I recently was told by my dealer the rear brake pads were in need of replacing on my 13' pathfinder. I decided it was easy enough to just swap the pads out myself and used a mighty vac to freshen the brake fluid. Anyway took the vehicle in for new tires and mentioned to the service writer i did the pads myself. He asked if I turned the rotors. I said I didn't. My brakes feel smooth and didn't see a reason to have the rotors turned. Thoughts on turning rotors? The pathfinder has 45k miles and this was the first set of pads on the rear.
Thoughts on turning rotors
- Thread starter stygz
- Start date
- Status
It all depends. Sometimes one can get away with a simple pad slap, if the rotor is nice and smooth, but more often than not, turning or replacing rotors with new pads the the best way.
Personally I feel turning rotors I not worth it when brand new aftermarket can be had very cheaply and in most cases will last as long as the OEM rotors.
Personally I feel turning rotors I not worth it when brand new aftermarket can be had very cheaply and in most cases will last as long as the OEM rotors.
I never have. Rotors these days are so thin they're almost at the condemn point right out of the box, so I just replace them. Brakes are the one thing on the car you absolutely don't want to go cheap or screw around with.
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
Not necessary at all. Especially for rear and especially if you don't have problems and the pads didn't go metal on metal.
Not always necessary. If OEM rotors I'd ask how much theyd charge to turn them..if over 25$ i would just buy new ones when needed. I think your dealer is just trying to sell you something..if all is good..keep driving..as far as anything goes I think the only thing that will happen is that you might wear out the pads sooner..i think you are fine. If you have vibrations or any issues they are easy enough to swap out later on your own.
Ok, that was what I was thinking. I'll likely just put on new rotors on the next pad change. Pads were down to about 3mm before the pad was solid brake material. Not near metal on metal but they were due. I replaced with ceramics from autozone.
I do occasionally.smaller cars,kia,toyota etc don't usually have enough meat to cut. Bigger stuff like 80's trucks have plenty left still.
If the rotor is true and the brake petal doesn't pulsate, then you can do a pad slap. Its not a bad idea to scuff up the rotor with some sand paper to remove the glazing so that the new pads bed in properly.
Not worth it. For not much more money, in many cases the same price, you can just get new rotors. Get Centric Premium, with the black e-coating to stop the rust.
Turning rotors is worthless now with replacement prices vs labor.
Also turned rotors are more likely to warp.
That being said I will lightly sand them to remove deposits and if needed carefully remove the rotor edge lip with an angle grinder... use a facemask.
Also clean and grease the caliper slides with sil-glyde, pastelub on the pad contact points.
Also turned rotors are more likely to warp.
That being said I will lightly sand them to remove deposits and if needed carefully remove the rotor edge lip with an angle grinder... use a facemask.
Also clean and grease the caliper slides with sil-glyde, pastelub on the pad contact points.
I've never turned them, but I kept the rotors off my Camry this time. When it needs rear pads again in 50-100k I'll have them turned (one has a bad rust ridge from a bad pad, well over min thickness).
In times past I would just order pads and rotors so as to shotgun the work. Few minutes extra to do rotors. Usually my rotors are pretty nasty looking when the pads are done for.
In times past I would just order pads and rotors so as to shotgun the work. Few minutes extra to do rotors. Usually my rotors are pretty nasty looking when the pads are done for.
4WD
$50 site donor 2024
Hardly ever - pads adjust to the surface - guess it cuts pad life but better than warped rotors ...
First tried EBC pads a year ago - good stopping power - but - by far the worst at eating rotors I have seen - so have new rotors/pads on standby
First tried EBC pads a year ago - good stopping power - but - by far the worst at eating rotors I have seen - so have new rotors/pads on standby
I just picked up two new rotors for the front of my car to have my standby brake job parts.
They were $19.99 each, opened the box and they looked great.
Got some Bendix pads (CQ that I currently have on now) for $35 off Amazon.ca.
Messing with rotors is a waste of time.
The cheap rotors I have on now are great, wearing like mirrors, absolutely no dishing, grooves, lines etc.
Very minimal lip.
I have a cheap set of Ceramic pads I got from a jobber that I never used.
I will try a pad slap, if it doesn't work I have the backup parts to throw on as intended.
If the pad slap works, great, I am super ahead.
So I think it is a good idea to have backup rotors and pads before trying a pad slap so you can get everything on sale.
They were $19.99 each, opened the box and they looked great.
Got some Bendix pads (CQ that I currently have on now) for $35 off Amazon.ca.
Messing with rotors is a waste of time.
The cheap rotors I have on now are great, wearing like mirrors, absolutely no dishing, grooves, lines etc.
Very minimal lip.
I have a cheap set of Ceramic pads I got from a jobber that I never used.
I will try a pad slap, if it doesn't work I have the backup parts to throw on as intended.
If the pad slap works, great, I am super ahead.
So I think it is a good idea to have backup rotors and pads before trying a pad slap so you can get everything on sale.
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
If the rotor is true and the brake petal doesn't pulsate, then you can do a pad slap. Its not a bad idea to scuff up the rotor with some sand paper to remove the glazing so that the new pads bed in properly.
This.
If the rotor is true and the brake petal doesn't pulsate, then you can do a pad slap. Its not a bad idea to scuff up the rotor with some sand paper to remove the glazing so that the new pads bed in properly.
This.
Originally Posted By: CT8
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
If the rotor is true and the brake petal doesn't pulsate, then you can do a pad slap. Its not a bad idea to scuff up the rotor with some sand paper to remove the glazing so that the new pads bed in properly.
This.
Agree.
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
If the rotor is true and the brake petal doesn't pulsate, then you can do a pad slap. Its not a bad idea to scuff up the rotor with some sand paper to remove the glazing so that the new pads bed in properly.
This.
Agree.
I agree with bubbatime on this also, but not always. Sometimes the rotors are so cheap it just makes sense to replace them, and I never have them turned any more. New rotors just make for a better braking experience vs scuffing up the old ones. The daily driver will always get new rotors, peripheral vehicles only if needed.
What I am shocked at is that you need rear brakes already with only 45K miles.
What I am shocked at is that you need rear brakes already with only 45K miles.
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
If the rotor is true and the brake petal doesn't pulsate, then you can do a pad slap. Its not a bad idea to scuff up the rotor with some sand paper to remove the glazing so that the new pads bed in properly.
+1
I use a disk sander with coarse paper in a drill with a little "lazy susan" I made to do disks. In all honesty the sander does a good job at removing the inner and outer ridges where the pads don't hit, but it doesn't remove any metal on the braking surface. It does scuff the surface a little, which I believe helps the pads bed in.
The first time I have a rotor off, I'll check it for the minimum rotor thickness marking and record the number in my vehicle log book for future reference. Then I'll make sure the rotor thickness is above the minimum before reuse.
My wife's car still has the original rotors at 130k and they work fine, in fact I'm going to replace the rear brake pads this morning.
If the rotor is true and the brake petal doesn't pulsate, then you can do a pad slap. Its not a bad idea to scuff up the rotor with some sand paper to remove the glazing so that the new pads bed in properly.
+1
I use a disk sander with coarse paper in a drill with a little "lazy susan" I made to do disks. In all honesty the sander does a good job at removing the inner and outer ridges where the pads don't hit, but it doesn't remove any metal on the braking surface. It does scuff the surface a little, which I believe helps the pads bed in.
The first time I have a rotor off, I'll check it for the minimum rotor thickness marking and record the number in my vehicle log book for future reference. Then I'll make sure the rotor thickness is above the minimum before reuse.
My wife's car still has the original rotors at 130k and they work fine, in fact I'm going to replace the rear brake pads this morning.
Originally Posted By: another Todd
What I am shocked at is that you need rear brakes already with only 45K miles.
Some (most?) of the newer vehicles tend to use rearward braking bias to help prevent nose dive. With ABS they can modulate rear brakes to prevent lockup, but under light braking use mostly the rear brakes. Since the rear pads tend to be smaller, they can, under a light foot who brakes often, wear much faster than the fronts. It's counter to decades of it being opposite, but it occurs.
When I had my Jetta a common report was that the rear pads wore twice as fast as the front. That was my observation too, and that was after ensuring the pads never seized to the caliper bracket.
What I am shocked at is that you need rear brakes already with only 45K miles.
Some (most?) of the newer vehicles tend to use rearward braking bias to help prevent nose dive. With ABS they can modulate rear brakes to prevent lockup, but under light braking use mostly the rear brakes. Since the rear pads tend to be smaller, they can, under a light foot who brakes often, wear much faster than the fronts. It's counter to decades of it being opposite, but it occurs.
When I had my Jetta a common report was that the rear pads wore twice as fast as the front. That was my observation too, and that was after ensuring the pads never seized to the caliper bracket.
A lot of people don't even turn rotors anymore. Just slap on a new made in China rotor and off you go! So even if you want to turn them it may be hard to find someone who does.
Originally Posted By: another Todd
What I am shocked at is that you need rear brakes already with only 45K miles.
I think just like people buying cheaper rotors for the back at the parts store some automakers use cheaper rotors at the back.
One interesting thing I noticed is that on new vehicles the rear rotors look like they have uneven wear. I wonder if the pins are not moving freely or pistons are not pressing hard enough.
Originally Posted By: another Todd
What I am shocked at is that you need rear brakes already with only 45K miles.
I think just like people buying cheaper rotors for the back at the parts store some automakers use cheaper rotors at the back.
One interesting thing I noticed is that on new vehicles the rear rotors look like they have uneven wear. I wonder if the pins are not moving freely or pistons are not pressing hard enough.
Up here in the great salty North, rotors won't even make it to the end of the pad's life before they are totally overcome by rust making it near impossible to turn them down far enough to get a clean surface. It wasn't like that 20 years ago when I would work summers in a family friend's shop - I became quite familiar with the rotor/drum lathe.
- Status
Similar threads
