XPost: alt.autos.toyota   
   From: rokigawa@NOSPAMtristarassociates.com   
      
   "SMS"  wrote in message   
   news:4aba5e77$0$1616$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...   
   > Ray O wrote:   
   >   
   >> I used to do a lot of driving in the mountains and did not experience   
   >> brake fade or rotor warpage on any of the Toyotas I had as company cars.   
   >>   
   >> The only aftermarket brand you listed that I'm familiar with is Brembo.   
   >> They should be OK but before you go that route, try checking the back   
   >> brakes and shifting to a lower gear.   
   >   
   > I already use lower gears while descending, though perhaps more than I   
   > should these days simply because I'm trying so hard to keep the brakes   
   > cooler. The back brakes are fine in terms of remaining material, but I   
   > thought they were self-adjusting and I didn't have to do anything in that   
   > regard.   
   >   
   > It may just be that the original rotors should never have been resurfaced   
   > in the first place, and once they were thinner they warped from the heat.   
   > I don't recall ever having a problem when the vehicle was newer. So maybe   
   > I'll just go with OEM rotors since if you can't resurface the   
   > slotted/drilled rotors then there's no point in the extra expense. It's   
   > getting close to the need for a front brake job so I want to select the   
   > parts now.   
      
   Although the rear brakes are self adjusting, they probably self-adjust when   
   you apply the parking brake.  If you seldom use the parking brake, the rear   
   brakes don't self-adjust or they are so far out of adjustment that the   
   self-adjuster mechanism can't adjust enough.   
      
   To check your rear brakes, raise and properly support the vehicle so that   
   the rear wheels are off of the ground.  ("properly support" means having the   
   wheels on the ground chocked and the vehicle supported by jack stands).   
   Give the back wheels a spin like Vana White on Wheel of Fortune.  The wheel   
   should rotate once to one-and-a half times.  If the wheel rotates freely   
   with little or no friction, they are out of adjustment.   
      
   In my experience, I've found that rotors that have been resurfaced almost   
   always warp within a year so I don't resurface rotors, just replace them.   
      
   If you do the front brake job yourself, make sure that the caliper slides   
   are not sticking.   
   --   
      
   Ray O   
   (correct punctuation to reply)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)