George Richardson wrote:
>
> Bob and Nancy wrote:
> >
> > Yo,
> >
> > Although not strictly a Triumph question, I thought maybe you
> > mechanical wizards could help (remember, the TR3 was the first real
> > production car with front discs brakes).
> > My wife has a 1991 Toyota Camry that eats front disc rotors. The
> > first set was replaced at 25,000 miles and the second at 60,000 miles.
> > Both sets had warped and were turned 3 or 4 times before they got too thin
> > to turn again. The guy at the Midas shop replaced the last set for free
> > but refused to warranty the new set because he felt that the fault was in
> > the car, and not in his rotors.
> >
> > So what could be causing this?
> >
> > 1. Driver riding the brakes or braking heavily. This is not the case. My
> > wife just drives like every other normal driver. Besides, we bought the
> > car used and the previous owner also went through a set of rotors in less
> > than 2 years.
> >
> > 2. Lug nots unevenly torqued. Not likely. Midas retorqued the lugs
> > everytime they turned the rotors and the problem kept coming back.
> >
> > 3. Brakes dragging due to a bad line. Probably not. Both sides warp
> > equally and the car doesn't pull to one side upon braking.
> >
> > 4. Brakes dragging due to bad master cylinder. Don't think so (although
> > maybe). Brake pads do not show excessive wear. Car rolls well and it
> > doesn't feel as though the brakes are dragging.
> >
> > 5. Defective rotors. Well, if so, why is the car on it's third set of
> > rotors (the first one being the manufacturer's)?
> >
> > 6. Excessive heat buildup. Yeah, probably, but what is the source? If
> > it's not excessive or hard braking, or dragging due to bad hydraulics then
> > what would cause the rotors to heat up? Do Camrys have poor ventilation on
> > their brake rotors? If so, shouldn't all Camrys have the same problem?
> >
> > So, as you can see, I don't have any answers. We have a new set of rotors
> > in the car now and I figure we have 4 or 5 months before they'll have to be
> > turned. And I don't think the local Midas guy is going to be too friendly
> > to me anymore (we had a difference of opinion as to what his 12 month
> > warranty really meant).
> >
> > Wadda ya think?
> >
> > Bob Wise
> >
> > Appleton, WI
>
> My wife drives an 86 Caddy DeVille. Every time I have the rotors cut,
> not one week goes by before they're out of true again. I can't figure
> out how she does it.
>
> George Richardson
> '57 TR3, TS15559L
> (getting ready to paint)
I had a 1989 Audi 200 Quattro (a GREAT car, BTW), that had the same
problem. I put two new sets of rotors on the front before I insisted
that the dealership put new pads on. They did, and the problem went
away (I put another 100,000 miles on the car with no more problems). I
can only surmise that the PO put aftermarket pads on the car that
somehow caused more heat buildup on the rotors, hence warpage. (If this
happened only at a certain speed, would that be ..... warp speed?).
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