This is more pertaining to modern cars than our dinosaurs. My friend just brought his Volvo to a couple of repair shops for brakes. He's not a car guy so he really doesnt know to ask the right questions. Both places told him that rotors are replaced routinely with brake replacement. Does anyone know how to use a micrometer and a brake lathe these days? I realize that rotors are not what they once were, but c'mon. I told him to ask for the thickness measurements and the shop couldn't come up with them. I remember having to write them down on the RO then look up the specs in a book that I had in the drawer of my roll cab. Funny- the book is still there in my drawer albeit severely outdated (much like the owner).
Not surprised. No one gives a rip. The majority of techs that do maintenance work I consider glorified burger flippers. Even if you go to an O'Reilly's to get some rotors/drums turned they barely know how to use the machine and/or they don't have a micrometer. I absolutely dread taking a vehicle for someone to work on. 4 out of 5 times they try to screw you over with low quality work, over budget, and taking too long. I'll keep doing my parking lot repairs. This is why I suggest people at least learn a little about the vehicle they own. Most people think it's like learning Chinese, but the ones who do learn a little stand to save a lot of money and mental anguish.
Jason, It's because they can charge double for the parts when they replace them. And the tech's they hire to replace brakes these days also only change the oil only in the fast lane. You know parts changers. Around here they don't teach auto, wood or metal shops at the middle and high schools anymore so the kids today have little or no access to most tools. Much less know what some of them do or are used for. And yes they are getting lazy tooooooooo. Todd
Most rotors are cheaper than getting one cut ,22$ rotor versus 10-12 to cut it ? Most brake jobs I do for friends or family I just replace them unless the rotors are crazy expensive . Going to a shop is different ,the place I worked at we cut everything ,checked all the specs ,replaced only if necessarybut places are different. You can get all the specs off most larger auto parts websites,so not knowing specs on a rotor or drum is just a lie!
Jason like you I always wrote down the measurements along with the brake run out(warp) and then check the specs. On northeast cars and rust belt cars the cooling ports would almost always be plugged with rust and debris so if that was the case I would suggest replacement. Our Volvo rotors were always warped, but then again I was hard on it:shock:. Today the brake drums and rotors are pretty cheap in terms of cost. So sometime it's better to replace them -vs- let the tech wreck them
they do it that way because it makes the shop more effecient overall. if you work 40 hours a week they expect you to turn 50-60 or your in trouble. you lose time when you sit around and mic things or try to clean things up and reuse them rather than replacing. business owners would rather make a killing doing things this way than do things right. in their defense. overhead of a shop is crazy expensive these days when your spending 1000 or more a month for computer equipment charging 80 an hour and paying a tech 25-30 dollars an hour. and if you try to raise the labor rates people cry your to expensive.
Thinner and lighter is the mantra on new cars. Thinner and lighter rotors = warpage or heat checking and even if you turn them, you can still end up with an issue down the road. If they were warped, then one area gets hotter than others, which changes the hardness of the rotor. Even turning them you still end up with hard and soft spots, which a year later results in a pulsing brake pedal. I would rather pay the extra $10-15 to replace the rotors than deal with complaints down the road. Now the old style, with bearings and seals and hubs all integral to the rotor are a bit more expensive, heavier, and more likely to be able to be turned. It's just like the brake pads, do you want really grippy but wear away fast, or do you want really quiet, or do you want long lasting? Good, better or best? It's all about choices.
Jason, My brother and I routinely do home brake jobs here on our late model vehicles. He'll throw away the rotors after two sets of pads have been used up. I usually am even more forgiving of a rotor. Unless there are outward signs of rotor issues we just leave them in place. Those signs: burns; cracks; modulation felt in the pedal or steering from front rotors; groaning or grinding felt from the rear rotors through the seat of the pants. I do also mic the rotors on each job (I record this data if I might sell the vehicle). Basically, I won't do anything other than change pads if there are no other issues. I also go with OEM pads if there is no rotor swap out - I don't think it wise to introduce/bed foreign material on a rotor. We work on Toyota, late VW, Land Rover, BMW, Audi, Nissan, and Ford. Have probably saved $5000+ this decade by doing this easy work ourselves. I'm happy to see my latest set of Motorcraft pads deposit WAY less (maybe none) red dust than those from direct from the factory.
In a retail environment where the shop owner has to put a warranty on the job, you will usually get new rotors. Problem besides rusted up cooling vents is that the surfaces you use to put the adapters on are very rarely true, due to rust. You can't machine a rotor if you cant get it straight on the lathe. Sure you can use a wizzer to remove the rust, but that is by no means trueing up the surface properly. Most rotors I see need the mounting surface machined before you can even think about getting a good cut on the rotor, and in actuality that is impossible because you have no reference. Never mind that you usually have to beat the snot out of the rotor to get it off. And the 10 bucks to machine a rotor days are long gone. If in fact you can mount it in the lathe properly and not have it chatter (cheap rotors) the shop is into it for at least 1/2 hour labor per, and it STILL may come back with a vibration. Sooo, most get new rotors. Its best all around...no comeback, no unhappy customer, and a brake job that will last a long time. The only exception to the rule is a dealership that has an on the car lathe, and you still may be at the mercy of chatter.
Comes down to cost and speed. You know were I work, well for the most part they rather change the rotors and be done with the job asap unless they previously replaced the rotors on the last brake jobn they will machine the rotor. But yes we still mic the rotors and look it up in the book. There are a few exceptions. I lot of new vehicles (especially a lot of trucks) by the time its time for their first brake job the rotors have rusted badly or are pitted on the inside surface, I guess cheap metal now a days. Something like this we automatically discard as the rust would resurface right away wearing areas of the pad prematurely and or causing noise. Also in some cases the rotors are so cheap just makes more sense to replace. Also the metal being of low quality, these newer rotors warp so easily so to machine them straight leaves them that much thinner and they come back very quickly with pulsations and then what, machine an already machined rotor that warped. Just what I have seen over time. Allen
you hit the nail on the head here. if a rotor has a spec of 1.250 and pulsates but the machine to spec is 1.200, what do you think will happen when you take material away? it will be fine for a couple weeks but it will be back with a pulsation and a very unhappy customer. I work at a new car dealership. we resurface rear rotors but almost never resurface the front. we have found it is just a short term solution. they come back and we end up replacing them with new. cheap Chinese rotors made with recycled steel. I replace mine usually once a year. I had a 70 impala growing up and I never once replaced or resurfaced the rotors. they are made lighter now and they just don't dissipate heat like they used to.
I'm in the parts business and I agree with everthing said above, and will add one more thought. If a shop resurfaces the rotors and they aren't satisfactory, resulting in a 'comeback'; the shop eats the labor and has to buy new rotors. If they buy mine and it comes back, I will probably warranty the rotors and might even pay labor. It makes sense for both good shops and 'parts changers'. Patrick
I would rather buy new rotors than have someone cut mine unless there was something out of wack that occurred with fairly new rotors. Now a days though when that happens you can just warranty them and get replacements since most parts store rotors are good for 1 or more years. I work for RI Suresky & Sons Hyundai Chrysler in Goshen, NY and I know techs there definitely cut rotors when the situation calls for it. I have to say with all the horror stories I have heard about dealerships this place certainly does things correctly. Even though they pay their techs peanutso No:
