Brake rotors - how much are you paying to machine them?

[TheLastWord]

duplicate

 

[Chris142]

I don't know how someone would turn a worthwhile profit doing it for any less. As others have said, the math just isn't there when replacement parts are readily available.

I recall my shop teacher in highschool saying: "This is a spark plug cleaning machine. You'll never see me use it, because based on my hourly rate, it's cheaper to use new plugs than to pay me to clean them." He was a retired heavy-duty mechanic, so I assume he was talking about his shop rate as opposed to his salary as a teacher. In any case, it was a good lesson in economics.

My dad used to clean his plugs. He had a small 12v sandblaster plug cleaner. Even at about 10 yrs old I didn't see why as new ones were like $.49

 

[BobandWeave]

You'll never get 7 years out of aftermarket rotors that will cost you $70. Have them machined. I think this would only apply to OEM rotors though and Toyota seems to be well-known for having sufficiently thick enough rotors that makes this practical.

Yes, this is exactly my current thinking.

I recognize that the low price of lower-end brake rotors has made machining cheap rotors not worth it.

Literally today, I bought a set of reasonably priced house brand rotors from Canadian Tire for my early Gen 5.1 Dodge Caravan. I did that instead of machining them because I had heard that even good-brand rotors would warp because Dodge undersized the front rotors for the years 2008 to 2013. So I( picked up a set of new cheap $60 CAD / $43 USD rotors.

But in the case of the Lexus, I feel that the OEM ones are good and they've lasted so long that a light machining should give me at least 5 more years of life whereas cheap rotors, even new, may not last that long.

 

[DemoFly]

It's $20 a rotor here. I only turn factory original rotors. It's worth it because the aftermarket is truly, almost all garbage. It's very rare to get a quality rotor from the dealer.

 

[ls1mike]

I have not had rotors turned in 20 years. Drums yes.

 

[D60]

As many brakes as I do I've been accumulating quite a pile of rotors and the occasional drum.

Cast isn't horrible money in the scrap market, and rotors are relatively dense for their footprint so it's easy to build up some weight.

In this load we got about the same amount for 18 rotors in there as we did the whole bed full of misc steel (aka "bailing tin")

Both my local O'Reillys have new brake lathes, but I hope they're idiot-proof because I'm not sure I trust the operator(s). It's too much hassle to have my closest store (35 minutes away) turn them, even though I think they'll pick them up and deliver on my FirstCall account.

Also, I just ordered some rotors for an '04 Kia Spectra from RA. They've got a TON of closeouts right now with some as low as $5 ea, but shipping may kill the deal depending upon location. Kind of an obscure application but with prices like that no reason to have 'em turned.

 

[willbur]

I've been quoted $35 USD to have each of my front brake rotors machined (turned). I detect a minor vibration under braking.

Total $70 + taxes. I haven't had someone turn my rotors in a long time because I've been replacing the rotors every time for my own cars.

This time, it's for my Dad's Lexus and it's the OEM rotors which have been good for 13 years (low mileage every year). I'm thinking that if I machine them, I'd get another 7 years. New OEM rotors would be expensive and new cheap ones would likely not last 7 more years until they warp.

It's just that I didn't remember machining rotors to have been so expensive, especially since there's not much work involved (I'm bringing the rotors to the shop as opposed to them having to put the car on a lift, remove the wheels, take off the calipers, and put them all back).

What have you all been paying? How did you find a good price?

mom and pop parts shop here does each for $10. They say they have done "1000's"

 

[Lubener]

In my area, depending how bad the rotors are, I have been quoted $20 for light cleanup and $30 for heavy machining. These were quoted to me from various shops this past spring.

 

[ka9mnx]

Local machine shop charges $20 (each) no mater what condition they are.

Just had my one year old Detroit Axle rotors turned. Did a brake job last year and it's chattered since. I've been lazy lately and it took that long for me to getting around to doing them. Now, smooth as butta.

 

[Strumpan_]

When it’s time to do a brake jobb here everything is so rusty I change everything just so it won’t be a hassle. Time is worth more than money

 

[bullwinkle]

My dad used to clean his plugs. He had a small 12v sandblaster plug cleaner. Even at about 10 yrs old I didn't see why as new ones were like $.49

I had one too-it was a little plastic gadget. came with a little bag of sand. Stuffed a plug in the opening, put the clamps on the battery, worked like a miniature sandblaster.

 

[Sumboodie]

Last time and only time I had it done was some 20 years ago paying C$10 per rotor turned. Not worth paying US$35 a rotor, you can buy new ones for not much more.

Maybe for a little common car, but get into bigger or more rare stuff and can be $400+ for a set of rotors

 

[Sumboodie]

My dad used to clean his plugs. He had a small 12v sandblaster plug cleaner. Even at about 10 yrs old I didn't see why as new ones were like $.49

We would for a 70s Ski-Doo we had.
Had probably 15-20 plugs for it and would just rotate through them.
.49 was big bucks when might get 5 a month for allowance $$.

 

[eljefino]

Was able to get a rotor turned back in 2008, for my Grand Marquis. $15 for the service vs $50 for the new part.

Tried getting them turned for my Town Car a couple years back, nobody does it here anymore. Wound up hitting them with a flap disk on an angle grinder to polish them up. And, no, I didn't "warp" them with an uneven removal.

Rotor turning is good for clearing up "lot rot", a car that sits for months and the brakes rust as a result.

 

[Chris142]

Maybe for a little common car, but get into bigger or more rare stuff and can be $400+ for a set of rotors

Porsche ones cost us $600 ea. Service guy recently gave out an estimate. I think it was for a Jag but could be wrong. Pads and rotors installed was $6k

 

[Marcozi]

Nothing! I buy new. Not worth it by any means to machine them.

BMW dealer or Zimmerman! Nothing else.

 

[D60]

Maybe for a little common car, but get into bigger or more rare stuff and can be $400+ for a set of rotors

This is true, even for something like a third gen Ram 2500.

However most shops and semi-professionals are still (rightly) concerned about comebacks (and TIME of having to GO somewhere and RETURN from that somewhere) that new rotors are preferred. It's not about hiking the bill -- additional profit is negligible -- but rather doing it ONCE

If people want machined rotors I make it clear I make no promises. Problems tomorrow? Full boat time & materials to fix it. All new parts, I'll stand behind it and make it right.

That said, @Kennedy01 seems to turn 20 rotors a week and I'm guessing it works for him. Still, I won't bother.

 

[R18Civic]

I paid 185 per axle but it was an on the car lathe and they had the car 2 days

 

[Hall]

I don't know how someone would turn a worthwhile profit doing it for any less. As others have said, the math just isn't there when replacement parts are readily available.

When it's being done at an auto parts store (O'Reilly still does them), the employees are already on the clock working and it's not like they stand next to the machine while it's operating. It's an automated machine. They do need to set each rotor up but once that's done, they hit the 'go' button and walk away.

 

[CharBaby]

I could probably find a shop or someone to turn rotors in my area but I’d have to search the web and then call them and ask if they’re still doing that service. I find that many shops that offer services on their website, don’t do many of those services any longer. In my experience that when having rotors turned, that I would only get ~6-8 months out of them. It’s just easier that when removing rotors to just replace them.
This isn’t the 1970s that when we’d turn rotors or drums back then, we could get decent extra life out of them and at a reasonably low cost at that.