Ok, I am getting a little frustrated. This is my second ram, I had a 04 4.7 QC 4wd. Starting with that truck I had replaced the rotors once due to warpage. From what I remember that was enough and problem solved.

Now second ram, 06 5.7 QC 4wd. When I bought the truck (used) the brakes were toast, so the dealer turned the rotors. About six monthes later they are warped. I felt it mostly when braking at higher speeds 45mph +. So last week I bought new ceramic pads and drilled/slotted rotors off ebay. The brand is "autospecialty". I installed them on Saturday and did the best job I could at breaking them in. It is almost impossible to do it exactly in the busy D.C. Metro area. Although not as bad as the OEM rotors I again feel the warpage when they are hot (higher speed braking). This drilled and slotted **** is supposed to alleviate the warping problem.

I guess my question is, should I just go back to a standard rotor and cut my losses or what?

 

well what should you expect for turning rotors (which makes them thinner to warp easier) and buying rotors off EBAY.
i think thats your first problem
unless you brake hard while hitting puddles of water

 

I agree with you to a degree, I could just as easily spend more and have the same result. The set of rotors for my first ram were like $30 each from autozone and they were fine. So price isn't always a factor.

 

I have purchased a set of drilled/slotted of Ebay for my exploder. I did break them in and have put around 2kmi of hard abuse and they have had no problems. I only paid $170 shipped to my door for all 4 rotors and ceramic pads. Advance Auto wanted $240 for their regular rotors and cheap semi-metallic pads.
retail vs online...no comparison so IMO, price goes out the window.

Did you do the fronts AND the rears or just the fronts? Because the rears can give you a problem as well.

 

Just the fronts, your right it could be the rears, and in my frustration I am assuming its the fronts again. I tried applying the parking brake to isolate the rears. Haven't been able to do it at high speed though.

 

I'm willing to bet it's the rears then. You shoudl be able to check them by going a normal 45mph speed. Just press the ebrake down enough to slow the truck down fairly quick, but not skid your tires. Maybe see how far your pedal goes down before it really grabs while parked before trying that.
Because the rears would be the only one's stopping you, they will heat up pretty quick even at lower speeds and show you their weakness. You may need to drive around and get the rotors hot first.

 

Well I went out and tested it, and I think it is the rears. Thanks dirty for pointing me in the right direction.

For the record, ram brakes suck, and I can say I have proof!

 

^^ no prob, but my brakes are awesome. The rotors are huge and my truck stops on a dime!
Most people think the rear brakes do nothing and the fronts do mostly everything. While that is partially true, you'd be surprised on how much the back brakes can make or break a good stopping vehicle!

The fronts are what 13"?? The back are like 11 or 12"? That's a guess.
Comparing my Ram to my 2000 Silverado....lmao the silverado sucked donkey ballz. the front rotors were 11.5" and the rear were like 10.5"?? Much smaller than the ram and the squishy GM brakes sucked.
Comparing my father '09 F-150 to my Ram. F-150 bloooooows compared to my Ram.
Not gonna even compare a fullsize truck to any kind of car because there is no comparison.

Get your rears changed and update this thread and see if your braking/opinion on Ram brakes doesn't drastically improve/change. I'm anxious to find out.

Ohh, your emergency shoes are inside your rear rotors, so you'll need to release the parking cable to get the rotors off if they are grooved from just being used/old.

 

Well turns out that it was the rears all along, and you are right dirty, I had forgotten that the parking brake is still drums in the rear.

I had one seized caliper, but all in all I replaced all the rotors (drilled/slotted in front, standard in rear), pads (ceramic) and one caliper. I don't want to congratulate anyone yet, cause only time will tell. But for now the brakes feel like new again!


That with the recent Bilsteins up front, the ole truck is riding like a dream! (knock on wood!)

 

i would like to chime in on the fact that no not all drilled and slotted from ebay are junk ...i went out on a limb after a buddy told me that the brakemotive(seller) of powerstop rotors and clean ride ceramic pads are good .... well ive had mine on since dec and ill tell you i stop like a **** i live in tampa bay are and its all lights i had to bed them and i did it correctly as i had to in a parking lot....they work very well for what they cost and i would buy more...so dont always think cause they came from fleabay they are cheap.....