I just installed Powerstop brakes on my 02 crew cab part number K1906-36 their Z36 brake series. Made a world of difference over my stock brakes.

 

Powerstop calipers from rockauto
USA made raybestos or motorcraft rotors from Rock auto.
Wagner severe duty pads from Pep boys
Wagner severe duty DOT 5.1 fluid full exchange.
New power steering pump running ATF with an inline trans filter for longevity.
lifted trucks are not ideal for towing, if you tow that often consider buying a suitable rig.

 

Thanks for that, I’ll start looking up the parts. No, lifted trucks aren't ideal for towing. But that’s the price you pay to have a truck that can do abit of everything you want it to rather than just a tow pig. If I was regularly towing heavier I for sure Would lower it slightly but it handles great. Coil overs do wonders 👍🏻

what’s your opinions on slotted or drilled rotors?

 

Drilled rotors are for autocross to lighten rotors; for a Superduty weight, you need all the mass you can get. They typically lead to cracking as you can't chamfer the vane side of the rubbing discs. Racing rotors which have vane channels designed around lightening holes (different than common vane channels) also have chamfers at the holes that are cast in place, which is why racing "drilled" rotors (the holes are cast in place) are so expensive.

Slots improve for one rotation under wet conditions and are used to remove gasses as the friction material deteriorates under high temperatures. A good quality friction material is designed not to do that, so if your selection is correct you don't need slots. Slotting also requires a very stiff friction material so the slots don't slice off friction material as they wipe the friction material. That tends to lead to heat banding on the rotors where a compliant friction material spreads the load. They are not ideal with good quality materials, but they work in consumer life.

I use normal solid rotors and have never had a reason to change.

 

You just finished a coil over conversion and you think two tiny maybe 14in diameter warped rotors in the front end of a 8k lb truck caused death wobble.... take the truck to a specialty alignment shop. That’s your issue. Warped rotors on a truck that size will not cause a death wobble unless other front end parts are not lined up.

with the brake upgrade powerstroke is a proven/affordable upgrade. Get the towing performance category and you’ll notice a difference. Very little to no brake dust, smooth and surprisingly fast stopping

 

agreed I was just scrolling down to suggest that you may have the traditional death wobble
not a rotor issue

things to check are loose track bar
geometry of the track and drag links
some say it is a bandaide I say big tires need a decent stabilizer ( ford replaces these as part of the death wobble issue on the newer trucks
and most important is caster being set properly

 

Thanks for all your advice fellas. The reason why I have narrowed it down to my rotors is the fact that it only starts happening once the rotors have been warmed up and when I’m braking. The entire kit and all new steering components have been triple checked and then after 1000kms triple checked again. Straight after the kit was fitted, the truck also spent the best part of 2hrs getting a wheel alignment. My tyres are also only 5000kms old and were properly balanced.

I agree, a stabiliser I thought may help. But I’m sure it won’t completely fix the issue. It tracks really well at low and high speed.

So from what I’m understanding, is that the new rotors can be smooth as long as they of high quality material and there’s no need to be drilled or slotted?

 

When you call this a "Death Wobble" I think of the wheel's crossbar shaking back and forth. Is that what you have or is the cab just shaking?

Drilled/slotted rotors are cut that way mostly to allow the Venting of gases, that are created between the pad and rotor surface, as organic material "burns off" during Hard Braking and actually push the pads off that surface some.. If you do a lot of hard breaking, it can be an advantage. The disadvantage is that they can't be cut/resurfaced but, with what rotors cost today, who cares?

EBC has a nice rotor/pad kit, in several combinations of materials (I went with "Yellow" and have been very happy).

 

Brake pads as they go on a vehicle are not fully cured. OE pads go through a more generous bake cycle then aftermarket pads. In the OE world, you have to have good braking coming off the parking lot for the potential owners test drive. If the brake pads are not good in friction, he will go test drive a different vehicle. In the aftermarket, the garage has the option of telling the customer to give the brakes some time to work, or for the DIY segment, have you go through the process of heat treating the pads by doing stops. That’s the quickest way to determine hoeensive cheap a brake pad manufacturer has gone to reduce the post baking costs during manufacture, one of the most expense.

But all pads still have to change the material from its green state to a carbon product, which is what contacts the rotors rubbing disc. The outgassing during this contains formaldehyde and ammonia from the phenolic resin and other organics. Low, semi, and high metallic compounds have the lowest amount of organics. Ceramics have a relatively high amount, not unlike any other organic friction like the old asbestos fiber friction materials.

So the amount of outgassing during braking depends on the quantity of organic, how much it was prior cured, and how high the temperature being generated at the time of braking. You have a high green material that with long, low braking temp exposure not be much of a concern as you break through a new temperature envelope. But you can still have a low organic have issues on its first canyon run. Both can be mediated by the manufacturer before ever leaving the plant by running the new pads through an OE style bake cycle.

The need to augment rotors with slots or grooves depends on the quality of the brake pads installed. In the OE world, slotted and holed rotors fit into the category of hood scoops the are for show, non-functional.

 

Yeh, everything’s shaking not just the cab.

I’ve been looking at EBC. They look like quality products at a reasonable price.

How about callipers? Does anyone make a good bolt on replacement for more power? Or is there anything I can do to the stock ones?

Thats very interesting about the OE brakes, that makes a lot of sense.

However, every aftermarket ‘performance’ rotors I find always seem to be slotted and holed. Never just smooth.

 

Well, all I did for 25 years was vehicle brake testing, CRX to Class 8. My company made friction material and rotors. I was project manager for the P131 release. But then I don’t sell “performance rotors”.

The biggest improvement you are ever going to make is with the friction material. Unless you can reduce the leverage of the tire rolling radius over the rotor scrub radius. I’ll leave the advice at this point.

 

So! I just found a company that sells the Wilwood 16” rotors and their 6 piston calipers with brackets that will suit 99-03 trucks! I’m now thinking that I shouldn’t waste the money on a whole new cheaper brake kit that isn’t going to make a big difference and just go all out with the Wilwood kit?

Has anyone else done this upgrade? I’d love to hear their thoughts.

 

Back in 2005 I added powerstop slotted/drilled rotors and carbon ceramic pads. I have a 99 F350 2wd that I use mostly for towing. I had a situation where I had to panic stop while towing a rather large Massey Tractor. Somebody pulled out in front while doing 65mph and I really believe, that with my stock brakes, things would have ended badly. They were on Rockauto as high performance brakes. even to this day, I have no complaints and regularly use the truck for towing with no problems.

 

If you have an 02 on a leaf spring lift that you are working everyday, I would upgrade the whole front end.

 

I’ve done the full traction coil over conversion which has definitely made a big difference.

 

good to hear, you are on the right track