nc211 Posted January 10, 2006 Posted January 10, 2006 Hey guys, got a quick question. I posted this up in one of my other threads, but it's pretty buried under, so I thought I would start a fresh one. I did some searching, but couldn't come up with anything. I made the mistake of buy the wrong set of front rotors a few months ago. They do not have the two centering / balancing screw hold to make sure the rotor is balanced on the hub. My rotors move around the studs, creating a banging noise and offbalance hop in the front. So, before I shell out a pair of C' notes for oem, anyone have any recommendations for aftermarket "cheaper" rotors out there that do have the two centering screw holes? I've searched autozone, napa, advance and carquest, and all of them only have the 5 stud holes, unless you shell out $120+ for premium, of which I would rather buy oem instead. Obviously I prefer OEM on this part, but money is a little tight, and i'm such an easy going driver that I really don't demand much work from my brakes in general. The ones on there know grip great! The car will stop on a dime, and in a pinch. Thanks crew!
alsalih Posted January 10, 2006 Posted January 10, 2006 Take a look at www.autohausaz.com they sell Mountain brand rotors which do have the screw holes and they're $83 ea, free shipping and no tax. Mountain is a Japanese manufacturer and they make excellent rotors. Also take a look at www.nopionline.com they sell the Brembo rotors which also have the holes for $58 (I think these are made in Mexico).
wwest Posted January 10, 2006 Posted January 10, 2006 A few years ago I "fouled" one of these "centering" screws and went to Lexus to buy a new one. I was told that they are not a "stock" item because they are only used as a production aid, to hold the rotor in to place until the wheels are installed further down the line. After the wheels are on and properly torqued the rotors are "locked" into place. I ended up being given a free one since the shop mechanics never reinstall them when they do brake work.
sapper_daddy Posted January 10, 2006 Posted January 10, 2006 last night i was looking on ebay and there was a set of OEM gripforce rotors for like 90 the drilled and slotted ones were like 140 a pair. do a search and see what you come up with
falciott Posted January 11, 2006 Posted January 11, 2006 Hey guys, got a quick question. I posted this up in one of my other threads, but it's pretty buried under, so I thought I would start a fresh one. I did some searching, but couldn't come up with anything. I made the mistake of buy the wrong set of front rotors a few months ago. They do not have the two centering / balancing screw hold to make sure the rotor is balanced on the hub. My rotors move around the studs, creating a banging noise and offbalance hop in the front. So, before I shell out a pair of C' notes for oem, anyone have any recommendations for aftermarket "cheaper" rotors out there that do have the two centering screw holes? I've searched autozone, napa, advance and carquest, and all of them only have the 5 stud holes, unless you shell out $120+ for premium, of which I would rather buy oem instead. Obviously I prefer OEM on this part, but money is a little tight, and i'm such an easy going driver that I really don't demand much work from my brakes in general. The ones on there know grip great! The car will stop on a dime, and in a pinch. Thanks crew! I bought mine a few months ago from www.thepartsbin.com , and anything over $50 has free delivery. I purchased Brembo non drilled rotors for my car, and it was an exact match with the two mounting holes and all. I paid $60 or so for the pair for my 1990, you have a 95 right? I just checked, they go for $84 each, even cheaper then Mountain disks, so far my Brembos have no wobbles, smooth as silk and not noisy either, by the way.. if you're replacing the rotors , it might be a good idea replacing pads as well.
larryp Posted January 11, 2006 Posted January 11, 2006 Agree with wwest. Those screws shouldn't have an impact. Once the lug nuts are torqued down, it's the wheel and the lug nuts that hold the rotor tight. Could be the lug holes in the rotor are oversized allowing some movement or you may have another issue. :(
nc211 Posted January 11, 2006 Author Posted January 11, 2006 It's not that they're not on there tightly, it's that they're not properly centrifically Sp.? balanced on the wheel hub w/o those screws. When I grab the rotor, it's super easy to move them a few mm left,right,up,down etc... And when I put my foot on the brakes, you can hear the pads gripping the rotor, which makes it stop, but the wheel doesn't stop until the studs bang up against the side of the rotor holes. Does that make sense? you know me, i'm not the best in describing things. But without the two screws, the rotors won't balance correctly. I wouldn't think 1 or 2 mm of play would make that much of difference, but when we're talking about 20 + pounds out of wack, I can see where that would be a problem. you can definetly feel the problem in the front. The car not only hops, but it feels like it's missing too by hoping forward and backwards....but it's not missing..trust me. She runs perfectly. It looks Brembo for me. I called the dealership and asked them if they price matched. I found oem on lexuspartsonline.com for $106 each, + $20 shipping. The dealership came down from $145 ea to $125. I'd prefer oem, but I've got to start watching my pennies...got a honeymoon coming up in a few months.
nc211 Posted January 11, 2006 Author Posted January 11, 2006 falciott, i got the mountains from partsbin for $94 each. Thanks for that hook up man! They actually have a warehouse here in Raleigh, so I should have them tomorrow! Now that's convienent! The Brembo's for my car didn't have the set screw holes for some reason. i don't get it, why are all these aftermarket manufacturers making these rotors without those set holes? Of course larryp could very well be right about the stud holes being too big on the rotors now. Actually, he is right, they are too big. But I don't want to take the chance again with another set that don't have those set holes. My neighbors have begun to give me dirty looks when every weekend I've got the car up in the air, making noise with the pneumatic tools and being all redneck like. Bunch of snobs! hahahaha. I need a barn somewhere that's wired up so I can turn it into my own little garage! Now that would be awesome!
ko90ls Posted January 11, 2006 Posted January 11, 2006 like wwest said the screws do not sound like the issue, it sounds to me like the rotors are too big. you said they aren't spinning correctly which may mean that there is a physical defect in the rotors. do they have a warranty? have you checked with a machine shop to see if they are defective? 1mm+ of play when the wheels are on sounds like the rotors aren't properly designed? not really an expert here just thinking logically. might save some money?
falciott Posted January 11, 2006 Posted January 11, 2006 falciott, i got the mountains from partsbin for $94 each. Thanks for that hook up man! They actually have a warehouse here in Raleigh, so I should have them tomorrow! Now that's convienent! The Brembo's for my car didn't have the set screw holes for some reason. i don't get it, why are all these aftermarket manufacturers making these rotors without those set holes? Of course larryp could very well be right about the stud holes being too big on the rotors now. Actually, he is right, they are too big. But I don't want to take the chance again with another set that don't have those set holes. My neighbors have begun to give me dirty looks when every weekend I've got the car up in the air, making noise with the pneumatic tools and being all redneck like. Bunch of snobs! hahahaha. I need a barn somewhere that's wired up so I can turn it into my own little garage! Now that would be awesome! Nc, glad i could help. I figured Brembos for ur car might have had the holes , but I assume those Brembo guys are slacking too, go figure. Actually, as far as the two screws not making a difference, I have to politely disagree with the other fellas .Before I changed my rotors, one day my wife complained that, while she was braking she felt vibrations. I drove the car, felt the wobbly feeling, took a look at it and found out that one of the screws was loose, so I tighten it. No problems after that! Coincidence ?! Maaaaybee!!! But I would definetly make sure the screws are there and tightened properly. ohh by the way, ear plugs for your neighbor might be a nice belated Christmas present
akewlguy Posted January 14, 2006 Posted January 14, 2006 Anyone get a stylish rotor for looks? I need a nice set that does not rust for my new wheels. Thanks for all the info and sources. As usual this web site is awesome.
W201 sweden Posted January 15, 2006 Posted January 15, 2006 nc211: My advice; don't accept any rotors without these positioning screws. The play (without small screws) you describe is quite normal, the rotors expand as they heat up. Therefore they do not normally "lock" on the wheel screws/studs. The smaller screws center the rotors (thats why they are contersunk), to prevent and wobbling and vibration etc. The wheel studs apply the force that lock them to the hub. NOTE! It is VERY important to remove all rust, dirt etc from the hubs when replacing rotors! (If I suspect hub problems, I always check the run out (?) with a dial micrometer (word?). With dirty or warped hubs, you might not get wobble problems immediately, but chanses increase a lot for warped rotors! akewlguy: Replace or sand blast (?) your old rotors. Then get some high temp paint from your auto parts shop. (They know what to use.) Prime with a Zinc paint. It will look very nice, and it last for many years, if done properly! And only paint the NON friction part of the disc! ;) /Alexander
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