How do you know when to replace rotors?
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (6)
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 514
Likes: 0
From: Gainesville, FL
How do you know when to replace rotors? I know it's time when it's very obvious and the rotors are thin, cracked, or you can see the ribs coming through the face of it. But, what if the edges are just rusty-ish and brittle? Should I just hit the edges with a wire brush and maybe even paint them with the left-over caliper paint just so they don't look so bad?
I can get a full set of blanks here for $134 which seems pretty damn good to me.
What do you guys think?
I can get a full set of blanks here for $134 which seems pretty damn good to me.
What do you guys think?
if you see ribs coming through, you are WAY past the rotors life. the only way to check is take them off, read what the minimum thickness is (imprinted on the rotor somewhere), and measure the thickness with a caliper or micrometer. rust on the edges/vanes doesnt matter. every rotor has rust on it, it doesnt affect braking. if its so old the rust is actually rot, then yeah replace them, but im sure its not that bad.
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (6)
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 514
Likes: 0
From: Gainesville, FL
Yeah the rust isn't terrible and I can't see the ribs through the face but I'm not sure how good brittle edges are.
Oh, and do I need to loan a special caliper tool for the rears or will a simple c-clamp work for them just like the fronts?
Oh, and do I need to loan a special caliper tool for the rears or will a simple c-clamp work for them just like the fronts?
I would find a set of Brembo blanks....even if it is not essential due to wear and tear to replace them. If you are like 99% of the fbod owners on here......we all had warped stock rotors after no time at all
to remove the caliper, yeah a c-clamp. but i meant if you want to measure the rotor thickness yourself, youll need a micrometer, some people call them calipers, dial indicators is another term. that will measure the rotor thickness and tell you if its still good or bad. that is, of course, AFTER its been fully cut by a machine shop.
You use the micrometer BEFORE the rotor is turned to determine whether or not there is enough material left to make it worthwhile to have them turned. If not you must purchase new rotors.
Trending Topics
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (6)
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 514
Likes: 0
From: Gainesville, FL
I know how to measure them lol. I have a set of calipers that my dad gave me a year ago. I will probably just order the blanks this weekend and replace both when I receive the rotors. I've got a set of Hawk HPS pads sitting here ready to go on.
you dont know how much meat youre going to take off when you turn the rotors. thast why you measure AFTER you cut them. i worked in a parts store, we turned rotors, sometimes a dozen every day. every rotor was measured, before, yeah, but mostly AFTER the cut. if you measure before a cut and its fine, then turn them, only to cut them down under the min. diameter, whats the use of measuring before?!? only after doing the full cut and then measuring will you find out if the rotor is still within its set thickness.
I should have mentioned the last person I measured rotors for had a heavy brake foot. He would were his brake pads down past the pad material and start eating away at the rotors themselves. I'd measure the rotors where they had been gauled out by the backing material to see if there was enough material left to even bother to have them turned which there ususally wasn't. A person like that deserves to have to buy new rotors, but most people change pads long before that happens so all they need are a few thousandths taken off. In that case it is a good idea to measure AFTER as well,.
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 339
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by Kalgorn
I can get a full set of blanks here for $134 which seems pretty damn good to me.
What do you guys think?
What do you guys think?
Originally Posted by eallanboggs
I should have mentioned the last person I measured rotors for had a heavy brake foot. He would were his brake pads down past the pad material and start eating away at the rotors themselves.
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (6)
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 514
Likes: 0
From: Gainesville, FL
Originally Posted by toofless916
let me tell you something....i ordered a set of blanks from that vendor you mentioned ^ on 1/25/07...i have yet to receive the rotors and communication with anyone in that company is mad slow and ineffective...i ordered some other stuff from WS6store the same day and they are sitting right here collecting dust waiting for the rotors to arrive (if they ever do)...it sucks
Originally Posted by billybadd
Mine had cracks in them @ 8000 miles. Now 49,000 and still braking fine.....
