Raybestos RPT Rotors

Raybestos® Rust Prevention Technology (RPT™) Coated Rotors

Judge this Rotor by its Cover

Open-wheel designs on modern vehicles leave brake parts, particularly rotors, more exposed to the elements. If a rotor is uncoated, corrosion and red rust begin to form immediately.

Raybestos Rust Prevention Technology (RPT) coated rotors use a propriety finishing technology to coat each rotor’s entire surface, including the cooling vanes. The full Grey Fusion 4.0™ coating helps resist corrosion and significantly delays rust-induced performance issues.

The Raybestos RPT rotor is ideal for drivers in rust-prone areas, including:

• The rust belt, where aggressive snow and ice melt chemicals accelerate the corrosion of rotors
• Coastal regions with salt in the air and high humidity

RPT rotors are built to endure the harshest of weather conditions and deliver:

• Best-in-class performance
• Ultra-smooth braking
• Maximized friction life

At Least It Was Entertaining

Yesterday afternoon saw plenty of action on Roland St. right in front of our door. At about 1pm one of the Cat excavators working on the road construction was crawling back near our entrance and grabbed a string of wires that cross from the side of our building to a hydro pole across the street.

Within 30 minutes a swarm of orange-clad hydro workers was snapping pictures and taking notes. A police cruiser arrived to question the operator. A landscaper was called to cut and chip a tree that had grown around the base of the pole. A commercial electric boom truck secured the pole and several hydro boom trucks sat waiting.

Hours passed, the tree disappeared, more trucks arrived. A Tbaytel worker advised us that the pole had been snapped and would be replaced overnight. Somehow we still had power, phones and internet.

This project is off to a rough start, to say the least. Last week they dug up a gas line. For the time being our entrance is accessible again and hopefully, there are no more entertaining days.

Bad Day on the Line

Here's a special part we received this morning. Must have been made early on a Monday or late on a Friday.

New Useful Link

BBB Industries has just introduced an online database of wiring diagrams and Technical Service Bulletins which are useful for searching out problems. These bulletins are created by the vehicle manufacturers and can answer many questions that are often only available through a dealer or paid subscription. Check it out under our Useful Links.

Rotor Specs

We get asked for rotor spec books on a weekly basis. Used to be, brake manufacturers would publish a new book every other year or so and hand them out free of charge. Used to be, rotors were a major purchase. These days rotors are fairly inexpensive and manufacturers don't hand out much of anything without a price tag.

The quickest way to get specs for your car or truck is to use an online catalog like the Raybestos brake catalog. Click in the year, make and model and then select front or rear rotor. A final click on the part number will bring up a new window with a variety of specs including the minimum thickness. You'll need a decent micrometer to measure your existing rotor to decide whether they can be saved by machining. With most new rotors being lighter and therefore thinner there is not much leeway. Thickness is just one aspect. If they are close to the limit and have a vibration or wobble you will surely need new steel. Machining material from a rotor that is warped will lead to further warping as there is less mass to fight off the forces that heat applies to the rotor.  

Brake Tip

If you or your customer owns a 2008-2010 Dodge Journey or Grand Caravan they need to start using the emergency brakes. Chrysler has gone back to the emergency mechanism inside the rear calipers rather than shoes inside the rear rotor which seems to have taken over as the most widely used system. With the caliper doing the work it requires the piston to thread out when the cable is pulled. If you live in a flat part of the world and don't use the cables regularly, things will get sticky. The first time you park on a hill and pull the cable everything comes out but never goes back in properly. Chrylser recently had 5,000 rear rotors on backorder and we've been ordering from across the country to keep stock on the shelf. My son in law required a complete brake job [pads and rotors, front and rear] on his 2010 Journey at 20,000km. This tip won't help the front but might keep the rears working a bit longer.

Check The Wear Pattern

When changing pads it's a good idea to check the wear pattern. The pattern will help point you to related problems in the brakes whether sticking calipers, calipers that are not sliding or rotor issues. Check the link labelled 'Disc Pad Wear Diagnosis' under our Useful Links.

In or Out

A few times this past week we ran into parts that are on our shelf but not in the manufacturer's online catalog for the year, make and model required by a customer. We salvaged some sales by cross-checking with other brands that we don't carry but have more up to date catalogs. Thank the Lord for the internet.

On the other end of the spectrum we find listings for a newer vehicle and then no warehouse shows them as a 'good' number. In one instance last week I went looking for a master cylinder and every fax I sent to the warehouses of the company that had a part number listed came with 'not a good number'. When things were quiet I went back to the catalog site to do a screen capture to send in and the number had disappeared.

11,000 Parts for 2011

Raybestos announced recently that they have more than 11,000 brake parts listed for the 2011 model year. That 11,000 parts just for brakes, for one year only. And you wonder why no auto parts store has what you need every time.

2010 Canadian Vehicle Sales

The Good Car Bad Car Blog has Ford ranked as selling the most cars in Canada for 2010. They added 18% to their 2009 sales numbers, almost the same percentage that Toyota lost. Read more...

More Tools

For our last post of 2010 we have added a few new tools. In the lower left corner is an RSS feed from Transport Canada listing the latest Road Safety Recalls. In the Useful Tools section we have a searchable listing of all active vehicle recalls.

Tracy and Ron want to wish all FCD customers a great 2011.

Handy Tool

One of the 'useful links' we have added to the right menu of this site is the SKF axle nut torque spec listing. This is up to date and has complete listings for vehicles up to 2010. Proper wheel torque helps with the installation of hub bearings which are vulnerable to over-torquing.

The Parts Game Vol I

We ordered a master cylinder adapter fitting for stock last week. The small brass one in the foreground is what we wanted, the steel elbow is what was shipped with the number we ordered right on the label. This was shipped all the way from Edmonton and will now sit in the return bin for a few months unless someone out there needs a 1-3/4" steel elbow? I didn't think so.

New Hub Bearing Line

The trend to less expensive parts has reversed somewhat with hub bearings. More and more customers are looking for a quality part and that's just what we have added over the last month. SKF units carry a 2 year warranty.
Check out this SKF brochure outlining some of the differences in bearing quality.

Have a Safe and Merry Christmas

Tracy and Ron want to wish all FCD customers a safe and Merry Christmas. All the best in 2011. Thanks for your support in 2010. Take some time during the holidays with your friends and family, work will be there when you go back.

The Economy Starts With You

If you have heard our new radio spots you know we support the 'buy local' initiative. Fixing the economy won't happen overnight but it begins with you. Every dollar spent in Thunder Bay helps keep the job of a Thunder Bay worker. You depend on small business to be there when you need them. They can't survive without your regular support. Buy locally whenever you can not just when you need to get out of a jam.