NEED HELP ASAP **PLEASE ** ROTOR QUESTION

[1 FMF]

ceramic pads run hot???
this is why i do all my own work when i can

http://www.ceramicool.com/images/ceramicool_e.pdf

Quote:

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With a state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing process
that includes OE style slots and chamfers and premium raw
materials Ceramicool™ is specifically designed to dissipate
heat equal to or better than any current formulation on the
market. In laboratory testing Ceramicool™ pads operate up
to 350 degrees cooler than the comparable semi-metallic
formulations. The result is consistent braking power,
without fade and without fail, each and every time you
stop your vehicle. Even under the most extreme driving
conditions Ceramicool™ is the "cool" performer.

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see what i mean, it's easier for the mechanic to just slap new rotors on so that's what he's pushing.
Any pad, along with the rotor and rest of the material in the area, will run hot if you do a lot of hard repeated braking with no cool down time. It's the aggressive high friction pads that are race pads which will run hotter and that's because their designed to.
Simply figure the cost of cutting you're existing rotors vs cost of new, and tell them to keep their mouths shut and do their job... well maybe not before they do the work because you might have cut cv joint boots or severly overtorqued lugnuts afterwards.

 

[josalbrec]

I am actually doing the work myself. I just can't decide if I should replace the existing toyota rotor that will be cut with a brand new napa gold rotor at $60.00 a piece. I DID go with top of the line pads and with the new rotors, I wouldn't have to worry about the set-up for at least 3-4 years. If i just cut the rotors, I am concerned I would be back replacing the rotors in another 2 and doing this all over again. In all reality, I guess toyota probably uses better stock parts than napa aftermarket and I haven't read anything yet to prove otherwise. The rotors on the car are still within spec. A large part of my decision will be based on what they look like after they are cut in tomorrow. If They don't look that good, I will replace them.

 

[mechtech2]

It's not "retarded" to think that cutting marginal to begin with rotors even thinner will contribute to warping. It HAS to. It won't make them stronger, right?
I've done umpteen jillion brake jobs at my shop, and can see consistent patterns.
If you are only taking a few thou off, they don't need cutting anyway.

 

[TwoBills]

The original rotors on my Nissan Frontier have been cut twice and repadded w/cheap pads w/o cutting (too thin for a 3rd cut). 122K.

 

[jorton]

Quote:

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Oh and BTW: in my case, trueing the rotors cost about 16~18CAD each + tax (crrapy tires)

Buying a new one (Chinese) cost 19.95CAD + tax. In this case, would you consider buying some fresh iron if you are in my shoes?

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I don't think so. If the original rotors are servicable I would have them cut and reuse them.

 

[Gary Allan]

Change pads often enough and turning of the rotors is not necessary in my experience. I never have warped rotors. The routine turning of rotors, imo, is just a carry over from the trade where they typically require it when the customer needs brake service. I've rarely seen a car getting brake pads that didn't need it. That is, I don't know of too many common consumers who say "Hey, fix my fully functional brakes and let me spend money!!". Now our state inspection system catches some that are marginal ..but for the shop there are a few elements that promote resurfacing. Habit, industry rhetoric (those who manufacture brake components), and CYA (not to mention some additional money to pay for the lift that it ties up while waiting for the parts guy to arrive).

Preemptively change your pads before they require it and you'll never have to resurface the rotors.

Now if you're some "fast and furious" type ...that's another story ..but the same rule applies as long as the rotors are sized properly for the weight of the vehicle. You'll just have to do it more often if you want the benefits of not turning rotors. There's lots of people who would never consider NOT turning the rotors ..but it too is a habit ..much like they may do other things. Virtually none of them (there may be exceptions) has ever experienced a problem by not doing it ...simply because they would never consider not turning the rotors. It's a precautionary step they take ...which again, is more or less, a carry over from either seeing the shop do it routinely ..or other's opinions.

I have a special interest in never cutting the rotors on my wife's jeep. I installed a Warn lock out hub kit and the rotors require internal machining to fit the mechanism through the rotor. Finding someone to do it is the hard part. I had to compile a page length disclaimer to have the rotors and OEM wheels modified to allow him all the CYA any paranoid corporation would require ..and he was just doing me a favor for a few $$.

She gets ceramics just because the cost of wheel cleaner trumps any cost in the pads. Her last ceramics were over 2 years old (about 35k+) and had plenty left on them. They got replaced when a caliper got hung up and I replaced both calipers and pads just to move the event out another 2-3 years.

My daughter and her SO are extremely hard on brakes. They're in way too much hurry to wait at the next stop sign or traffic light. Luckily ..the full refit (new rotors and pads) is pretty reasonable given the abuse they put it through.

 

[onion]

That's a good point about NOT turning rotors. On my own vehicles, I normally just put pads on... if there's no brake pulsation and the rotors look ok, then I leave them alone. I have replaced or turned rotors a couple of times when they were warped... but it's certainly not NECCESARY unless there's a specific reason.

 

[josalbrec]

Took the rotors this morning bright and early to orellys to have them turned. with 63K and the factory rotors I felt like it was worth a shot. I also called the toyota service center close to my home and asked for the service procedure on a brake job. They said they would turn the rotors within spec if the rotors allowed, and replace the pads. Toyota builds in .06 into the .906 toss limit so you can turn all the way down to .906 before the rotors are considered "unsafe" for that vehicle. Their is still some wear left on the rotor even at .906. The first rotor came out like a champ. .940 pleanty of meat on the bones. The next rotor cut to .915 and looked like 60 grit sand paper. it was the drivers side rotor. There is more wear and tear on that rotor as there is always someone sitting on that side. The back side of the rotor was severly pitted from winter salt and sand. The guy actually tried to sell me one rotor. I left and bought the rotors at Napa for $60.00. It was the whole "one rotor thing that threw me. I am sure he was only trying to do his job, but would you only change 1 pad of 4, or would you only replace 1 quart of oil out of the 4-5. AGHHH Youth!!!..... So I got her all put back together and ran her up to 45 and back down to 5 about 10 times and she brakes like a new car. I was going to get a couple of duralast rotors for $30.00 a piece, however, AK Steel just had a HUGE strike in an adjacent town and the NAPA rotors are Made In The USA. I am usually not a di-hard buy here nut, but, I manage a bank and have spent the last 21 months watching these folks drop keys to repo cars and deeds to forclosed houses, they worked their entire lives to build, on my desk and that now means a little more to me. So maybe the $30.00 a piece extra in USA rotors are better than the Duralast chinese potmetal for other reasons.................moral of the story, you always get what you pay for.

 

[Merkava_4]

I would say that if the old rotors are within spec, then have them turned; if not, then replace them. As far as the ceramic pads go, they're mainly just to keep your wheels clean. If your wheels are hard to clean, then I'd definitely get the ceramic pads.

As far as needing special rotors to go with the ceramic pads. . . I have my doubts about that one.