Brakes and rotors
10-10-01, 09:40 AM
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Brakes and rotors
I was planning on changing the brake pads pretty soon and needed some advice. The front pads were changed around 30K along with the rotor being resurfaced by mazda. The car now has 68K and most likely will need new pads front and back. My question is if my rotors are smooth and in good condition do I need to resurface them again? And seeing as how the front has already been resurfaced do I need to have them replaced? If you run your fingers over the rotors they feel smooth. Also is my mazda dealer the best place to take it?
Thanks
MARK
Thanks
MARK
10-10-01, 09:44 AM
#2
Do them yourself and just get new rotors. I wouldnt cut a rotor on a high perf vehicle. It leaves less metal and is more likely to warp again. There are alot of places including the RX-7 store here on this site to get all the parts you need. Here is where I got mine
https://www.olyonline.com/Autospec.htm
https://www.olyonline.com/Autospec.htm
10-10-01, 07:05 PM
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For every car, the manufacturer sets a minimum thickness specification for the brake rotors. You can measure the thickness with a micrometer and compare it against the factory spec.
If you're at or below the minimum thickness, you'll need to replace the brake rotor.
If you're not experiencing brake pulsation, there is no need to grind the rotors. The only purpose of machining a brake disc is to make its surface even in order to stop pulsation, or to eliminate the scoring of the rotor. That's when you've really let your pads go and now you've got deep grooves worn in your rotor.
(On new rotors, a good shop will use a 3M pad to give it a non-directional finish, but this is not the same thing as grinding or machining a rotor.)
I've seen all sorts or rates of wear on brake rotors. On some cars
they seem to last a long time. Others chew them up frequently.
The only way to know for sure is to measure them.
Zoom Zoom is right, thicker rotors are always better than thinner ones. But if they haven't worn much and are still close to their original thickness, then you can save some money and go with the existing ones.
As a general rule, by the time your car needs a second set of pads it will also be time for new rotors, but again, the only way to know of sure is to measure them.
If you're at or below the minimum thickness, you'll need to replace the brake rotor.
If you're not experiencing brake pulsation, there is no need to grind the rotors. The only purpose of machining a brake disc is to make its surface even in order to stop pulsation, or to eliminate the scoring of the rotor. That's when you've really let your pads go and now you've got deep grooves worn in your rotor.
(On new rotors, a good shop will use a 3M pad to give it a non-directional finish, but this is not the same thing as grinding or machining a rotor.)
I've seen all sorts or rates of wear on brake rotors. On some cars
they seem to last a long time. Others chew them up frequently.
The only way to know for sure is to measure them.
Zoom Zoom is right, thicker rotors are always better than thinner ones. But if they haven't worn much and are still close to their original thickness, then you can save some money and go with the existing ones.
As a general rule, by the time your car needs a second set of pads it will also be time for new rotors, but again, the only way to know of sure is to measure them.
Last edited by JConn2299; 10-10-01 at 07:12 PM.
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