[Shotimes] UPDATE: Odd rotor stripes

[Jon Heese]

After about 75 miles, the unswept stripes on my rotor went away.  I 
guess those used condoms-- ahem, used pads, worked themselves flat in 
the end.  Still stops quick and smooth.  Thanks for all the suggestions.

Regards,
Jon Heese

Jon Heese wrote:
> I suppose I could give it a few miles before I do anything unnecessary...
> 
> Thanks for the info.
> 
> Regards,
> Jon HEese
> 
> Dave Kegel wrote:
> 
>> I've seen this happen before and wouldn't worry about it.  You 
>> probably just
>> had some very minor high and low spots on your old rotor, and 
>> subsequently
>> the pads.  After a few miles it will wear evenly.
>>
>> Dave
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net 
>> [mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]
>> On Behalf Of Jon Heese
>> Sent: Saturday, June 25, 2005 4:21 PM
>> To: shotimes@autox.team.net
>> Subject: [Shotimes] Odd rotor stripes
>>
>>
>> About 3 months after doing the '96 brake upgrade on my '95 SLO (using 
>> "barely"-used rotors and new pads), I started getting some shaking 
>> during braking, which got worse over the course of the next month.  I 
>> assumed that one or both of the rotors was/were warped, so I bought 
>> one Wearever $24 rotor (xref NAPA 86334) from Advance and swapped out 
>> the front drivers' side.  After a quick test drive, everything felt 
>> and looked fixed, so I figured that rotor must've been warped.
>>
>> About a week later, I started feeling the shaking again, so last 
>> Sunday, I went and bought another identical rotor and swapped the 
>> front passenger side.  After a quick test drive, once again, the 
>> problem seemed solved, but when I got back in the driveway and looked, 
>> I saw that the shiny new rotor had only been swept by the brake pad in 
>> one stripe, about 1/2" wide, on the outer boundary (towards the rim) 
>> of the normal swept area.  My first thought was that the pads must 
>> have been worn funny and I probably needed a new set.  It was after 
>> 7pm and the sun was going down, so I stabled the car for the past week 
>> and pulled it out today to check it.
>>
>> When I took it around the block today, once again, everything felt 
>> fine, but now the rotor is being swept in two stripes, the same outer 
>> one and now a 1/4" stripe on the inner (towards the wheel hub) 
>> extreme.  I took the caliper off and inspected the pads and they 
>> seemed prisitinely straight with a good 1/2" of material left.  There 
>> was no (discernible) slant to their wear patten.  I put everything 
>> back on and took it for another test spin and saw the same 
>> double-stripe rub pattern on the rotor.  It didn't occur to me until 
>> today to look at the inner surface (towards the axle) of the rotor, 
>> but when I did, I saw the same double-stripe pattern on that surface.
>>
>> Now, the question:  What is the likelihood that my brand new (cheap) 
>> rotor is cupped so that the center stripe of the swept area is 
>> recessed from the brake pads?  Since the pattern is present on both 
>> the inner and outer surfaces of the rotor, I'm leaning away from my 
>> original thought of oddly-worn brake pads due to a misshapen old 
>> rotor.  Unfortunately, I didn't keep the receipt for the rotors, so 
>> either way I go, I have to put down $25-30.  So I figured I'd consult 
>> the oracle first.
>>
>> What do you all think?
>>
>> Regards,
>> Jon Heese
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