huludicidal

So a few weeks ago I decided to do brakes for all four corners. I didn't need brakes yet but I haven't upgraded them since I bought the car and I was sick of how much the OEMs suck. I should also note that despite having all factory brake parts, I didn't have any pulsation or vibration upon braking even at 80+mph. So here's what I got:

Rotora slotted rotors (F/R) from Excelerate
RacingBrake ET500 pads (F/R) from Heeltoe

Now before I get to my complaints I will preface with:
1) I am a veteran DIY car guy and have done everything to a Honda: swapped motors, transmissions, engine rebuilds, full brake conversions etc etc...
2) I have owned three other generations of Accords.
3) I pride myself with extreme attention to detail.

Ok, so the brake job went as smooth as can be. I made sure to clean the hub surfaces meticulously and I replaced all the rotor set screws. The rotors were clean and dry, no abnormalities whatsoever. I always do a 30 ft-lb torque on the lugs while they're in the air then I drop the car for the full 80 ft-lb torque. I back the car out of the garage and proceed down the driveway for the initial drive and bed-in. I press lightly on the brakes at the end of the driveway and the brake pedal begins a low-speed pulsation. I take it down the road for the first 30mph -> 20 brake and the car is all shudders and pedal pulsation. I never had slotted rotors before so I figured this might be an artifact associated with them. I proceed to bed in the pads and figure the pulsation would die down. I was driving for just a few minutes and decided to go home and triple check everything. I took it all apart checked everything out and it all looks great. After bedding in the pads I decided to get up to freeway speeds and see how the car behaved under mild braking and it is absolutely UNBEARABLE. The car vibrates like mad and the steering wheel vibrates my teeth out. I ease on the e-brake while driving and there is NO pulsation or surging. My conclusion is that one (or both) of the front rotors was shipped with out-of-spec runout. Today I went to sears to buy a micrometer to take measurements but they only have micrometers for 0-1" applications (front rotors are 26mm).

I spent a week on the phone with Rotora and they have been less than helpful. They want me to take the rotors off and ship them to their office so they can verify before they will honor their "warranty". I told them I can't do that because I don't have any replacements and I need my car but they can bill my credit card and credit me once they get my rotors. Their response was: "that's too much hassle for us". I give them an A+ for customer relations (note sarcasm). I took them apart today again just to see if MAYBE I missed some dirt or something on the mating surfaces of the hub...nope, clean as a mirror, looks like a brand new hub. What the hell do I do? No matter what, to solve this problem it looks like I'll be buying another set of fronts. I've never had ANY problem with rotors out-of-the-box in my life. This is completely unacceptable. Any pointers?

PACman

Can Excelerate help you out? For example, have them ship you a new front pair, charge your credit card, change out for the new pair and return the used ones. Maybe you and Excelerate can come out with a deal.

Simba91102

Shit happens. If I were you, I'd ship ALL FOUR rotors back to Excelerate (don't waste your time with Rotora, you didn't buy them from them, right?) and request a refund. Any problem with the return, just sic your credit card company on them. This is of course after you buy four new rotors from some place that actually has customer service (like Tire Rack)(just an example).

huludicidal

^^This is good advice. I'll be eating shipping charges but that's a lot less than a set of slotted rotors. I just didn't want to get all "give me my money back" on these people. Excelerate told me I needed to deal with Rotora because it's a "manufacturer warranty" which I think is a total cop-out. If I bought a broken PS3 from best buy, I'd take it to best buy and get a new one, not call up Sony.

I want these rotors as long as they're not plagued with manufacturing defects. I really don't want to buy another set or pay any more money for something that's not my fault at all. It's their mistake (Rotora AND Excelerate) so they should make it right. Ship me some new parts and take these back, end of story.

malnik

Please update us on Excelerate or MrHeelToe responses. I'm curious to know how they deal with customers issues before I place my brakes orders with them.

huludicidal

^^ I will keep you posted. I don't have any reason to suspect the pads since I felt pedal pulsation immediately. It's just problematic rotors from Excelerate.

As far as purchasing from Heeltoe, I have positive reviews. Marcus was very helpful when I was deciding on which pads to buy as well as competitive price matching.

Mskierki

This probably isn't rotors out of spec but instead they were probably damaged in shipment and are now (probably only one) warped. Don't waste your money on a caliper it isn't going to tell you anything.

However, if you want to buy a tool, pick up a dial indicator. It could tell you if one of your rotors is warped.

You're best bet is like everyone has said, just go back to the company that sold them to you. They are responsible for making this right.

huludicidal

I should also add that I did a brake fluid flush at this time, using Honda/Acura DOT3.

I'm avoiding purchasing a dial indicator and/or micrometer right now because for comparable prices, I can buy a new set of blanks for the front. I have never had any issues with new rotors out of the box before. I was hoping somebody has had a similar issue but I guess this is an isolated problem.

Update: Excelerate is putting pressure on Rotora to send out a new front set with a return shipper for the defective one(s). I don't have any faith in Rotora as a company so I'm basically expecting them to ship me a new set of defective rotors to replace my current set of defective rotors. I never thought I would be thinking "should of bought the autozone blanks for half as much". I guess, at least autozone offers a 2 year full replacement warranty.

The lesson I have learned: if you want a high-quality product, make sure to buy from a company/supplier that stands behind their product FULLY. Rotora DOES NOT and they are willing to destroy customer relations to save a few bucks. In hindsight, I should've bought Centric blanks from tirerack...which I am still considering switching to...

curls

Brakemotive (premium sponsor of this site) is another good option. Great prices and their rotors (and pads) have been excellent on my car for the past year. Check out the Group Buys section of the Black Market forum.

kipsy

dont understand why you couldnt put the OEM equipment back on (you said they were fine)

huludicidal

I couldn't put the OEM equipment on because I I trusted that these would work out of the box and threw the original ones out. I live in Boston and driveways are non-existent. Therefore, we have to drive out of town to my fiance's parent's to work on the car. Like I said, I thought this might be an original artifact of slotted rotors so I tossed them out and drove back into the city (which was a horrible drive). After researching and calling Excelerate and Rotora the very next day, it was already too late to get the OEMs back since the trash was collected on Monday morning. I never thought twice about keeping the old rotors because you assume when you buy new ones they are going to be legit and work properly.

Update: Josh at Excelerate has convinced Rotora to send me a new front set of rotors. They will bill me for this set and when they receive the defective ones from me, and verify they are defective, they will refund me and reimburse me for shipping. What a nightmare. I'm never buying a single Rotora product again. Not because I don't know this was a rare occurrence, but because they were completely unwilling to help me out on the matter.

curls

Good on Josh to strong-arm them like that. But too bad you have to go through all this hassle for something as simple as a rotor.

Mskierki

I can't believe you just threw them out, in scrap metal is valuable. You could have probably taken them to a scrap yard and gotten $20-30 for all of them.

huludicidal

^^ Yeah, I always felt super guilty about throwing out so much steel but it's been impossible to find a place that will recycle them for me, which really sucks because I figured it would be a lot easier than it is. Ever since moving to Boston from Minneapolis, I found that there are very few DIY car people and that makes it impossible to find a recycling center for anything other than oil.

Simba91102

Ya, welcome to Mass..... how's it working out for you so far? (and funny that you landed in the Socialist Republic of Cambridge).

Skrewologist

hm, yeah i have rotora drilled/slotted rotors bought thru excelerate's website. i dont have that problem at all. i do have rotora h2 pads with them as well though.
my only beef is the loud ass squeaking if its raining or very humid, when hitting the brakes the first couple times after starting the car after its been off a while. goes away real fast though.. i guess rust builds up easier in these.

huludicidal

Thanks, it's pretty good so far. I've been here for 3 years, moved to Cambridge because I'm an MIT grad student. IMO, Cambridge is better than the immediately surrounding areas, just different than Minneapolis. It's funny you call it the "socialist republic", I've heard "peoples republic." You from around here?

So you didn't feel any pulsation or vibration when you first threw these on? Mine don't squeal at all when it rains. It has to be your pads. I'm using RB ET500 and they haven't made a single squeal and it's been pouring rain for the last two weeks.

huludicidal

So after Josh and Rotora negotiated the warranty return, Rotora wanted to charge me $278 + shipping (both ways) to send a new front pair out and wait for my return. The claim that once they verify the runout, I will be fully reimbursed. I told them I wanted a full invoice stating these terms. Three days has gone by, even with my daily nagging, and no invoice has appeared in my inbox. I called my credit card company and they said no way, to their terms and preferred I open a claim against Excelerate to get my refund.

Sick of violent shaking and pedal pulsation, I decided to go to Autozone and spend the $46 each on new fronts. I jack the car up and just for kicks, spun the front wheels. Both sides emitted a pronounced intermittent pad dragging noise. I threw the Duralast rotors on (which have a 2 year full replacement warranty btw) and torqued the wheels. Upon spinning the wheels, both sides emitted a constant pad dragging noise...perfection. Dropped the car down and went for bed-in. They are as smooth as butter and brake response is exactly as I wanted. In summary:

1) buy $46 autozone rotors not $93 Rotora

2) Autozone offers 2yr full replacement warranty, Rotora offers 500mile/2wk warranty (which they won't honor without arm twisting)

3) Excelerate will not offer returns on defective materials (violation of consumer protection act) but will offer workarounds and aide in submitting warranty claims

4) NEVER BUY ROTORA, they are a garbage company with extremely poor management and have no value in customers or customer relations.

Simba91102

Let's just say west of the city. (and I was being generous; many would use the "c'" word)(communist)(kidding)(kind of; sorry for introducing political overtones to what is as a rule a politics free zone).

kaliraver69

I have Rotora's on my TSX and they aren't the greatest I would have to admit. I have the slotted rotors with Hawk HPS pads and the only issue I have with them is that when releasing the e-brake it makes some sort of loud cricking noise. Besides that they are pretty solid and have excellent bite. I am sorry to hear about your problems and I hope now you are much happier and I hope you get your money back soon.

malnik

You can't blame Rotora for not responding to you since they're the manufacturer and they typically don't deal with consumers directly. Excelerate should step up and provide better customer service. They should take back your defective rotors and deal with Rotora themselves since they have an account with Rotora.

Skrewologist

thought i replied to this thread again, must have forgot to hit reply before leaving work.
anyway yeah i dont get any pulsation or anything odd happening with my rotors. and you're assumption on my pads is probably right, or i dont know if you have to put some a certain amount of grease or something from causing the noises im getting.
somebody just posted a DIY on changing brakes so i might go back and look at it myself and make sure it was done right. i didnt install them; i have a friend that works at acura that did. but more than likely it's just rust because it goes away after braking a few times.

i agree with the previous post in that excelerate should be more forthcoming with you. i probably will not go with the same pads again but my rotors seem to be fine. but i think unfortunately yours may be defective in some way, and i dont blame you for not buying rotora products anymore with the poor customer service. i wouldnt either

kanonen

Nope. You buy an electronics product for example from a physical shop or online, and you will have written in the receipt or invoice a seller's warranty of maybe a month (or whatever), that's for ease of return. Beyond that month the manufacturer is responsible as you have the product warranty, which is usually longer than the seller's.

kaliraver69

The difference here is that as soon as the OP installed the set up he knew there was a problem. Excelerate should have just told him to ship them back and then he would issue a replacement set. The manufacture warranty should be used when the product has exceeded what the seller has as his return period (most places have a 30 day return policy). Just hopes everything works out for the OP.

ck123

thanks for the heads up about rotora

greendestiny

I bought the Rotora cross-drilled combo from Excellerate around two years ago. Within the first day of putting it on, I got steering wheel shimmy and minor pedal vibration. Rotora claimed the rotors were in spec and excellerate did not help me either.

$240 down the drain... I went to Autozone, bought a pair of Duralast Gold Rotors for $50 a set and threw 'em on the fronts. The car was smooth as butter and had no issues for over a year.

Rotora sucks period. They look great and seem great, but somehow, they can not seem to beat the cheapo "taiwan-made" Autozone Duralast Gold rotors which were better for 1/4 the price.

curls

This looks REALLY bad on Rotora. They seem to keep saying "we're perfect, screw you" to their distributors and customers. I know one company I won't purchase anything from in the future...

huludicidal

This is incredible isn't it? Rotora is by far the WORST manufacturer of anything I have had the displeasure of dealing with. Excelerate isn't that much better since they aren't willing to exchange the defective parts for new ones. I had to quote the consumer protection act before getting some slight help on the matter. In the end I still had to file a chargeback claim with my credit card company before Excelerate was willing to refund my money. Absolutely incredible. I hope enough people read this and save their hard earned cash.

huludicidal

Yeah, definitely stay away. When I first spoke with Rotora, they told me flat out that I installed them incorrectly because their products are flawless when they leave the warehouse. I responded in a very condescending way. He then told me my hubs were most likely bad, despite me never having pedal pulsation or shudders in the past. From a scientific standpoint: only one thing was changed (the rotors) and now the car doesn't work properly. Hmm, what do you think is the problem? Then he said you'll have to talk to a tech guy (he was customer service) because he was the only one in the office (1.5 hours after they opened) and he isn't sure when any tech guys will be in. It is very easy to expose their lack of education and lack of customer service skills. Is this who I want to trust with my safety?

huludicidal

I should've also reiterated the warranty info.
Rotora: 2wk/500miles (which they won't honor anyways)
Autozone: 2 year unlimited mileage full replacement

The autozone manager: "if these things warp or defect within two years, bring them back and we'll give you new ones."

Not bad for $46/each front rotors.

alucardx

i use brakemotive powerstop's drilled/slotted as well, they've been great since sept09 when i had them put on.

i think this is the nature of the beast with online shops that are effectively middle-man to the actual supplier. it's a strong Pro for dealing with a physical store location that you can take parts back to and directly honor warranty's.

SG81

iTrader: (1)

i had Rotora slotted F & R on my CL-S (from excelerate) for a couple years until they started vibrating. i've since been using autozone blanks (i guess i should update my sig).

but i'm looking to upgrade my brakes soon and was thinking about getting Rotora's again but if warranty might be an issue then i'd rather pass. shipping and warranty to Toronto would be a pain

huludicidal

^^ I would definitely stay away from Rotora because of warranty issues. IMO, there are many other brands that are superior to Rotora. Plus, if you need to replace them every couple years, you're better off with autozone blanks (easier on the wallet) unless you absolutely need the slotted look. Unless you're tracking your CL-S, you're not going to see any performance difference anyways.

I'd also look into buying from tirerack since they will be far more understanding if you don't like the product or it is defective.

greendestiny

I think Rotora is a full of sh** company because they make their products look good but they seem to have no engineering background whatsoever. The fact that my brand new Rotora cross-drilled/slotted rotors made vibrations just like huludicidal is pretty unfortunate. What's even more unfortunate is that the cheap ass Taiwanese rotors at Autozone literally does not have this problem!

what this tells me is, the Taiwanese manufacturer has been building these rotors for so long that they know how to make them right. They sell so much. But rotora is just a niche market for the niche crowd.


Unfortunately I was not able to get my money back from Excellerate or Rotora. Excellerate just cares about the money and Rotora is quick to point fingers back. Rotora is going to catch on one day but unfortunately they can not sell their piece of sh** to better cars like BMW's, Audi's, Mercedes.

The Rotora rotors are still sitting in my garage for almost 2 years now... and you know what, same with the Autozone gold thats on my car...working fine.

ck123

i bought power slots with evolution ceramic pads on ebay, they're the best you can get for the money

huludicidal

I hear you man. It sucks about not being able to get your money back. I would be livid. I guess I was lucky but the consumer protection act is supposed to help protect consumers from manufacturers and vendors like Rotora and Excelerate. Hard lesson learned, but I'm never buying anything from Excelerate again and especially not any Rotora product. I will give Josh credit for trying to work with Rotora but once they completely backed out, so did he...until I got my CC company involved and he issued a refund right away.

Excelerate

iTrader: (1)

Just saw this thread. Suffice it to say that there really is some unnecessary comments in this thread. We have always worked hard to maintain a high level of customer service. That being said, we can't be held responsible for manufacturer's warranties. We outline that right on our website, and it's pretty standard for any company in the auto industry:

http://store.excelerateperformance.com/return-policy

WARRANTY: No warranty whatsoever will be given if the defect was caused by customers' abuse, negligence, mishandling, or improper installation. All merchandise sold by Excelerate Performance is only subject to manufacturer warranty, if any. Warranty items are subject to submission to the manufacturers for inspection and approval for repair or replacement of merchandise. Customer, however, will be responsible for all shipping and handling fees. No labor or inconvenience may be included in any warranty claims. There is no warranty on lights, light bulbs, decals, electrical parts, and engine parts. Check your state and local laws regarding the use on any parts.

On average, we have had one to two warranty issues a year on the ROTORA product. However, we do work hard to facilitate the process for the customer if there is an issue. Sometimes it is a manufacturer defect; sometimes the customer installed it improperly - over torquing of lug nuts, improper bed in, etc.

However, in this case it seems it was a manufacturer defect. I went to great lengths to get ROTORA to take care of this issue properly. They did not. ROTORA and Excelerate no longer do business, and this was the last straw on the camel's back. And we did a lot of business in the past.

It's unfair to blame us. I worked hard to facilitate this and finally when I got a reasonable answer, "upper management" at ROTORA changed their mind and said no. And the customer was refunded in full for those discs. And guess what???? They are still sitting on my shelf and ROTORA has not issued a replacement. I don't appreciate the OP's remarks. Why even make this thread? I could see if the result wasn't what you wanted but to make posts like this is unnecessary.

sj993

Does this mean you no longer sell Rotora products? I only ask because we are still able to purchase their products on your site.

Excelerate

iTrader: (1)

We still have a lot of ROTORA product in stock. So we are selling ROTORA; however, we don't have access to all of the products. Most of the Acura parts: rotors, pads, etc we have in stock.

Excelerate

iTrader: (1)

Please send me an email with your name. I don't remember your case. There haven't been many warranty issues but either way I'd like to review your situation. There's a lot of factors that come into play with brake warranty. It's very subjective like clutches, tires, etc b/c ppl can abuse or improperly install components. Brakes are pretty much standard; if they are true out of the box and they vibrate sometime later on it was likely due to something that was done to them. However, I'd like to review your case and possibly offer you a discount on something to make up for your loss. Contrary to your belief, we do not just care about the money. Of course, we're in business to make money but we're also in business to make lifelong customers. We have a very very low dissatisfaction rate and I try to keep it that way. I'd like to somehow make it up to you. Email me at sales@excelerateperformance.com