turning rotors?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 3,211
Likes: 167
From: Rochester Hills Michigan
Re: turning rotors? (John Shiels)
NAPA 100 bucks for 4 don't bother turning them Wilwood D or Q compound
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Re: turning rotors? (RedC5)
Red C5
I have just replaced pads and everything was fine! The slight groves will not hurt anything! If the rotors do not pulsate, just replace the pads!
Doug
For the normal run of the mill driving, resurfaced rotors will be fine! I have access to a brake lathe and do my own resurfacing. I take VERY light cuts and try not to remove too much from the rotor. Just enough to get a true flat parallel surface. I had my rotors replaced by GM under warrenty once and resurfaced them once! The resurface has cured my problem and they have not been a problem since.
You have to figure in a few things before you jump into resurfacing:
1. How do you drive? I drive agressively but I seldom do the 150 MPH to 50 MPH stops. I do NOT salomn and I do not ride my brakes.
2. How much will the shop charge you to do the rotors?? Some shops will not even turn them. They must be in spec and in good shape. If you can get a new rotor for $10 or $15 bucks more, go for the new ones. If you get a shop to do it for a good price, ask them to only take light cuts and the least amount off as possible.
How bad are they out? If the warpage or what ever you want to call it is only slight, and the cost to resurface is reasonable, GO FOR IT!
If they are really bad and you have lots of heat spots (Much different than cracks) then you might just want to get new ones. Check the price at NAPA, Auto Zone, Advance and Pep Boys. Their prices are usually very good! If you can get all 4 at NAPA for $100, that sounds like the way to go!
When I do any kind of brake work, I make sure the hub is very clean and the wheel studs and nuts are clean. I also apply a light coat of anti sieze to the wheel studs and the seating surfaces of the lug nuts. You will be very surprised as to how much better the lugs seat and tighten against the rims. Always use a torque wrench and tighten the lugs in a cross wise pattern in three seperate torque values to 100 LB/FT! I use 50, 75 and them 100.
NEVER NEVER ever let a tire shop or garage use an impact gun to tighten your lugs!!!!! Ask them NOT TO and make them put it in writing!!! That is why I had to resurface the rotors on the 98! Town Fair Tire used an impact gun after I asked them NOT to! They ONLY reason that I did not presue making them fix the problen was I did not have it in writing! I asked them not to use an impact gun on my wheels! They said that they used a "Torque stick" on an impact gun what ever the hell that is and that the rotors should not have warped! Guess what? After the new tires were installed, I had pulsations in all four wheels!!!!
One key factor to long and trouble free rotor life is a good brake pad and rotor break in procrdure. The link in one of the other post has a good procedure.
MY .02 cents.
Bill Curlee
I have just replaced pads and everything was fine! The slight groves will not hurt anything! If the rotors do not pulsate, just replace the pads!
Doug
For the normal run of the mill driving, resurfaced rotors will be fine! I have access to a brake lathe and do my own resurfacing. I take VERY light cuts and try not to remove too much from the rotor. Just enough to get a true flat parallel surface. I had my rotors replaced by GM under warrenty once and resurfaced them once! The resurface has cured my problem and they have not been a problem since.
You have to figure in a few things before you jump into resurfacing:
1. How do you drive? I drive agressively but I seldom do the 150 MPH to 50 MPH stops. I do NOT salomn and I do not ride my brakes.
2. How much will the shop charge you to do the rotors?? Some shops will not even turn them. They must be in spec and in good shape. If you can get a new rotor for $10 or $15 bucks more, go for the new ones. If you get a shop to do it for a good price, ask them to only take light cuts and the least amount off as possible.
How bad are they out? If the warpage or what ever you want to call it is only slight, and the cost to resurface is reasonable, GO FOR IT!
If they are really bad and you have lots of heat spots (Much different than cracks) then you might just want to get new ones. Check the price at NAPA, Auto Zone, Advance and Pep Boys. Their prices are usually very good! If you can get all 4 at NAPA for $100, that sounds like the way to go!
When I do any kind of brake work, I make sure the hub is very clean and the wheel studs and nuts are clean. I also apply a light coat of anti sieze to the wheel studs and the seating surfaces of the lug nuts. You will be very surprised as to how much better the lugs seat and tighten against the rims. Always use a torque wrench and tighten the lugs in a cross wise pattern in three seperate torque values to 100 LB/FT! I use 50, 75 and them 100.
NEVER NEVER ever let a tire shop or garage use an impact gun to tighten your lugs!!!!! Ask them NOT TO and make them put it in writing!!! That is why I had to resurface the rotors on the 98! Town Fair Tire used an impact gun after I asked them NOT to! They ONLY reason that I did not presue making them fix the problen was I did not have it in writing! I asked them not to use an impact gun on my wheels! They said that they used a "Torque stick" on an impact gun what ever the hell that is and that the rotors should not have warped! Guess what? After the new tires were installed, I had pulsations in all four wheels!!!!
One key factor to long and trouble free rotor life is a good brake pad and rotor break in procrdure. The link in one of the other post has a good procedure.
MY .02 cents.
Bill Curlee
