#27458, "RE: Drum brake discussion inside. (relating to fronts warping?)" In response to In response to 0
Your front rotors warp because the stock spec and especially the OEM rotors are woefully inadequate. I could take a showroom new eclipse and warp its rotors in under 5 minutes. Given the fact that DSMs are rather heavy, and easily capable of regular triple digit speeds, the cute little front brakes we have just don't cut it.
The solution is very simple. Get better or bigger rotors. OEM sized Powerslots take much longer to warp, if ever. GSX brake calipers and a Powerslot or any other larger, quality rotor would be nearly indestructible.
Another huge factor is correct rim installation and exact, even lug torque. If you have aftermarket wheels, you should always use the nylon hubcentric rings. Making sure the wheel is exactly torqued, and not crooked, is the ONLY thing that holds the rotor itself flat against the hub.
The drums on the other hand will outlast your car IMO. The drum shoes last a long ass time. Knowing this, most places like Midas will not actually open up the drums and inspect the shoes. Mine have squealed since the car was brand new and I've had 3 different dealerships tell me they have 90% life left and are in perfect operation. (The squealing was part of the design, im sure, right? ) I've gone completely through 3 sets of front pads, and 3 sets of front rotors, yet never even used up a quarter of the drum shoes.