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I'm going to be installing some new Willwood ProMatrix Pads on the front, as the pads are low in the front and I want something with a little more bite. I always thought that you should resurface rotors before putting new pads on but after reading a lot of threads in the roadracing/autocross section it seems a lot of people just swap pads using the same rotors? My rotors barely have a lip at all on the edge, very small. And the grooving doesn't seem too bad? Some people complain about warping after turning rotors. Would it be best to resurface these rotors, buy new ones, or just put the new pads on these rotors without doing anything to them?
The other thing that I've read is most places are lazy and put the brake lathe on a high speed to save time which cuts way too much material off the rotor unnecessarily. Does anybody know of any place I can go to bring the rotors in to have them turned? I've heard NAPA does this, I don't know if they still do? Thanks.
If the grooves aren't too deep I would just put the pads on. Resurfacing makes them thinner. The thinner they are the more prone they'll be to warping.
The standard front rotors on my car went about 60,000 miles, pads replaced four times- without resurfacing.
Because I track the car, I don't let pads get below about 50% of new thickness before replacing them.
In my view, there is no reason to surface rotors. If they are worn badly, replace them. Heat builds more rapidly in rotors that are thin from wear or surfacing..
I'm going to be installing some new Willwood ProMatrix Pads on the front, as the pads are low in the front and I want something with a little more bite. I always thought that you should resurface rotors before putting new pads on but after reading a lot of threads in the roadracing/autocross section it seems a lot of people just swap pads using the same rotors? My rotors barely have a lip at all on the edge, very small. And the grooving doesn't seem too bad? Some people complain about warping after turning rotors. Would it be best to resurface these rotors, buy new ones, or just put the new pads on these rotors without doing anything to them?
The other thing that I've read is most places are lazy and put the brake lathe on a high speed to save time which cuts way too much material off the rotor unnecessarily. Does anybody know of any place I can go to bring the rotors in to have them turned? I've heard NAPA does this, I don't know if they still do? Thanks.
If you do not have Wilwood pads on the car now you will at least clean up the rotors very good. Most pad material do not play well with each other,
The heat necessary to warp a rotor is much higher than the heat the brakes could ever generate.
So, why do rotors warp? Because they do. I had my C5's OEM front rotors replaced under warranty, due to "lateral runout", i.e. they were warped. At less than a year old, I should add.
Brakes can and do generate really enormous amounts of heat - I've seen red and even yellow rotors showing through wheels on older (pre carbon brakes) GT coupes under track conditions. A long straight, a slow corner at the end, glowing rotors used to be a common sight.
I am in the "don't resurface camp". I never do. Although I mostly change pads before a track day or at the track. A good cleaning should be sufficient.
Would you Resurface?
