Drums and Rotors
The brake rotors on your Duramax truck are components that are most likely going to need to be replaced during your ownership. Brake rotors can become cracked, warped, or damaged which reduces the effectiveness of your brakes. This can cause a serious safety hazard, especially in a truck as big as a Duramax. Merchant Automotive is going to have a great selection of Duramax brake rotors to replace or upgrade your factory rotors for better performance.
Brake rotors are circular discs that bolt onto your vehicle behind your wheels. Your brake pads clamp against the brake rotors to create friction and slow your vehicle down. Brake rotors are designed to wear over time, so you will need to replace your rotors throughout the lifetime of the truck. If your rotors happen to become damaged or warped, you may have to replace your rotors earlier than you may have expected. It is a good idea to do a general visual inspection of your rotors every 3,000 miles to look for any cracks, hot spots, or any other areas of concern to prevent your brakes from suffering more damage.
How Can You Tell If Your Duramax Brake Rotors Are Bad?
Brake rotors are just one of the common wear items on your Duramax brake system. When brake rotors go bad, there are a few different symptoms that you may experience, depending on what is going bad on your rotors. Let’s take a look at common symptoms of bad brake rotors and what they mean.
Vibrations When Applying Brakes - If you are experiencing wobbling, shaking, or vibrations when you apply your brakes, there is a good chance that your brake rotors have become warped. Brake rotors can become warped from overheating or going from a very high temperature to a very low temperature very quickly. This usually happens when a vehicle is washed after very heavy braking without allowing time for the brake rotors to cool down.
Squeaking When Applying Brakes - If you notice a squeaking sound when you apply your brakes, there could be a few different issues. Rotor issues associated with squeaky brakes are going to include old rotors, rusty rotors, or rotors that need to be turned or replaced.
Reduced Braking Performance - If you are noticing that your braking performance has gone down, you may want to check your brake rotors to see what type of condition they are in. Brake fade and poor braking can be caused by rotors that have reached the end of their life or that have a surface that has broken down past the point of providing good friction.
Do Rear Rotors Wear The Same As Front Rotors?
One little known fact about the brake system on most vehicles is that the front and rear brakes don’t get the same braking power. This is known as “brake bias” and helps to control the handling of your vehicle when the brakes are applied. In most vehicles, this is going to be about a 70/30 split. What this means is that the front brakes get 70% of the braking power while the rear gets 30% of the braking power. This helps to prevent the rear wheels from locking up, which could cause you to lose control of your car.
Replacing Rotors Vs Having Rotors Turned
If you have found out that you have bad rotors, you may have a couple of different options to choose from to get them working great again. If your rotors are relatively new and are slightly warped or rusted, you may be able to have them “turned”. What this means is that a shop will put your rotor on a lathe and remove the top layer of material off the rotor to get it flat again. However, if your rotor is worn down past the spec of being safe to turn, you will need to replace your rotors. Brand new rotors are always a better choice as you will get longer life and usually will get a warranty with your rotors as well.
