
Brakes are an important part of any vehicle system that helps you stop instantly. Imagine having Monday and you’re already late for your office and in a hurry, you miss brake a signal, and all of a sudden you come across a big truck at high speed.
At this moment you wouldn't care about getting late at the office but you will be worried about not having a terrible accident. Your primary focus will be stopping the car. It will not stop accurately if the brakes are worn out or brake rotors are Warped. This Blog post will guide you about the symptoms of Warped brake rotors, and how to prevent brake rotor warping for long-lasting performance
What Does Warped Brake Rotor Mean?
Warped brake rotors refer to the surface of brake rotors, not the metal itself. They're not structurally distorted or bent but have lost their smooth surface for any reason.
When the rotor is no longer smooth, you can bet that the way in which your brake pads are gripping the rotors is changed, and thereby braking is less efficient. It can also cause unpleasant vibrations when the brakes are applied. You can observe the vibration of the steering wheel or brake pedal, just because your brake rotors are not smooth now.
If your rotors are warped, it’s time to replace them. Why you shouldnt put new brake pads on old rotors
What Are the Symptoms of Brake Rotor Warping?
The most common and visible symptom of a Warped brake rotor is a shaking steering wheel while accelerating at high temperatures. The more you speed up your car the more difficult it gets for a Warpp rotor to stop the car because of a large amount of heat generated during braking. In such a situation, when you apply a brake you can feel the vibration in the brake pedal and wobbling in your steering wheel.
Experiencing vibrations while braking? It could be a sign of brake system failure—know the symptoms.
Common Reasons for a Brake Rotor Warpp
There are many reasons for brake rotor Warpping, one of the most prominent ones is frequent and hard braking. The raking system of a car is meant to stop it no matter how fast it is moving. When a brake is applied on a fast-moving vehicle it creates friction on the moving tire and the brake pads press the rotor to slow it down. This leads to a lot of heat generation because the kinetic energy is converted to heat energy. That heat is dissipated as energy lost and hence the car slows down.
Excessive Heat Generation: Frequent braking means frequent heat production and that eventually warms up the rotors. In high-speed cars and heavy-duty vehicles, frequent braking warms up the brake rotors, and sometimes their temperature crosses 300 to 1000 degrees Celsius. Such a high temperature disturbs the smoothness and evenness of the rotor and its Warppings.
Frequent braking can wear your brakes fast—learn how to fix squeaky brakes.
Improper Brake Pad Material: Brake pads play an important role in the longevity of a brake rotor. A brake pad is fixed to the brake rotor to reduce speed by creating friction and removing the heat as a result of that friction.
If the pad does not help to remove heat or if it generates too much heat the rotor will be affected. Small cracks on the surface of a rotor, or blue color to the metal are signs of too much heat and a Warpp rotor. You should either replace it or give it to your mechanic for repair. If your brake rotor pad has too much uneven surface and needs a replacement, you can buy a quality brake rotor at an affordable price in Canada at GeoBrakes Canada.
Don’t worry about Brake rotor prices in Canada, from our brake pads state it will never cost you an arm and leg. Before purchasing brake pads set you should know different types of pads depending upon how durable you want to be, and how much you can spend to fit your budget. As it highly affects the braking efficiency and longevity of brake rotors. Here’s a short comparison between different types of brake pads that can help
Comparison of Brake Pad Types
Material | Composition | Pros | Cons | Average Cost in CAD |
Organic | Glass, fiber rubber, and compounds that can withstand high heat and are cheaper. | Inexpensive, quiet, suitable for daily driver | Compressible and they can lose, Less effective in extreme heat conditions | $50 - $100 |
Ceramic | Solid Inorganic compounds that can handle most heat | Quieter, longer lifespan, better resistance to salt and water, produce very light dust | Highly expensive, Suitable for high temperatures | $200 - $500 |
Metallic | Metals including copper, iron, steel, or other composite alloys | Durable, effective at high temperatures, suitable for performance-driving | Can be noisy, produce dust, and may wear out faster | $70 - $150 |
Semi-metallic | Steel, iron, and graphite to withstand a lot of heat. They also have friction modifiers. | Good performance, versatile for various driving conditions | More noise and more dust | $60 - $120 |
Carbon-Ceramic | Made up of carbon and ceramic compounds. Common in drag racing & aviation. | Best for performance, weight, and handling a lot of heat. | Low noise, Low dust, Most expensive brake pads used only for super fast cars and airplanes. | $10,000 |
Driving Style: Your driving style is also another factor that decides the shelf life of a vehicle. Brakes produce friction and heat that’s why they are designed to self-cool under normal conditions. However, this takes several minutes and even after cooling, they are still very hot.
Driving through standing water will quench the hot rotors and cause them to warp as well as rust. It is best to avoid standing water, but if it cannot be avoided let the brake cool.
Rough braking generates considerably more heat than easy braking. If you are stopping short and not allowing the vehicle to cool down its brakes it will wear brakes very quickly and warp rotors.
How To Prevent Brake Rotator Warping?
Brake rotors can Warp due to little mistakes and can cost you a lot of additional expenses at the end of the month. You can avoid that overhead cost by following these useful tips that are proven best way to prevent brake rotator warping.
- Regular Inspections: Regularly check brake pads, rotors, and calipers for any signs of wear or damage. Because catching potential issues early can prevent warping and save your time as well as money. Stay ahead of brake issues with regular inspections. Learn our checklist now.
- Bedding-in Brake Pads: When installing new brake pads, follow the manufacturer's instructions on bedding-in. Brake pads must be tightly packed with a rotor and should not be loose. OEM makes products that perfectly fit each make and model for an even contact between the brake pad and rotor, preventing vibrations, and more quieter brakes.
- Avoid Excessive Heat: Try not to use heavy braking for extended periods, or ride the brakes. Both can generate too much heat and increase the risk of rotor warping in your
- Gentle Braking: Instead of hard and random braking, try to use gentle braking, thereby pressing down increasingly on the pedal at a safe distance from the other vehicles in front.
- Don't Ride the Brake: Don’t always put your foot on the brake pedal while idle because this may cause brake drag and start heating up the system which can result in brake rotor warping.
- Regular Maintenance: Regular brake system maintenance, checking and maintaining fluid levels, and so forth, can help prevent warped rotors. Brake fluid is important in managing the heat generated during braking, so it should be in good condition.
Bottom Line:
Warping is an extremely common problem in the automotive industry. Sometimes it feels like an uphill battle, but there are some ways to prevent brake rotator warping by paying attention to the details like why the rotors are Warped, and how can you avoid it.
By following the tips and measures mentioned above, you can lower the risk of having warped rotors. Now, if you are currently having vibration during braking, take your vehicle to a professional mechanic right away in order not to cause further damage to your braking system. If your mechanic tells you that you need a replacement and want one at the lowest price without sacrificing quality, check out the best brake rotors for your car at GeoBrakes Canada.