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Bryan: Now that we've got the key components removed from the vehicle, this
is a really good time to stop and understand some of the engineering and
technology behind each of those.
First, our rotors. You're looking at a brand new Wherever rotor from
Advance Auto Parts, compared to the original rotor off the '97 Camry. This
vehicle has 120,000 miles on it. Now this rotor has held up rather well.
There's no cuts, there's no grooving, there's no burnishing on the rotor
itself. But we know it needs replaced. How do we know that? Thickness.
Let me show you with a micrometer on the brand new Wherever rotor. We're a
little over an inch thick. When I slide over and check that against the old
rotor, there's a lot of play. There's a lot of surface area missing there.
Translation, it's going to take more stopping distance for your vehicle to
come to a stop. There's less steel here to create friction. Some of the
other things you want to look for on a new rotor, the Wherever brand rotors
have a non-directional cut. Which is really going to help set the brake
pads, and align those brake pads to work best in concert with this rotor.
It's going to help you stop better.
Another thing you want to look for is the cooling fins. Again, this
Wherever rotor has the exact right amount of cooling fins in between the
layers, that was originally designed. This is a place where some people
cheat. There's less or more, or just inconsistency as it relates to the
cooling fins. This is a very high quality rotor and it's going on the
Camry.
Next, the brake pads. The first thing I want to do is show you the
difference between the new Wherever gold pad we're going to install, and
the old worn pad off the Camry. Huge difference. Translation, more
stopping power. Another common question is, how do I know that my vehicle
needs new brake pads? If one pad is worn more than the other pad. If
there's grooves in the surface of the brake pad, or cracked lining or
chipped corners, you may have a bigger problem with your caliber or rotor
and need to inspect both of those as well.
Some brake pads on today's vehicles require a certain percentage of
ceramic. Others, semi-metallic. The great thing about the Wherever gold
program at Advance Auto Parts is all of that is solved for you, if you're
putting on O.E. or original equipment brake pads. Other things to look for
in a premium pad like this one. A multilayer shim on the back which helps
reduce noise under braking. The slots and shamfers help minimize
vibration, and finally a pad of this type of technology is engineered to
minimize the brake dust.
The brake caliber. It has the job of pulling the rotor and pads together to
create maximum stopping power. Now arguable, some of today's vehicles are
more complex than ever. But a brake project, especially when you're
replacing these three components, is easier than ever. One of the reasons
why, a caliber like this one, comes with a new caliber mounting bracket on
it, new bolts, new copper rings and a full bag of hardware. What that means
to you is, on reassembly, everything's going to come together true and
proper to create maximum stopping power and deliver a great brake project.