If the rotors are good, no noise, no pulsation I do a pad slap. So far no problems to report.
is pad slapping bad?
- Thread starter CarLuver
- Start date
Well, there is pad slapping and there is pad slapping.
Installing a set of quality pads on a newer vehicle with proper lubing and checking the condition of all braking components is different than installing pads dry with a broken claw hammer due to bracket rust on grooved, heat cracked rotors is another thing.
Installing a set of quality pads on a newer vehicle with proper lubing and checking the condition of all braking components is different than installing pads dry with a broken claw hammer due to bracket rust on grooved, heat cracked rotors is another thing.
is turning rotors and drums still a thing? i used to do that, but haven’t worn out a set of brakes in ages.
Sorta. There’s still people doing it, but it’s not typically cost effective. If you pay someone, it’s usually not much more to get a cheap set of rotors and be done with it, just parts swapping.
Around here the rotors are likely heavily rusted anyhow, lots of grooving.
thanks!
Revenue. Much more of it when you suggest replacing the rotors, maybe calipers, brake hoses and a brake fluid change instead of just replacing the part that actually wore out.
Since I live in the rust belt, I usually just order new rotors they are $20-$50 each at rock auto.
Often, you can tell ahead of time by the grooves on rotor that you will definitely need new rotors even without removing the wheel.
but I dont want to have it apart and see I need new rotors put it back together, wait 4 days.. take it back apart on next day off etc.
If I was using local parts at 2-3x the price I would probably end up with more pad slaps. But since I hate working on brakes its usually only for a select few family members and friends.
Often, you can tell ahead of time by the grooves on rotor that you will definitely need new rotors even without removing the wheel.
but I dont want to have it apart and see I need new rotors put it back together, wait 4 days.. take it back apart on next day off etc.
If I was using local parts at 2-3x the price I would probably end up with more pad slaps. But since I hate working on brakes its usually only for a select few family members and friends.
That is not a pad slap. If you clean the rust on the brackets and lube the pins and replace or clean and lube the spacers and shims in the working areas - that is a brake job. Just to give a surface to bed to I also file off the lip at the top of the rotor and take a grinding wheel on my drill and rough up the rotor surface a bit with a ziz-zag pattern across the face.
I had my first brake job failure recently with 20K miles on the pads, a inner pad jammed. It was due to rust build up on the bracket behind the shims and more critically, the replacement pad ears being too wide. I had to file the pad ears down to get a good fit. These were budget rear semi-metallic pads purchased at Autozone.
Rotors only get R&R'd when they are worn down to the inner turbine fins
For a paying customer, rotors would get an on car grind if servicable, but would be replaced with new factory rotors if worn below factory limits.
I would consider a pad slap pulling one caliper bolt, rotating the caliper up, prying out the old pad then inserting new pads, rotating the caliper into position and replacing the caliper bolt. NO cleaning or lubing or rotor massaging.
- Ken
If you only use the E brake when parked, there should be no wear. But I had to back off the shoes on my wife's old Subaru crosstrek for some reason, luckily the star adjuster was easy to get to and freed up.
I think even on a pad slap to be considered any sort of brake job you need to at least make sure the caliper pins are sliding freely, and possibly remove buildup off the hardware and relube. But OTOH I am sure some people dont.That is not a pad slap. If you clean the rust on the brackets and lube the pins and replace or clean and lube the spacers and shims in the working areas - that is a brake job. Just to give a surface to bed to I also file off the lip at the top of the rotor and take a grinding wheel on my drill and rough up the rotor surface a bit with a ziz-zag pattern across the face.
I had my first brake job failure recently with 20K miles on the pads, a inner pad jammed. It was due to rust build up on the bracket behind the shims and more critically, the replacement pad ears being too wide. I had to file the pad ears down to get a good fit. These were budget rear semi-metallic pads purchased at Autozone.
Rotors only get R&R'd when they are worn down to the inner turbine fins
For a paying customer, rotors would get an on car grind if servicable, but would be replaced with new factory rotors if worn below factory limits.
I would consider a pad slap pulling one caliper bolt, rotating the caliper up, prying out the old pad then inserting new pads, rotating the caliper into position and replacing the caliper bolt. NO cleaning or lubing or rotor massaging.
- Ken
That is not a pad slap. If you clean the rust on the brackets and lube the pins and replace or clean and lube the spacers and shims in the working areas - that is a brake job. Just to give a surface to bed to I also file off the lip at the top of the rotor and take a grinding wheel on my drill and rough up the rotor surface a bit with a ziz-zag pattern across the face.
I had my first brake job failure recently with 20K miles on the pads, a inner pad jammed. It was due to rust build up on the bracket behind the shims and more critically, the replacement pad ears being too wide. I had to file the pad ears down to get a good fit. These were budget rear semi-metallic pads purchased at Autozone.
Rotors only get R&R'd when they are worn down to the inner turbine fins
For a paying customer, rotors would get an on car grind if servicable, but would be replaced with new factory rotors if worn below factory limits.
I would consider a pad slap pulling one caliper bolt, rotating the caliper up, prying out the old pad then inserting new pads, rotating the caliper into position and replacing the caliper bolt. NO cleaning or lubing or rotor massaging.
- Ken
If the pads have a rough finish that's just been painted over, so you see burrs from stamping the backing plates, the pads getting stuck is a given unless you live in a desert.
Yes, I consider what you call a pad slap the same and while it used to work when I started as a mech it hasn't really for the last decade or so.
If you're doing brake jobs for money without liability insurance you're a fool. A waiver just puts in writing that you did work, this could make it worse. You can't disclaim liability otherwise everyone would do it. IANAL.
I do front brake jobs because rotors are shot, rusted across half the pad interface, pads are jammed in the sliders, caliper pins aren't sliding that great. I get pads and rotors for most FWD cars for $45-60 from "Autoshack" on ebay, clean the hub faces, clean out the pin bores, grind the pad ears so they fit rust-jacked brackets. Clean and lube the pins and slap it all back together. Lasts the life of the car, or until I'm bored of it. No noise, great pedal feel.
I do front brake jobs because rotors are shot, rusted across half the pad interface, pads are jammed in the sliders, caliper pins aren't sliding that great. I get pads and rotors for most FWD cars for $45-60 from "Autoshack" on ebay, clean the hub faces, clean out the pin bores, grind the pad ears so they fit rust-jacked brackets. Clean and lube the pins and slap it all back together. Lasts the life of the car, or until I'm bored of it. No noise, great pedal feel.
I did not charge them anything for it. i lost money with the brake cleaner and lube i used . Just wanted to help them out in tough times.
I imagine many people do a good job on the outward facing side of the rotor while doing a poor job or even skipping the inside facing side of the rotor.
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- Apr 22, 2016
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Yes, slapping is bad. Try a time out before resulting in violence.
If you have a lip on the rotor surface, the rotor is either near/below minimum specs or will reach that point during the life of the new pads.
Smoother is better for rotor finishes. Roughing up a rotor surface is a dated and incorrect practice. There is zero reason to "rough up" a rotor surface
For decades all I ever did was pad slaps. Never had an issue. Then the one time I did replace the rotors, I went with aftermarket rotors and wouldn't you know, they developed a bad pulsation after a few thousand miles. There is NOTHING wrong with pad slaps as long as your rotors are true to start with. I prefer to leave my car factory unless they really need changing. Don't fix what ain't broken.
