I asked on a different thread which were the best brake pads and most spoke very highly of the ceramic Akebono's. Now I would like to know which brand and type of rotors do you people recommend. I have heard that drilled or slotted rotors eat up brake pads quicker than regular vented rotors, is that true. I would also like to know what do you use to remove the philips screws that hold the rotors. And now for the dumbest question of all how do I know if I need rotors and pads and not just pads.

 

The rotors aren't held on by philips screw. They're held on by a pozidrive screw (#4, I think). The bits are near impossible to find in stock at a store. You'll have to search the internet to get one. The other option (which most people end up doing) is drilling out the screw and replacing it.

You can tell if you need new rotors by measuring the thickness of the rotor with a micrometer. You will need to take the wheels off first to get a good measurement. You can buy an inexpensive micrometer from harbor freight. I don't have the spec handy, but you can look up the minimum thickness in RAVE. Generally, if you can feel the lip on the edge of the rotor you're probably getting close. You definitely don't want to go cheap on the rotors, because if you try to get by with new pads and later decide to change the rotors, the pads will bed in on the old rotors, and then you'll need to change everything. Also, I found that thin rotors contributed to the always-fun ABS light.

There's a good write-up on changing brake pads and rotors... I can't remember exactly how to find it, but spending some time on google would be well worth your time to find it (it helped me tremendously).

Hope this helps,
RedAustinIX

 

Thanks for your tips. Another quick question, how do I check to make sure that my rotors aren't warped.

 

Get an impact driver from home deport and use the largest + bit on the screw, it comes out very easily. Soak the screw and the rotor with pb blaster first. My screw came off after about 5 whacks with a hammer. The rotors tend to hang on, just keep soaking the inside with pb blaster until it breaks loose. Use a puller on the rotor, don't smack it with a hammer since you can damage your wheel hub.

 

So far I have replaced all of the coolant hoses, thermostat and coolant cap, flushed the cooling system, changed the oil about three times now, replaced a window regulator, and unclogged the A/C drains. Now I need to take brakes 101 before I tackle this job for the first time. Being brakes I want to make sure I get it right the first time.

 

Although some will say otherwise, slotted and drilled rotors are a waste of $$ on a Land Rover. They are designed to help cool, and degass. Because of their decreased surface area, due to the slots and holes, they will technically have less braking power. In the years of driving my lr, I've never experienced brake fade. Which is the only thing that drilled and slotted rotors help. A good set of quality blank rotors with good pads will stop better than drilled or slotted. I prefer brembro rotors.

My previous track car did benefit from drilled and slotted, oversized rotors. But then again, that was a strictly autocross/drifting car, where heavy braking would lead to brake fade after the 1st or 2nd lap.

 

Another tip with replacing brake pads: bleed off the brake fluid when you press the calipers back - otherwise you push all that crap back through the ABS module into the reservoir.

 

You are going to need some help on this, if you want, send me your number and I'll call you, walking you thru what to check and buy.

 

PM sent.

 

E.B.C, pads and cross drilled, slotted rotors.