92ehatch

Hello all been a while since ive posted but i have an issue that i just cant figure out on my own.

Its an issue with my 95 dx coupe (all stock) and the brake rotors warping.

When i first got this car a little over a year ago it had warped rotors. No issue because i had a job and could machine them myself.

So i machined them (down to the min specs) and they rode fine.

About 2 months later they were warped again. I thought, well maybe since they are at min specs i should just replace them.

at this point i lost my job (go figure) and just went to NAPA and bought their cheap rotors for $40 bucks and new pads.

they were warped right out of the box, so i took them to a friend to machine. had him machine the drums too (they werent bad at all)

This time the brakes were good for about 4 months and they started to get a vibration. now that its been about 8 months later they are horrible again, pedal bouncing, steering shaking.

the common thoughts are:

stuck caliper - checked, all calipers work great, slides are good. and i get 42+ mpg

driving habits- i have had 6 diff. civics, i have never had an issue with brake rotors warping, so its not my driving habits.


something i have noticed about this civic that is different from my other 5. this one has the best brakes of any one of them. the pedal is nice and firm consistently, whereas my others have always had a squishy feel to them.

the only thing i have done is checked calipers, replaced pads, and replaced rotors.

adjusted the rear drums (properly)

i have never changed the brake fluid (i dont think that would matter, but i could do it if necessary)

or maybe its just because these are cheap rotors.

so any ideas are welcome.

thanks

Robin6

I too had warping issues on the 00 civic ex. Only had 10k miles on the oem disks. Upgraded to brembo oe equivalent disks and problem is gone. The brembos are still good after 50k miles.

Sorry to hear about the job loss.

p nut

This is why I always get Autozone rotors. They have a 2 year warranty so if it warps, you get new rotors. Also get some good pads. What kind are you using now? I have some ceramics and they have been great. Be sure to bed them in properly.

Seems to me you got a bad set of rotors or crappy pads. You checked off all other potential issues I was going to ask - calipers and drums. Good luck.

92ehatch

the pads are advance auto's cheapos semi-metallics

the job loss was almost a year ago.

but i think i may have found a job....i hope

a year without money is tough.

p nut thats not a bad idea, the ones i have dont have a warranty that i know of.

as far as bedding the pads properly.

im not sure on how to do that.

but i always try to drive as easily as i can for about 500 miles after putting on new pads.

as i said ive never had this issue before.

p nut

Well, there are plenty of articles on google, but here is one fro
tirerack

http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/tech/....jsp?techid=85

Many different methods, but I usually just scuff up the rotor lightly with 3M green pad or sandpaper, do a few 50-60mph hard stops followed by a few miles of cool down.

As far as pads, I've used Hawk, Axxis, Cobalt etc. I'm currently on Autozone Duralast
ceramics and they've held up very well.

CRX T-Si

That is your problem sir

Never use el cheapo brake pads and stay away from semi-metallic pads all together. Instead I recommend a good set of ceramic pads. Don't blame the rotors because it's your cheap brake pads that are killing your rotors.

Semi metallics stops good because of the metal compound but it will kill rotors, this is a fact.

Doc13

What he said^^^

92ehatch

thanks for the comment. im not blaming the rotors. just including all info that i have.

i guess ill get the rotors machined again and try some ceramics. and see what happens

99EeeKay

another thing that will lead to a warp is imporperly torqued lugnuts, theres a reason they need to be a different torque per car, honda is 90 ft pounds (on most models) over torqued wills could lead to warping rotors, i say this from experience, and also that im ase certified in brakes and other fields, also you say you didnt bleed the fluid, that could also be a culprit, brake fluid is hydroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture out of the air. the more water in the lines, the lower your boiling point, what this causes is the fluid to boil over sooner then normal, creating air pockets which would cause your pads to rest on your rotor while driving, this could super heat the rotor, creating a warp over time. i would try flushing and bleeding your fluid and retorque your wheels.

92ehatch

thanks for the info but honda's lugnuts are 80 ft/lbs

i always properly torque my wheels (i was a honda technician before i was fired)

as far as the fluid goes, i understand the water absorption properties and such, now that i think about it, we had a meet back last spring (when i was still on my old rotors and pads) and went down one of the curviest, skinniest, roads we have, and i lost my pedal halfway down and when we reached the bottom they were smoking. and i wasnt even driving fast

i didnt ever bleed the brakes after that. so ill replace the fluid when i get the chance. thanks for the reminder

99EeeKay

i double checked, your rigt, it is 80, my fault for giving false information, i was thinking 90 cuz i did a toyota earier today at work and the number was in my head

92ehatch

the hondas with the 22mm lug nuts are 90 ft/lbs

i believe toyotas are 80 ft/lbs as well except for the land crushers, which are 90 ft/lbs. (i used to work there too lol)

99EeeKay

i think it was a corola, my brake book said 90. lol but thats not the topic at hand wanna job. nc is a bit far tho :D

92ehatch

haha.

i actually just applied for a job the other day....about the 300th job app. in the last year ive been unemployed. but it was the first one that actually showed potential. so i will just hope.

my unemployment runs out in a month

thanks for your help. ill give the bleeding a try after the holidays + pad change + rotor machining

CRX T-Si

One simple rule for brake fluids.

If you can't see thru it like water then it's dirty and needs to be changed.

Does that make sense people?? well i hope so cause good brake fluid is clear.

92ehatch

just because the fluid is darker in color, does not mean it is bad.

99EeeKay

true, they make test strips you can dip into the resivior and it will tell you how much water is in it, and if its at a bad level or not.

92ehatch

yeah i have some too