My car is a few years old, and now replacing front brake pads. The rotors are marginally ok, should I replace them? or will the new pad mold to the slight ripple in the rotors?
- posted
20 years ago
My car is a few years old, and now replacing front brake pads. The rotors are marginally ok, should I replace them? or will the new pad mold to the slight ripple in the rotors?
Save yourself the hassle of replacing the rotors and pads again in six months or a year. If they look marginal replace them. Every one I have had turned start pulsing within a year. They are cheap enough.
if you have ripples in the rotors then they need to be turned(machined) and it they are worn too much then you need new ones.. autozone got them for about $26-$35 each depending on what car they are for.... i would go for the rotors as most shops now charge $10 or more to turn rotors...for a few bucks more you get new ones.....
Thats what I do, saves time and hassle.
I'd replace the rotors (make sure you get the good-quality replacements, not the cheap ones).
Jeff
Cheap ones work just fine, just dont get them turned.
If the brakes dont pulsate now, you dont need to turn the rotors...........simple as that. Put new pads on it and be done with it.
If you want maximum stopping power, you want a perfectly flat rotor surface because of maximum pad to rotor contact. If you buy a new rotor, watch out for the cheap Chinese aftermarkets, although I've tried them on a vehicle with some success. When I was looking, the local auto parts store only sold two, one made in China, the other made in Mexico. I personally can't stand stuff made in either country, but that's another story.
My opinion, is that if you have the original equipment rotor, and it has only minor wear, if you get it turned at the right place (they don't remove more than is necessary), then turning it could be better than buying the lesser grade Chinese version. Some shops will take off a large amount with the rough cut, and then do a final cut. If done properly, there should only be just enough taken off to give the rotor a good, true finish.
For whatever it's worth,
Bill
The good cheap ones are usually made in Canada and sometimes even Europe. Don't get cheap rotors from some thirld world country (i.e.- China, etc.).
I also never turn rotors. I can get new ones for my Escort for less than $20 so I certainly wouldn't turn ones that already have over
100,000 miles on them. Rotors are a wearing part.
My Ford factory shop manual says NOT to turn rotors unless they are deeply grooved. The directions sy to sand the rotors to remove the glaze, then install new pads. I have a '95 CV with 4-wheel discs - it stops wonderfully with the new pads and doesn't pulsate or make a sound...
PoD
You dont have to turn them unless they are warped or damaged in some other way like hot spots or deep grooves. If you do turn them for no good reason you are just taking off more of their thickness (and strength) making them more susceptable to warping.
Shops, especially the chains, seem to turn rotors take make it less likely that a customer will come back in just a few days saying that the brake pedal is pulsing. And they care charge more for the brake job by utiling the brake lathe to make $$$.
chuck
Paul of Dayt> My Ford factory shop manual says NOT to turn rotors unless they are deeply
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