Stainless Steel Front Rotors?

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Nov 1, 2011
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vallejo, ca
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1994 ST1100
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1158
Hi all,

I'm down to the minimum on my front brake rotors and looking for an affordable replacement. Can't really justify (nor afford) the $700.00 price tag of the local wrench so I'm hoping to do it myself. However, I don't want to muck it up nor use the wrong parts. I found a listing on Ebay and the seller said they make their own out of stainless steel. Are the OME rotors also stainless steel? Since I'll be replacing the pads as well does it matter if i stick with OME organic for that vs HH rated aftermarket ones?

thanks in advance!
 

Gymbo

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My last ST came with EBC front rotors and Galfer SS lines....they worked just fine.

Stripped Aluminum Wheels.jpg
 
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1. stick with HH rated pads, that's what the OEM pads are rated, anything else will have less stopping power.
2. Not sure exactly what the OEM rotors are made of, but I believe they're iron, not stainless steel. Iron has better heat dissipation, better coefficient of friction, so its usually used instead of SS.
3. Before going with the SS replacements, I'd look around for a used set of OEM rotors on Ebay. You may experience less stopping power with stainless steel rotors, but I'm speculating, haven't actually used them.
4. when you remove the old rotors, pay close attention to the little paper spacers between the rotor and wheel. Put them back in place with the new rotors. Since the ST rotors are rigid mounted to the wheel (as opposed to floating disks) the paper spacers provide a little cushion for thermal expansion, etc. edit: attached photo in previous reply shows a floating rotor, note the rotor surface is captive by the buttons, not rigidly mounted to the wheel.
 
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Highrider

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All the rotors on Harleys and the 4 Japanese brands are made in Japan from a material whose analysis is essentially 410 stainless steel with added molybdenum. Most aftermarket rotors in stainless steel should be comparable to the OEM rotors, just stay away from drilled or slotted versions that are different from your original rotors. Heat dissipation is not a main concern of the OEM's and it should not be a concern of yours unless you plan on racing in an environment where you are constantly braking at high speed.
 
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687
All the rotors on Harleys and the 4 Japanese brands are made in Japan from a material whose analysis is essentially 410 stainless steel with added molybdenum. Most aftermarket rotors in stainless steel should be comparable to the OEM rotors, just stay away from drilled or slotted versions that are different from your original rotors. Heat dissipation is not a main concern of the OEM's and it should not be a concern of yours unless you plan on racing in an environment where you are constantly braking at high speed.
Hey, thanks for the info. That would explain why they rust in the rain and are pretty highly magnetic, as 410 is on the far non-stainless end of the stainless spectrum (no nickel in the alloy). I guess the cast iron rotors are pretty much a racing application then? I think that's where I used to hear people talking about them, so that would also make sense.
 

ST Gui

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I guess the cast iron rotors are pretty much a racing application then?
I'm thinking SS and the variants are common on street bikes because of looks more than anything else but they have an edge on durability as well.

Cast iron rotors rust easily even without getting exposed to rain or the hose. They clean up with a touch of the brakes just fine. I had them on my Ducati and never a worry. The rust might clog the pads I dunno. The coefficient of friction for Fe rotors was so high I never noticed a problem. But SS almost always looks pretty.
 

ST1100Y

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The rotors arrived nice and quickly however one is painted black and one isn't.
Nothing some brake cleaner, a bit sanding, masking tape and a rattle-can couldn't solve...

Be aware of the sensible paper disks/washers, the rated torque of the mounting bolts and, if needed, one drop of medium thread-lock.
Once installed I'd place the wheel in a balancer stand and check the rotors for being warped...

Then I'd monitor them for signs of excessive wear and if they start to warp due usage...
 
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The rotors arrived nice and quickly however one is painted black and one isn't. received_10152820804779221.jpeg.jpg
Don't you just hate the fact that some moron put both of those disks into a box, and it never occurred to him that the customer would prefer two that matched. I'd talk to a manager and have the set matched at their shipping expense, you shouldn't have to paint one rotor to match the other one. I'm assuming these are new, so they should be able to find two of them that match.
 

Erdoc48

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To me, that's an 'out of the box failure'. I wouldn't go and pay extra for powdercoating or paint because then it's absolutely yours in the state you made it (painted to match the other one)- one or both should be returned for a matched set- it's unacceptable for a vendor to get away with that. Shipping should be on the vendor for their mistake.
 

ST1100Y

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Dont forget to use heat resistant paint.
Well, I had considered that obvious... totally... :lol:
Some matte black exhaust paint (i.e WUERTH) will stick like crazy... on just anything, so care with the masking tape and wear gloves...
 
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riddmkidd
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Just got the replacement rotor today from the seller. They were quick to respond and apologized for the mixup of the different part numbers. I now have a matched pair which are going on this weekend if the rain holds out. anyone need a spare silver one? heh..
 
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