When to turn rotors or replace?

[1955moose]

Front brakes are 70 percent stopping power average on all vehicles 2, or 4 wheel. Somebody cut your brakes? Really! Got to quit ******* people off, or your going to be like one of those 70's movies where the guy jumps out his truck just before it sails over a cliff.

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[1955moose]

Black, here on West coast we say turning or cutting rotors. I guess it's because your cutting off metal with a brake lathe. Here in and around San Francisco, I don't know anywhere that's turns drums or rotors here for less than $15.00. Shops 15 years or more back when I used to wrench charged $12.00 to $15.00 then. I guess if your not cutting more than .010 thousandths of an inch, and your not paying much, go for it. Just keep in mind when your towing 6,000 plus pounds and your rotors are thinner, braking will fade sooner due to heat. If you never tow, like myself, I guess it's fine.

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[ManUpOrShutUp]

Front brakes are 70 percent stopping power average on all vehicles 2, or 4 wheel. Somebody cut your brakes? Really! Got to quit ******* people off, or your going to be like one of those 70's movies where the guy jumps out his truck just before it sails over a cliff.

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Nah, I was just kidding. It felt like it when the (front) caliper fell off though. That left only 3 brakes that were all down to the metal.

 

[1955moose]

How does a caliper fall off? I guess if you can forget to tighten lug nuts, you can forget to tighten those t45 bolts. I've seen loose brake pads on roadway, never seen a caliper though! Even those loose pads, got to ask how? You haven't lived till you see your tire/rim running past you faster than your going, followed by kaclunk, rotor hitting the pavement hard!

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[Plati]

I was taught years ago ... they don't make rotors as beefy as they once did. Used to be routine to turn rotors as they would still be thick enough but now they make them thinner and not a good idea to turn, just replace. That's just what I was taught in auto shop class.

That was way back in 1975

 

[RustyOval]

I always do my own brakes and I have never had rotors turned. I either reuse or replace.

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

How does a caliper fall off? I guess if you can forget to tighten lug nuts, you can forget to tighten those t45 bolts. I've seen loose brake pads on roadway, never seen a caliper though! Even those loose pads, got to ask how? You haven't lived till you see your tire/rim running past you faster than your going, followed by kaclunk, rotor hitting the pavement hard!

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I don't know for certain. The caliper was original though. This was a 2000 SUV and it happened in 2015.

 

[BillAlex]

Rotors and pads are getting so cheap that you would be out of your ever loving mind to turn a set. The science behind the braking system is quite extensive. An earlier post referred to heat build up and the temps are different based on the thickness of the rotors. It does indeed wear the pads out sooner and braking distance is not as great with a "hot" brake or a turned rotor. A simply search of ebay will result in $50 per pair for front Rotors and it includes the pads and free shipping. I used drilled rotors for cooling in high speeds when I am towing a 34' Boat. I am on the outer envelope of my tow package and I want to make sure it stops when I am going down "white knuckle" on fish creek hill. https://www.ebay.com/itm/UM-qBrake-...575973&hash=item4d58463a89:g:1BwAAOSwDtVaqzq1
I have one final point and this one is important. When was the last time you changed the front bearings and hubs? Again it is so damned cheap and so simple to replace, I do it automatically with every "used" car I purchase. They are about $40 each with free shipping. They come in pairs for front and separate pair for rear. At that price, I change all four. https://www.ebay.com/itm/PTC-PT5410...=item2c7c7eea32:g:UPwAAOSww9xZCKa7:rk:15:pf:0

 

[Trainmaster]

If you're pulling out perfectly good Timken Ford bearings and installing $40 "Drive Tech" bearings, I wish you a whole lot of luck.

You said:

The science behind the braking system is quite extensive.

Then you buy a $25 rotor/brake pad combo?

Does the pedal give you a foot massage when you try to stop this thing?

Now tell us the truth: You eat the lowest priced foods too?

 

[fuzzmanmatt]

That black dust is probably your rotor, not your brake pad. Back when I was selling car parts, I had one customer who always bought the cheapest rotors, but the nice pads, and one day I finally upsold him on the premium rotors (they were like, $10 more than the cheap ones) for somebody with custom wheels, and he never went back to the cheapies again. Said it solved all his brake dust issues. When I did my fronts, I bought the DuraGo black hat rotors and Wagner ceramic pads, and now my front wheels look darn near new, while the back ones need a good scrubbing every time I wash the beast. Totally worth the little bit extra to swap in a good set of rotors.

 

[Black]

Rotors and pads are getting so cheap that you would be out of your ever loving mind to turn a set. The science behind the braking system is quite extensive. An earlier post referred to heat build up and the temps are different based on the thickness of the rotors. It does indeed wear the pads out sooner and braking distance is not as great with a "hot" brake or a turned rotor. A simply search of ebay will result in $50 per pair for front Rotors and it includes the pads and free shipping. I used drilled rotors for cooling in high speeds when I am towing a 34' Boat. I am on the outer envelope of my tow package and I want to make sure it stops when I am going down "white knuckle" on fish creek hill. https://www.ebay.com/itm/UM-qBrake-Premium-Front-Brake-Rotor-Ceramic-Pads-For-Ford-Expedition-Navigator/332193479305?fits=Model:Expedition&epid=2270575973&hash=item4d58463a89:g:1BwAAOSwDtVaqzq1
I have one final point and this one is important. When was the last time you changed the front bearings and hubs? Again it is so damned cheap and so simple to replace, I do it automatically with every "used" car I purchase. They are about $40 each with free shipping. They come in pairs for front and separate pair for rear. At that price, I change all four. https://www.ebay.com/itm/PTC-PT541008-REAR-Wheel-Bearing-and-Hub-Assembly-Expedition-Navigator-07-12/191067253298?fits=Model:Expedition&epid=112672361&hash=item2c7c7eea32:g:UPwAAOSww9xZCKa7:rk:15f:0

Certainly would not turn an Ebay rotor let alone buy one.

No issues in turning a HIGH quality replacement rotor or OEM once as long as you have enough material and there are no other issues. Toyota uses the thinnest I have found from OEM and they are on the border of turnable.

 

[rjdelp7]

I never 'turn' a rotor. Replace or just put on the new pads. A rotor should last 2-1 with pads. I use ceramic pads(no dust). They are so hard, they turn the rotors. Only replace if pulsating or worn out.

 

[Trainmaster]

That's usually what I do rj... I use the Motorcraft rotors and go through two sets of ceramic pads before replacing the rotors. Usually about 60,000 - 80,000 miles. I would turn them if I could, but nobody withing 50 miles does this anymore.

 

[Plati]

That black dust is probably your rotor, not your brake pad. Back when I was selling car parts, I had one customer who always bought the cheapest rotors, but the nice pads, and one day I finally upsold him on the premium rotors (they were like, $10 more than the cheap ones) for somebody with custom wheels, and he never went back to the cheapies again. Said it solved all his brake dust issues. When I did my fronts, I bought the DuraGo black hat rotors and Wagner ceramic pads, and now my front wheels look darn near new, while the back ones need a good scrubbing every time I wash the beast. Totally worth the little bit extra to swap in a good set of rotors.

I put on the DuraGo & Wagner a while back and very happy. Work great and minimal dust also.

 

[rjdelp7]

Mercedes do not turn rotors. They replace with every brake job. They figure, big shot owners, can afford it.

 

[hawkman71]

I decided to leave my brakes for after my trip. Guess what? While in Canada, the brakes started grinding. Not the warning sound but the bad sound. Never heard any "warning" squeal. The wheel even made a noise just while rolling, so I started to worry about wheel bearings. I bought pads at Canadian Tire and replaced them in about an hour! Easy, peasy! All I needed was a 13mm wrench.

Turns out, the inside pad was worn down more than the outside. It had just gone to the metal.

I google/youtubed the process even though I've done lots of brake pad jobs before. I was surprised that no pads came off with the caliper, and nothing really held them in place - other than the caliper itself. I did not see a youtube video that showed it like this.

I bought the cheaper set available (70 CDN including PST and GST, roughly $52) and did not replace the rotors.

I'll give it a bit and maybe do both rotors and pads, going ceramic possibly, depending on what y'all say.

 

[1955moose]

The fact that the inner pad wore out way before the other, and only on one side, leads to a sticky caliper piston. Your going to want to replace both calipers when you finally do the full job. Shame to waste a new set of pads/rotor if you don't.

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[TobyU]

Rarely can any rotor I check be turned. Prob because if it not pulsating I put new pads on.
I hate ceramic and almost always use Semi-metallic. By the 2nd -3rd set of pads, no way they can be turned.
Still they are so thin today they can rarely be turned. Lot's of opinions on warped rewarping soon after turned too.


I will never pay for Raybestos wagner bendix etc.
I get the Duralast, or Brake best , or MAster Stop ones. Occasionally maybe a bosch was cheap...
I have a friend who jsut paid more for a Wagner master cyl. He ordered on amazon so he got it cheaper than the store and that's how he rationalizes it BUT he could have got 50 of the cheapies on ebay for almost half the price.
It's a non abs 1996 Toyota master cyl. Takes longer to pull the car around and fill it with brake fluid (darn new bottle seals) than it does to stick it on.
I'm saving the money.
BUT he feels better ans sleeps better at night having a Wagner or Bendix or Raybestos.
I do not. I sleep fine anywhere anytime.


One time in all my years I put two front advance auto 13.00 rotors on a GM FWD and they were WARPED....Pulsated x 100.
Swapped them and no problems. Only on time ever.

Cross drilled, slotted, fancy fancy whatever crap on ebay they have to upsell you..A waste for me in a Expedition that tows nothing and a Town Car that is "old man in a lincoln" and a Navigator that I wish I had the tow cover but they are overpriced so I'm going to make one or of a 5 gallon bucket.

 

[hawkman71]

The fact that the inner pad wore out way before the other, and only on one side, leads to a sticky caliper piston. You're going to want to replace both calipers when you finally do the full job. Shame to waste a new set of pads/rotor if you don't.

I was going to ask about that. That side can't even be braking evenly, can it? This is more of a big job, I guess. I can't recall how the calipers are attached. Will involve bleeding, which I've done before... but it's been awhile.

 

[Plati]

The fact that the inner pad wore out way before the other, and only on one side, leads to a sticky caliper piston. Your going to want to replace both calipers when you finally do the full job. Shame to waste a new set of pads/rotor if you don't.

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Automatically replace caliper? Both calipers? Is there any chance the problem is just the slider pins not lubricated at last brake job? Thats why I like to do my own brakes, take that apart, inspect rubber boots and whatever, lubricate, file down brake pad's so no binding, etc. I'm not claiming to be a master mechanic.