Rotors & Brakes for Trucks

[JODOHL61]

Everybody and their brother sells or makes rotors & brakes. How do you really know who's is good without braking the bank?
I have a 2018 Ram 1500 Tradesman 4x4 quad cab w/ 5.7L Hemi.
I do a lot of hunting, 4 wheeling, camping and hauling wood. Sometimes I end up on extremely steep hills and mountains. So I'm looking for new rotors & Brakes since it time to get new ones anyway.
So, who's do I buy? NAPA, Auto Zone or maybe Power Stop?
Any ideas?
Can't afford Brimbo or I'd have them..

 

[dbrannon79]

Welcome to the forum @JODOHL61 for local auto parts stores, there all the same afaik. Napa or O'Reiliy would be my choice between them. you can get better stopping power from drilled rotors but at a cost of wearing your pads down sooner. it really depends on if and what issues your facing.

when I had my old 4Runner the rear rotors were warped from heat, after doing a full brake job replacing everything with new they warped again in a few months of normal driving. some have heat and warpage issues where others don't. a common thing is replace all the rubber hoses and check caliper slides for wear and lubrication. those two things are the #1 killer of a good braking system.

 

[Will L.]

I couldn’t disagree more with the Doug on this one.

There are not many parts I say dealership for, pads are one.

run like hell from the stuff at average parts stores like autozone.
Napa has some ok ones but you get what you pay for.

The heavy metallic pads get longer life by less braking power and destroying rotors.
Save money on non critical things like transmission alternator etc.
bad brakes= short life or long life full of pain, misery & economic destitution.

Wagner OEX pads are known great on dodge.

The rotors- do research and find out what company makes the factory ones. Dodge rotors are not horrible- dodge doesn’t make them it is someone like Reybestos, Wagner, etc. you might find them at AMAZING prices- LOOK OUT! Tons of Chinese knock off parts that save 40% and are total garbage fake stuff.
Cheaper than dealership is ok but make sure the place you buy is an AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTOR for them. Worth the call/email to the manufacturer before buying.

Drilled / slotted rotors always comes up.
Drilled is when you brake so hard/often you are overheating your brakes. The holes don’t make the pads last longer they slow brake fade. If you are in muddy areas the holes collect mud and wear out or ruin pads much faster.

Sloted rotor is to micro cut away the surface of the pad to give a fresh surface for maximum stoppage- but wear out the pads faster on purpose in the sacrifice for performance.

Chryogenic treatment of rotors is always a win except the cost. Never pays for itself on rotors except performance.

 

[Will L.]

More long strory-
I had a Chrysler 300 years ago- had to buy new calipers because autozone top of the line aftermarket pads had dimples in wrong spot and cracked the caliper pistons.
Factory pads were $100, the best autozone atthe time were $60. “Saving $40” cost me nearly $600 for brake parts, damn near a crash on the freeway. Oh- and a transmission for $3,000 by jamming it into park is what stopped it. The parking brake didn’t slow it fast enough. Hind sight I should have scrubbed it into the jersy barrier and just totaled the car for the $1,000 deductible.