I have a 2001 F-150 Super Crew with 102k miles. (Which I’m totally in love with! ) I bought it used with around 40k miles. It appears that the original rotor lasted 80k at which point the rotor surface separated from the center. I had the tell tale pulsing & when they went to fix/replace the rotor that’s what they found. My second rotor has been on around 20k and is pulsing bad. It’s going in tomorrow.

My mechanic & my motorcycle mechanic husband have been speculating about the cause of this apparent inherent recurring problem. We’ve speculated about the caliper not floating correctly, too much play in the bearings, tie rod ends. The mechanic also feels that maybe the rotor is too small for the truck.

Has anyone tried to fit a larger rotor/caliper?
Have any of you tried to determine the root cause?

How frequently can I expect to need to address this rotor issue?
Does anyone have a recommendation on a caliper?
Has anyone been able to prove if a more expensive caliper will last longer then the cheaper ones?

I drive between 2,000 & 3,000 miles a month. I make four 500 mile round trips a month. So most of my driving is on the highway but I do get caught in the stop & go’s at the tolls & in traffic.

Any info on this subject would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!
Debbie

 

Hi Debbie,

The problem (that I'm sure your hubby has also said) is poor materials. I highly recommend contacting Diverified Cryogenics (they have a web site) and order Brembo OEM replacement rotors nitrogen dipped. The dipping cost $15 each but hardens the rotors almost to the point of stainless steel.

 

Thanks beechkid. I guess that was too obvious a thought for us to discuss! hehehe Hubby is familiar with both the company and the process you mentioned. Truck is going to the mechanic this morning. They're going to try to turn the rotors if they're not too bad. If they can't I'll probably get a cheap set slapped on & look into this process for the next set. I need to do my 1000 mile trip starting Friday AM so we need it fixed quick.

Thanks a bunch for your quick response!
Deb

 

Has the runout been measured on this truck with the rotors in place and secured? That's where I would start. Have your mechanic measure the runout on both front rotors while they are torqued and see what you get. I believe the runout should be less than .004-.006" on that truck. Any more than that and you could put rotors made of diamond on there and they would end up pulsating....

 

Dahmurf, I also have a 01 Screw 4x2. I have read numerous posts about warped rotors with these trucks. I never had a problem with the stock rotors and brakes, but when they came time for replacement I didn't mess around with the Autozone cheapies. Not something I want to trust stopping my baby! If you want good rotors without upgrading to anything too fancy go with the Brembo OEM's. The cryo dip definately can't hurt either, although it should only help with rotor wear not with warpage. You might also try a pad such as the Hawk HPS that don't dump as much heat into the rotors as the stock ceramic pads. They won't last as long though, but they are easier on the rotors. You mention your mechanic so I assume you trust him to do a good job and clean all of the slides and calipers well and regrease them with a nonmelting high-temp grease such as white lithium grease. Other than that I'm not sure what else could really be causing the problem, unless you have air or water in your brakes lines and they are causing the brakes to stick.

Of course if you really wanted to dress up those brakes without spending $4K for Brembo's you could do what I did!!!

Good luck with getting the problem sorted out.

 

GDDYUP good point on the runout. I'll discuss it with them. My mechanic is a close business associate/friend, we work on his bikes & he works on our cars so I completely trust him. (I'm very picky about mechanics especially being a mechanically inclined woman having had to deal with chauvinist male mechanics my whole life! hehehe)
My truck gets special treatment because he knows how much & how far I drive. It's in about once a month for an oil change. I guess you'd say he treats me more like a sister then a customer so he always uses what 's best for the situation. Not always the top dollar part cause that's not always necessary but will do so when needed.

At any rate, the shop did a little research & came up with a brake pad recommended for the situation. From what I understand they're turning the rotors & using this brake pad & we'll see where we get. As I stated before I needed a quick fix this time so all of these posts are setting me up for a better solution next time. We're definitely going to discuss the use of the Brembo rotors as well. I'll have the truck back today or tomorrow. I'll try to get the details on the pads used & post them. I plan to track the progression of this problem & document any solutions we can find.
Thanks again for everyone’s input.
Deb

PS Cross, nice work but I have to say for me I like my vehicles to look nice but I'm definitely a function over fashion kinda gal.

 

Sounds like you are on the right track. I'm totally with you on the form after function, but I'm all over something that gives me form and function Hopefully the setup I have should get me both better stopping and better looking! At least that's my opinion.

 

I got the details on the pads. They're Wagner severe duty carbon based metallic pads. They have a lifetime warranty and they assure me it's really a no questions asked lifetime warranty. They're for high heat, frequent stopping and heavy loads. The shop's contacts indicate this is the best fix they've come across.
The rotors were turned so we’re not anticipating a real long fix. If we get warping again within 20k or so miles we’ll go with a different rotor.
I mentioned checking the runout to hubby and he said that was a given.
So, I guess I’ll check back in to let you know how it’s going & if I need the rotors too.
Thanks again for everyone’s input.
Deb