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.