De-glazed my rotors.

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Wife's HHR has a typical newer (shoddy) GM steering column that rattles for no sane reason. Juddering front brakes telegraphed through the steering and was driving her nuts. I pulled the rotors. Roughly ground the outer rust ridge/ lip down with a grinding wheel, so it wasn't "sticking up" and going to catch on stuff in my next step.

Then I applied a wire cup brush in a 4" angle grinder. Went at it several minutes a side. Let the natural rotation of the grinder move things around. Then I rotated the rotor 90 degrees as my technique may otherwise lead to "high spots".

I did notice lines, that could be considered pad outlines, that somewhat, but not fully, were "erased". The first few seconds of "buffing" caused an immediate change/increase in shine, but I kept at it, not feeling satisfied.

Put the car back together, 75% better, I'd say. And the price is right.

The internet-speak is onto something, "warped rotors" may not always be.

Coincidentally, I never felt this in the brake pedal on this car. It was always the steering.

Pads and rotors were new a year and a half ago.
 
Originally Posted By: spasm3
A lot of "warped rotors" really are pad deposits.
I dont see that here. I can remember seeing i set of rotors with pad deposits in my life. We must drive like grannies around here.
 
Yeah. I replaced 20-some thousand mile factory rotors and pads in my Mom's Fusion for the same reason. I tried sanding the rotors, but didnt get anywhere with that; though I only recently got a grinder. I did it by hand.

It was the same way; all in the steering, not in the pedal. It got worse the hotter the brakes got.
 
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Originally Posted By: spasm3
A lot of "warped rotors" really are pad deposits.


True..neighbor had that exact problem....
 
Its weird how some cars love to chew through rotors and present you with steering judder or unwanted pedal feel.

I have had Centric rotors and Akebono ProACT ceramic pads on the Accord for 30K+. I'm not super easy and sometimes do brake hard. I always make sure to let the rotors cool/don't keep the brakes on after a hot/fast stop. Have in-between 2/3 and 3/4 of the pads left and braking is as smooth as the day they were new.
 
I think I've mentioned these before: for $40, they're one of the best gadgets a DIYer can buy.
412de41BUNL.jpg

Brush Research Flex-Hone for brake rotors
 
Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
Were these 'white box' rotors, or something better?


IDK, the PO put them on right before sale. He was into lifting jeeps and could turn a wrench, but I could imagine using the cheapest stuff around on something he was about to unload.
 
How come you did not jack up the vehicle, start the engine, put it in gear and did a redneck on the car de-glazing of the rotors? Seriously, I am little confused as to how you could use grinder to get the rotor flat?
 
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I wonder if a good break cleaner soak occasionally would keep rotors "clean" of pad deposits and extend life??
 
Originally Posted By: GMBoy
I wonder if a good break cleaner soak occasionally would keep rotors "clean" of pad deposits and extend life??


typically not, as they are literally welded on...
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
How come you did not jack up the vehicle, start the engine, put it in gear and did a redneck on the car de-glazing of the rotors? Seriously, I am little confused as to how you could use grinder to get the rotor flat?


I did think of that.
smile.gif


I was concerned that due to the shape of my arm/ musculature I was bearing down more on 12 and 6 oclock than 3 and 9, or vice versa, so I twisted the rotor to make up for this perception of shortcoming.

I used a real grinding wheel/stone to cut the 3mm thick ridge on the outer perimeter down. Otherwise it would have plucked wire out of the brush.
 
I am getting some high speed (>60mph) steering wheel shudder when I hit the brakes. Last time it went away with a rotor turning, but I really don't want to burn through multiple rotors per padset on the truck...
 
Originally Posted By: Rylan
I think I've mentioned these before: for $40, they're one of the best gadgets a DIYer can buy.
412de41BUNL.jpg

Brush Research Flex-Hone for brake rotors

Amazon has several offerings for these. I'm thinking that this may be what I need to cure the brake shudder on my 13 GC. What grit do you recommend, they come in course, medium and fine.

Wayne
 
I used 60 grit sand paper and a block on the Cherokee's rotors and pads recently.

After an off roading trip, I had no front brakes. They just didn't do anything.

Pulled it apart and everything was working.

Turns out there was a super, super, super fine sand that got in and glazed over the rotors and pads. Little bit of sanding and it's fine again.
 
I have seen that washing the wheels (& car) leaves a noticeable rust film on the rotors that goes away after the next drive. I'm thinking that layer of rust should remove any pad deposits and related brake judder, but I havent fully tested this theory. Anyone with brake judder tried this?
 
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