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...or is this pitting? I cannot tell if there if salt spray somehow bonded to this rotor or if this pitting from bad rust. It's alot of trouble to go have it turned since I only have this vehicle so thought I would ask for expert opinions first. I was considering taking the rotor off and taking an electric steel brush I have on the bench to it but maybe that would make it worse. I'm in no position to replace it for about 2 months. Thank you!
I’d just replace them too. It looks pretty pitted and uneven, so I wouldn’t think your brakes are working as well as they can. You can probably replace the rotors somewhere in the ball park of paying to have them resurfaced.
I agree, I have Brake Motive slotted/drilled rotors and ceramic pads. I just installed my second set after 5 years. You can't beat the price for what you get.
Agreed on replacing the rotors, the cost is minimal.
Don't go to the Stealership, pick them up from your local auto parts store. Probably around $25 a piece.
A full set of rotors, brake pads and some new fluid for bleeding should be under $200.
You didn't say if it was a front or rear rotor in the picture. Or if it was only one rotor, I wonder what condition the other 3 look like?
Either way if the $200 is to much right now, and I do understand being on a budget, you could do just the fronts and then do the rears when you can afford it.
If you can do the change yourself, consider a power bleeder if you can afford it. Makes the job so much easier. It can still be done without the power bleeder.
If you aren't comfortable with making the change, ask locally, family, friends even on here or if there is a local Corvette club. Trust in the fact that one Corvette guy will be happy to help out another Corvette guy!!! Good luck!
Agreed on replacing the rotors, the cost is minimal.
Don't go to the Stealership, pick them up from your local auto parts store. Probably around $25 a piece.
A full set of rotors, brake pads and some new fluid for bleeding should be under $200.
You didn't say if it was a front or rear rotor in the picture. Or if it was only one rotor, I wonder what condition the other 3 look like?
Either way if the $200 is to much right now, and I do understand being on a budget, you could do just the fronts and then do the rears when you can afford it.
If you can do the change yourself, consider a power bleeder if you can afford it. Makes the job so much easier. It can still be done without the power bleeder.
If you aren't comfortable with making the change, ask locally, family, friends even on here or if there is a local Corvette club. Trust in the fact that one Corvette guy will be happy to help out another Corvette guy!!! Good luck!
I have a tech II so I can do the autobleed thing if I replace it all but I was told these were very expensive components - as in 1000 bucks was spent on them - as they were not the stock ones. Just don't want to throw money away if I don't need to.
Last edited by alanluck; Jan 17, 2021 at 02:09 PM.
I have a tech II so I can do the autobleed thing if I replace it all but I was told these were very expensive components - as in 1000 bucks was spent on them - as they were not the stock ones. Just don't want to throw money away if I don't need to.
When you had pictures in the stuck lug thread those looked like standard off shore ebay brakes. I would replace them with the same offshore ebay kit AKA Brakemotive for like 160 dollars shipped. They're great brakes for the money.
Those are not thousand dollar brakes I don't believe.
If I recall, this car had been sitting out for some time, so some surface corrosion probably occurred on the rotors. If there is no leakage from the calipers and the pads are not worn to a point where the center pad grooves are no longer visible AND you are not tracking the car, I would just drive it for a couple of months and see what the rotors look like then. The slots do not show much rotor wear, so there is plenty of rotor material available. If the pads are worn enough that the center grooves are not visible I would replace them with OEM equivalent unless you intend to track the car. If you change pads, I would NOT turn the rotors. Simply do the new pad manufacturer break in procedure.
Do change brake fluid.
Part of what you see on the rotors is likely pad material that would otherwise be much smoother if the car had not been sitting out. Check Stoptech's (now Centric) technical paper on pad transfer:
I am not a fan of turning rotors unless there is a REALLY good reason to do so. My C5 had OEM equivalent rotors present when I bought it in 2009, I ran 17 track days, 35,000 miles and changed pads several times through 2018 and NEVER turned the rotors, and finally decided that new slotted rotors were finally due because the OEM ones were showing significant wear. They would still have been fine on the street, but on track you need adequate thickness as a heat reservoir.
I have a tech II so I can do the autobleed thing if I replace it all but I was told these were very expensive components - as in 1000 bucks was spent on them - as they were not the stock ones. Just don't want to throw money away if I don't need to.
Ok, so you never mentioned any of that. Show us some pictures of the whole rotor and calipers. Is there any kind of name on any of the parts?
Unless it is an aftermarket 'big brake' set or something made by a brand name company as in Brembo, Stop Tech, then the rotor shouldn't be anything to special, although there are alot of variables to consider. Rotor diameter and thickness to start with. Take one off and go to your local parts dealer, maybe they can point you in a direction to find out what you have.
I agree with what most have said. You should likely replace them. People can easily spend $1000.00 on brakes (but only if it is a big brake kit). If you have the stock 17" front and 18" rear wheel, then you almost certainly don't have $1000.00 brakes as most of those kits don't fit in the stock rims. Even if they are a higher end, I don't recommend resurfacing. Resurfacing makes the rotors thinner, and more prone to warping. Unless you have a big brake kit, a cheap set off of eBay or Amazon is going to be your best bet.
Your answer lies with the photo... drive really slow till a "brake job " is performed on this poor car!... no half measures means safety for EVERYONE.... These brakes could endanger others lives as well as the driver 😒
Not a believer in rotor turning. You've just managed to achieve the gas passages others spend money on drilled and slotted rotors for. The roughness of the corrosion will level off very quickly.
Lot of pads with lifetime warranty. Changed the pads on a neighbor's Z once, where she had ground into the rotors. She was out of funds, and couldn't afford rotors, so we just put in the least expensive lifetime pads directly over the rough, grooved rotors. A month later and rotors still had some grooves, but the roughness was gone, the pads were fitted to the grooves and brake action was terrific. She moved a year later, and the pads still had meat left.
Can this be resurfaced?
