My stock brakes were still going strong when i replaced the rotors/pads at 30k with some nice cross-drilled/slotted ones and ceramic pads...now I have 50k on the car and the aftermarket ones are doing great too...

 

Other than dust/rust noise on wet mornings from the drums I have had no problems at all. I am now just short of 40K miles on the original brakes and have good life left in them and otherwise look great. Sounds as if you either drive to hard, can't get your foot off the brake, or maybe proportioning valve is defective. If the proportioning valve is bad you may be getting closer to 90%+ braking in front not 70-80% like normal. That can overheat the front rotors and be an issue.

 

I have rear discs as well. I don't know if they use different proportioning for 4 wheel discs or not but would expect that this may take some load off of the fronts. I drive with some spirit some times but normally just with the loud pedal and only when I have the room to do so. Most of the time I'm taking it easy and conserving fuel so I really don't drive that hard. I coast into alot of stops/don't ride the brakes at all. (the left foot is for the clutch, I know) Only thing I can think of is there are 2 long hills that I decend daily where the speed reduces near the bottom. I brake lightly but pretty much contionously going down these to maintian the speed limit as they are both ideal speed traps. This could get them hot but hey this is southern Ohio not the rockies. Come on. Do I need to pulse them going down these hills to aviod warping. If so I may as well forget autocrossing on factory rotors.

 

my stock rotors are doing fine and Im going on 30k. never needed to be replaced. However the second they do need to go Im getting some slotted rotors

 

I've posted this many times...and will do so again....

The metal that DaimlerChrysler has used on their stock rotors for the last 10 yrs or so is crap. They switched to a softer compound and its been causing premature brake wear and rotor wear/damage. Why? Because when metal heats up, it gets soft....which causes rotor warping....and causes your brakes to wear out faster. It can also cause your brakes to lock up, your caliper to break, or even a combination of multiple items like a car fire if you drive on them too long.

You can check in every section of this forum and you will find complaints galore across the board for crappy OEM rotors......this is not an opinion....its a fact...

Now, what can you do? There are a few things you can do...

1.) Switch to ceramic/carbon brake pads (you could go cheaper, but for the difference in 20-30 bucks for a set....we're talking about maybe 10-15k longer life possibly)

2.) You could go with a new set of rotors...dimpled or crossdrilled. However, so long as you dont buy el cheapo rotor from Autozone...and dont buy the overpriced OEM rotors...you should be good to go. My suggestion is that you find a reputable dealer and buy the good kind of rotors. Why? Because if it screws up again...you know its not the cheap rotor/cheap brakes. I'd recommend Hawk ceramic pads. They're worth the price.

3.) Make sure your lugnuts are properly torqued on each of your wheel. This may seem like a very trivial item, but it can be crucial in damaging your rotor. When they use those airpowered lug wrenches, they often torque the lugnuts too tight, causing the wheel to "pinch". Basically, the wheel doesnt lie flat against the rotor like it should. Now the wheel is no longer lined up how it should be, causing issues in braking, steering, and causing premature wear and damage to the rim/tire.

4.) Never, and I mean never, think that because someone else's car's brakes lasted 40k-60k...that yours should last that long. Differences in driving style, location, car/truck usage, & stop and go traffic all play factors in how your brakes are used and worn out. If all you do is commute long distance on highways, chances are you'll have higher mileage and less brake usage. This is merely an example.

That said, anytime a set of brakes wears out before 20k, that's usually indicative of a problem...potentially a serious one. That could be a bad caliper, a bad master cylinder, a bad brake pad/rotor...

 

I have an '05 with 28xxx miles on stock rotors with no probs. I replaced the OEM pads with Bendix ceramics at 7xxx miles because of the obscene amounts of dust with excellent results. Never turned the rotors during the pad swap and still doing great. I drive in the city but I do downshift mt MTX when coming to a stop as to take a slight load off the brake system. The REAR shoes I replaced with a cheapo set of $14 advance auto specials and no drum turn cause the OEM's sounded like a school bus when I came to a stop! I had a '97 ATX since new and I do remember the fronts were junk after 25,xxx.

 

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I actually tracked down this forum because my rotors are completely warped. Basically, I'm looking for advice on what rotors to replcae the stock ones with. I don't think I really need cross-drilled/slotted rotors... just some that aren't crap to begin with. No experience on the subject so I hope to find good suggestions here.

Thanks!

Alex

 

After replacing the brakes so many times with the same cheap brakes you'd think someone would upgrade

Either that or the mechanics are ripping you off.

 

The best rotors on the market for the Neon are Powerslot Rotors (but they cost $80 a piece) IMO...and the best pads to go along with those Powerslot rotos are the Hawk HPS pads.

 

I don't agree at all that Chrysler brakes in general are junk. The problems most people have with brakes is because of overheating them through poor driving habits or the guy at the tire store liking the sound his impact makes at 400 lb ft. All I have ever owned through the years with the exception of 3 mistakes were Dodge, Plymouth or Chrysler vehicles and the shortest the disc brake padsever lasted was 40,000 miles (current Neon). I have NEVER had to replace a warped rotor. I owned a '90 Shadow on which the front brake pads lasted over 60,000 miles and after a trip down Pikes Peak upon return home I checked thepads (1/8th inch remaining)and one had cracked from overheating but the rotors were still fine. Extended intervals of braking pressure is a killer of brakes. Plan your stops, Brake heavy for a short period before descending a grade and correct speed with short heavy braking giving the brakes a chance to release heat before repeating. When you change pads "bed" the brakes in following the manufacturers recommendations or find a web site that explains this process. Not bedding in new pads will cause glazing at the pads surface and require more brake pressure to achieve effective braking thusly creating more heat. When rotating tires use a torque wrench and tighten alloy wheels to 85 ft lbs in a crisscross pattern only after "snugging" all the nuts.
From a guy that's been driving and working on his own 30 plus years.