Hill Billy Brake Pad Change (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Jun 18, 2003
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Location
Oriental, NC
Growing up in backwoods of NC, my dad always had me change just the brake pads on his 300D benzo. We never changed the rotors. However today at the local city shops they always say the same thing, you have to turn the rotors. My question is this, is this true or these guys just trying to make an extra buck or two?

Could I just change the pads on the 100 series or do the rotors need turning? These rotors are smooth, no grooves and are not warped. I just can not stand paying the man for something I feel is unnecessary.

Thanks,

uzj100
Grew up in the country and thinking about moving back!
 
22Sep2003 (UTC -7)

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

When I first had my UZJ-100 front brake pads changed, after ~40,000 miles, my "knowledgeable" Toyota dealer suggested and convinced me to re-surface the rotors. It was not done in the best possible manner, and there was a very noticeable clicking on the brakes as I stepped on it. It eventually went away, but I hated that decision. My only consolation is that I'm getting close to justifying DBA slotted rotors :)
 
I may be doing more harm than good but if you are confident of the rotor, I've changed many a pad without turning the rotor, ne'er had a problem. I generally get them turned every other pad change. When I do I specifically request they do not grind them down as much as most shops do.
 
Personaly, I am not a big fan of rotor turning. I don't like to remove material unless you have to. My first set went 90+ k miles with 4 pad changes and they were never turned. I think the main reason that rotor turns are pushed is to get a fresh, flat surface for the new pads to "bed" into. Also, there is less of a chance for pulsation. Note that if you put new pads on "run" rotors, it will take more time for the pads to "bed" and braking may not be as good as it could be until the pads have "moulded" to the rotor contours.


D-
 
:cheers:
My experience is that turning (not grinding!) the rotors helps new pads to get a quicker bite.

Sombody on another thread said his 80 had the same stopping characteristics as a curling stone. If you've felt that stomach-dropping sensation of hitting the brake pedal hard with no/little reponse while breaking-in new pads -- you'll understand why I like to have rotors turned whenever I replace the pads. :D

The key is (as always!) the quality of workmanship. A light hand is a valuable asset in a machine shop! :whoops:

LT
8)
 
Personaly, I am not a big fan of rotor turning. I don't like to remove material unless you have to

Im with Dan on this one . :cheers: I have never cut a rotor . The only time I have anything done is when its time to replace them . The only cruiser rotors I have replaced are on my 79 fj40. One was killed by a caliper sticking and the other was just too thin so I replaced them both.
When I do a front brake job on my 40/60/70s I just get loaded remaned calipers ($32 each US) and slap them on. It takes less time to just replace them then deal with the pins being stuck ,the little springs and anti rattle clips rusted and shot plus it gives me a reson the flush the system like i should ::)
On my old ford van (best $300 I spent for 100k with of driving. Id still be driving it today if the steel termites :(hadn't moved over to it from my 40 after they were done with the tub)that I was putting on 1000 miles a week. It loved to eat pads so it got the $9.95 units from the local big box store and and if I didnt change them on the 3rd oil change I just would hear the grind within a week so I always kept a set in the van and would change them on the spot . As for the new ones bedding it only took about 5 stops and they would fit those grooves left by the last set ::)When I found a set that were bonded and not riveted they were the best as I could get about an extra oil change out of them and did less damage to the rotor too :D
 
I'm quite interested in this thread as I'm not happy with the braking on my 80. I've only had it for a month or so but the brakes are lacking in my judgement (my old 60 has way better braking).

Worth noting is that the PO replaced the rotors just before selling the rig but the silly dealer left on the old pads with 30% remaining. I would have replaced them too. There is also a little brake squeak when braking lightly.

Could my poor braking be caused by not replacing the pads with the new rotors and thus not getting enough bite?

I also notice lots of brake dust on the front rims but nothing on the rear, I guess this is normal (same on my Camry) but perhaps the rears are not working hard enough. I'd really like to fix this before someone gets hurt.

Perhaps I should do a road test and stand on them see if the ABS can even kick in.
P.S. the 80 has 70K miles on it.

R
 
Hit the brakes at idle wih VERY low rpms (get it quiet)...

I heard a hissssssss. SUCKS!

I will let you know how my fix goes, but I had air seeping into my brake master from the brake fluid tank (the grommets had rotted where the master mated to the tank).

No matter how much bleeding, replacing, or wishing it did not improve.

Just food for thought.
 
Ok, so correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't knowof any difference between "turning" and "grinding" your roters. Either way they are taking off material from the face of the roter to make iit smooth again and remove any warping or imperfections caused by worn brake pads. Granted my mechanic has told me of two different methods and prices of turning your roters, one off the car and one on, but basically the same idea. The problem I see with it is that the more you turn the roters, the thinner the material becomes, and therefore it is more prone to warping. My opinion is it you've been pulling a heavy trailer down the Rocky Mountains and warped your rotors, or if you've run the pads too low and cut grooves in them. :slap: These are the times when they need to be turned.
 
Don't turn your rotors when changing pads unless there's evidence of a problem with them such as pulsing, wobbling steering wheel, etc. This is the biggest scam in the auto repair biz - charging to remove, turn and replace rotors when all that's needed is pads. The biggest irony is that the more often you turn them, the sooner you must replace them - further padding their bank account at your expense. My original rotors went over 100,000 miles despite our heavy towing and living in the mountains.

IdahoDoug
 
Doug,

I respectfully disagree, I don't think it's a "scam" per-se. I believe that it is an effort to reduce come-backs from pulsation or functional issues related to braking effectiveness because the pads haven't bedded to the irregular surface of the "worn" rotors.
It's one of those "responsibility" traps.

D-
 

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