Does anyone turn rotors

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You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. Does anyone turn rotors and drums anymore? Thread starter Aqua-Andy Start date Oct 18, Aqua-Andy Well-known member. Joined Oct 1, Messages So the other night I started checking my dads truck GMC over for it's annual state inspection. So I removed the calipers and rotors, cleaned the caliper brackets and the rotor mounting surfaces of any rust.

Today at lunch I called around to local shops and asked if they could turn a set of rotors if I brought them down. I called twelve shops and the only place that would turn rotors was a parts store with a machine shop. The eleven other shops said that they don't turn rotors anymore and that it's just cheaper to replace them. These rotors are the OE parts that came on the truck, they have been on there for 14 years and K miles, they have a slight amount of rust on the outer edge. I have never had good luck with aftermarket brake rotors so I was not going to go there.

When I was in the dealership we always turned rotors and never had any issues. Why would you throw away a perfectly good part when you can spend about 15 minutes of time while charging a customer an hour labor? So what everyone was telling me to do was to toss away a quality part and replace it with aftermarket piece of crap. I have been out of the auto business for six years now, have things changed that much since then? Sorry for the rant, it's just that I don't get it. I still get my rotors turned, if they are thick enough.

Aqua-Andy said:. Click to expand Personally, for the hour or so I have to sit around and wait for them to get turned this assumes a guy is sitting around waiting for something to do I'll just go buy new ones. I only have one car, so having to find someone willing to waist an hour with me in the middle of the day is going to cost me lunch and a beer so not much savings to be had there once time is factored in. I've had them do a bad job resurfacing them a couple times though so I'm reluctant to even try that again.

I can totally understand those of you that do though. Chevy-SS Well-known member. Buy new rotors. End of story. OR simply re-use the old ones without turning if they are reasonably good. Nowadays it's cheapest and most reliable to buy new rotors. I've done many brake jobs since I left the business, and I use new rotors whenever possible. For me, it's new parts only. I mount every new rotor and spin it by hand with dial caliper to ensure minimum runout. If there is excess runout, it's always been because of rust or crud on the hub.

Even the cheapest POS rotors spin true when mounted to clean hub. Chevy-SS said:. Are there any caveats about turning slotted or cross-drilled rotors? I always have mine turned if I can. Joined Aug 22, Messages 2, E rotors or Brembo blank. Last edited: Oct 18, BajaScout Well-known member. OccupantRJ Well-known member. They do them while I wait, and we shoot the breeze while he is doing it. Joined Jan 2, Messages Location Chicago. ChrisLS8 Well-known member. Joined Jan 16, Messages 1, I have mine turned since my brembo brake retrofit use a redrilled rotor that is expensive to order and takes a few weeks to get.

There are two main types of brake rotors — drilled and slotted. It is important to know the difference before you start the process of turning rotors. Drilled brake rotors have holes drilled in them. A rotor with holes ensures that there is less surface area for the pads to grab and stop the car — this may seem exactly what you do not want.

However, there are a few key benefits to this type of brake rotors, and why turning rotors is important to maintaining drilled brake rotors. The first benefit of drilled brake rotors refers to heat.

When the brake pads clamp on the rotors, it generates friction — and in turn, heat. A worn down or damaged brake can reduce the stopping power and ability of the brake to apply force to bring the car to a stop. The second benefit of the drilled brake rotor refers to the gas build up. Some older types of brake pads cause gas to form between the rotors and the pads.

This gas limits the stopping power. By turning rotors, you can ensure that the drilled brake rotors are working at the most efficient level and preventing gas build up. The third benefit deals with water. If you drive through a puddle or a high body of water during a rainstorm, the brake rotors can get wet. After a brake rotor gets wet, it is difficult for the brake pads to firmly press down on the rotor. Having holes drilled into the side of the brake toro ensures that water can quickly get away from the surface, letting the pads clamp down securely.

Turning rotors ensures that the drilled brake rotors are working well, and prevent water from harming the stopping power. The second type of brake rotors is slotted brake rotors — this kind of rotor uses little clots in the side of the flat surface to move gas, heat, and water away from the surface. These slots move the debris that is unwanted out of the way. This type of brake rotors is popular due to the durability, and the ability to handle more stress placed on the rotors.

Turning rotors is crucial to this type of brake rotor, since they are generally used in high-performance cars. Although slotted brake rotors are more durable, they have their downsides. They wear down quicker due to the high friction and stress placed on them.

Even though they can wear down quicker due to the high amounts of pressure placed by the brake pads, turning rotors can lengthen the lifespan of slotted brake rotors. Knowing when it is time for turning rotors is crucial in saving you money and ensuring your car remains safe.

Turning brake rotors refers to machining brake rotors to remove the additional brake material from the brake pads.

This prevents any warping and grinding from happening to the parts. Turning rotors extends the lifespan of your brake pads, lets your brake smother, and creates less friction and heat generated than those that are warped or in bad condition. Between the two auto shops, the second one has a good offer because resurfacing is free. The costs are inclusive in buying the brake pads.

Rotor turning is no longer conventional, but it involves cleaning them by way of resurfacing. The process starts by removing the rotors and measuring their thickness using a calliper. There is a standard thickness designated by manufacturers, and you should adhere to it. The callipers help determine how many layers will be removed and not be a danger to the driver. If the rotor measurements are safe to turn, the process begins by mounting the rotor into the lathe. Once secured, a tip runs across the surface, removing warps and restoring the plate into the basic shape and size.

Once you finish, you can also run the machine on the outer edges of the disc to remove lips and cracks. Turning your rotor is also referred to as resurfacing. Resurfacing also means turning, machining, and cutting. Sometimes it is not necessary to replace or resurface rotors if they are still smooth.

Replacing the brake pads will be enough. The economics of replacing rotors makes more sense. When rotors are not resurfaced well, the driver will feel it the moment they hit the brakes. And worse still it may be making noises when you brake. Customers are not looking for a comeback, as this makes them unhappy.

The quality of a replaced rotor is above a resurfaced rotor. However, the quality of the new rotors has dwindled as well. What this means is that it is easy to buy new rotors when they get worn out because their condition was poor, to begin with. The availability of rotors from offshore shops at low prices makes it a better option than looking for shops that offer to resurface.