Well, now that summer has settled in nicely, it's time to get the boat out. In past summers, that also means it's time to replace the rotors at least once before winter rolls in. The with the weight of the boat and the oversized tires, it takes quite a bit of work to get things slowed down. Is there any way to help keep the rotors cool so they are not as prone to warping? Do slotted/vented rotors work? Would different pads help?

 

Make sure that your rear Drums/Shoes are adjusted properly...

That will put more work on the drums, and help to keep the front discs/pads cooler. Also, try to give yourself a longer distance to stop instead of standing on the pedal.

Good Luck

 

Yea, I know... I also use the tranny to keep my speed down at times. But there are times where I absolutely have to stand on the brakes, and brake fade becomes a huge issue (as does warping). The boat weights about 3200lbs, and living in the northeast means lots of hills, both up and down. Just trying to find ways to help keep the rotors cool.

 

Hey jackson, check out gadgets site in the braking section for some good info.

A couple things that would help your fronts run cooler are cross slotted rotors, steel braided lines at the front calipers, and synthetic brake fluid.

None of those will prevent fade, but they will help to curb it.

 

Gadget's site was the first place I looked. I saw his writeup about the rotors, pads, and break lines. He mentioned how they helped firm up the feel of the break pedal and improve stopping time, but nothing about preventing warping or keeping heat down. In fact, he said that when the slotted rotors warp, they seem to warp again very quickly. At the time he wrote this stuff, he had stock wheels on his rig, so I'd think he'd have to do some reeeaaaaly spirited driving to encounter any brake fade.

 

I know what you mean though. I am not all that impressed with my brakes. The rotors are warped, and I seem to have a bad case of nose dive under braking. Makes me wonder if the LPV is working correctly

Anyway, you have my ideas. Let me know if you find anything "cool" out about brake upgrades.

 

I am not sure how much slotted rotors will help. Can you even turn slotted/drilled rotors if they are warped?

 

Im not sure if this would apply, but on my 2nd gen, I did some slight modification to the cooling sheild for the rotors. I basicaly removed any metal from the cooling duct that did not have to be there. Smoothed the path out with the drimel tool, and pulled the duct out a little to grab more air. See the pics on my webshots page in the 4 runner section. Like I said, this may not apply to yours, but it might give you some ideas.

 

I've got the NWOR cross drilled rotors and I've not had a single problem with fade or warping. Plus you get an extra bite that helps a lot when braking.

 

Just my two cents. I have found this web site that you may want to look at. It is www.frozenrotors.com. They cryogenically freeze the rotors and suposedly it makes a huge difference in the performace. They will cross drill and slot them as well before they freeze them. I wish I would have found this before I replaced mine a couple of months ago. Hope that this helps.