Hi, I just needed to join and post about my experience today. First off I have a 2010 Mazda 3 w/ Skyactiv.

I live in NY and we get snow/salt and rust so our cars get beat. Mine has 71,400 miles. I am pretty sure I replaced the front pads a few years ago but the rotors looked iffy then but I went with them. Well a few days ago my front pads started scraping. The outside driver side has plenty of pad but the inner side had none and went to the bare metal.

I don't mind too much I figured in NY 71,000 miles out of rotors is pretty good. I ended up buying new rotors and pads from RockAuto. I only did the front today but I was extremely happy w/my "budget" choice of rotors. They are very thick.

This is what I ordered:
CENTRIC10510440 (105.10440)Brake Pad$ 30.99$ 0.001$ 30.99

CENTRIC10410950 (104.10950)Brake Pad$ 26.79$ 0.001$ 26.79

CENTRIC32045066 (320.45066)Rotor$ 16.76$ 0.002$ 33.52

CENTRIC32045068 (320.45068)Rotor$ 25.79$ 0.002$ 51.58

Discount $ -7.15

ShippingGround$ 19.98

Tax $ 12.46

Order Total $ 168.17

So because I live in NY I went with the Coated Rotors. I figured buying the more expensive ones would be pointless here anyhow.

Now lets get to why I am here. I have changed many rotors in the past and while some can be a bit hard to get off what I experienced today was absolutely horrific. I started on the front passenger side. I hit the rotor and it broke apart from the center section on the hub. After beating and heating I was getting nowhere. I ended up taking my dremel and cutting into the edge to knock a piece off. Then my neighbor got home and brought over some metal wedges and we hit them in behind the rotor on the hub and between the broken rotor backing. The rotor portion on drum, broke where I had dremeled it. Then the rest came off fairly easy. 3 1/2 hrs later driver side.

So I figure I will be smarter on this side and hit on the hub section so I don't break the rotor apart again. After hrs of heating and pb blasting and hammering I said to hell with it. I grabbed my big sledge and knocked the rotor apart on this side. I figured the wedges worked on the other side I might as well try that gain. NOPE! I ended up taking an angle grinder and grinding a small edge section between 2 lug nuts and taking the metal wedge chissel and breaking it off. I had to do this 3 times before I could get the center rotor portion off the hub.

I have never experienced such PITA rotors in my life! I had planned on doing the front and back today but that did not happen. I still have the backs to do and man I am not looking forward to it. Are the backs easier?

I am thinking of knocking a few lug bolts out so I can really whack the rotor on the hub and "hope" it breaks it free. I really don't want to cut rotors off again.

What are your experiences with these rotors?

Oh and before I forget I spent hours and hours looking for the brand that was OEM to my car and could not find anything. I read Akebono was the OEM pads but could not find what OEM rotors are. Either way I think for my area I made the best choice with the coated rotors.