PM
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: 09-12-2011
Location: Ohio
Posts: 107
You're probably going to get mad at me for saying this, but here goes. Have you had, or have you been keeping the rear brakes adjusted at every oil change or 5,000 miles. Brake judder is usually a symptom of the rear brakes being out of adjustment enough that the fronts are doing all the braking and getting excessively hot, then warping occurs.
They have automatic adj on them. when you go in reverse they activate and adj everytime.
Im willing to bet you are to soft on the brake and keep it pressed longer than needed.
get on them harder for shorter periods of time.
02-16-2012, 03:18 PM
#16
Deceased
Join Date: 06-30-2010
Location: Kannapolis NC
Posts: 25,739
Although the HHR and the ION share the Delta platform, there is a well known issue with the self adjusters on the HHR drum brakes failing to self adjust. I've tried the "reverse smartly and stop sharply" method to see if the brakes will adjust themselves with no real success.
Whether its a design flaw in the adjusters or just a quirk of the HHR in general, keeping your brakes healthy and happy means regular manual adjustments of the rear brakes. Those of us who practice the mantra of "adjust 'em up every oil change or 5,000 miles" have happy and judder free brakes, those drums out back might only do 30-40% of the stopping, but when they stop contributing their fare share....you'll start doing the "warped rotor two step" in no time.
Whether its a design flaw in the adjusters or just a quirk of the HHR in general, keeping your brakes healthy and happy means regular manual adjustments of the rear brakes. Those of us who practice the mantra of "adjust 'em up every oil change or 5,000 miles" have happy and judder free brakes, those drums out back might only do 30-40% of the stopping, but when they stop contributing their fare share....you'll start doing the "warped rotor two step" in no time.
02-16-2012, 04:29 PM
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: 07-05-2008
Location: Akron Ohio
Posts: 5,464
The rotors are not so much the issue.
Get a set of good quality pads and seat them is well. Also check the play in the hub.
My wife is as hard as anyone on brakes in city traffic. On the GTP I am running Bendix rotors..nothing special other than OE replacment. Also I have Hawk Ceramic pads. I have done brakes on here car twice and after issues with the factory pads I have never since had an issue with the pulse.
The seating and the the better pads are where I give credit. The last time I used red EBC and this time I went with Hawk ceramics.
The key to many pads are they may claim to be ceramic or premium but there is no regulation on how much ceramic vs filler they have to use. The more expensive pads tend to cut the cheap filler and use more high end material. This prevents it from sticking to the rotors more.
Unseated rotors and lower quality fillers will stick to the rotor in stop and go traffic every time and that pulse will start even at low miles. Cheaper filler are almost like dropping plastic on a hot manifold. Note cheaper fillers can still be in many so called premium pads. So the pads may not be cheap but they still can have lower quality materials.
I used to use cheaper name brand pads but after issues on past cars I went to the better pads and it seems to have solved my issues.
When I replace the SS pads it will be Bendix rotors and EBC Reds unless we are out at work and then I will go with the Hawks.
Get a set of good quality pads and seat them is well. Also check the play in the hub.
My wife is as hard as anyone on brakes in city traffic. On the GTP I am running Bendix rotors..nothing special other than OE replacment. Also I have Hawk Ceramic pads. I have done brakes on here car twice and after issues with the factory pads I have never since had an issue with the pulse.
The seating and the the better pads are where I give credit. The last time I used red EBC and this time I went with Hawk ceramics.
The key to many pads are they may claim to be ceramic or premium but there is no regulation on how much ceramic vs filler they have to use. The more expensive pads tend to cut the cheap filler and use more high end material. This prevents it from sticking to the rotors more.
Unseated rotors and lower quality fillers will stick to the rotor in stop and go traffic every time and that pulse will start even at low miles. Cheaper filler are almost like dropping plastic on a hot manifold. Note cheaper fillers can still be in many so called premium pads. So the pads may not be cheap but they still can have lower quality materials.
I used to use cheaper name brand pads but after issues on past cars I went to the better pads and it seems to have solved my issues.
When I replace the SS pads it will be Bendix rotors and EBC Reds unless we are out at work and then I will go with the Hawks.
02-16-2012, 04:33 PM
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: 07-05-2008
Location: Akron Ohio
Posts: 5,464
You are going to be hard pressed to find a rotor made here,
Just because it says china does not make it bad. Most name brand rotors are as good or better than what we had here at the end of production of American rotors.
The last set I had issues with were made here. The balance weights came out of the fins.
We sell a ton of rotors at work and seldom have any issues other than if someone buys the wrong one for a RWD LX Chrysler or the wrong one for some years of Chevy trucks. The listings for these can be confusing for many.
Just because it says china does not make it bad. Most name brand rotors are as good or better than what we had here at the end of production of American rotors.
The last set I had issues with were made here. The balance weights came out of the fins.
We sell a ton of rotors at work and seldom have any issues other than if someone buys the wrong one for a RWD LX Chrysler or the wrong one for some years of Chevy trucks. The listings for these can be confusing for many.
02-17-2012, 08:25 AM
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: 08-29-2009
Location: Long Island, NY
Posts: 1,813
Mike