Turning Rotors?

[super90]

Anyone have any luck turning rotors? I've got a slight warp in the front and thinking about having them turned on the truck to avoid pulling them. Lots of material still left. One local Indy said it wasn't worth it that they would just warp again within a month or two and I should just replace them.

Thoughts? Experiences with this?

Thanks.

R.

 

[Skidoo]

Search the site on warp and turning rotors, some great threads! Has all you need to know!!!
Edit: Turning is good if you have the metal, understanding what "warp" is will help you avoid it down the road.

 

[OregonLC]

Not to open a huge debate, but I've read that most cases of 'warp' area actually pad material transfers to the rotor cause by hard stops where the brake remains engaged when hot and the material 'bakes' onto the rotor. And I'm confident that the internet is 100% true and accurate.

I do typically go several pad changes without the need to reface the rotors. After a hard stop (or hard use) try not to let the truck stay stationary with the brakes engaged. I try to roll ahead slightly after the stop preventing a hot spot. Sometimes I'll go to N and use the e-brake. It's pretty easy to tell when you've presented a situation where your rotors are hot.

Lore & legend or fact? YMMV, it works for me.

 

[spressomon]

Since you asked: I've never had much luck with turning rotors. Somewhat of a short term solution based upon my experiences with same. Now having said that it really matters, relative to the 100-Series, where you travel and how much the truck weighs.

Living in the foothills of the Sierra with its steep and tall passes make rotor and pad cooling and/or over-heating a big issue. Especially with my 35" tires and heavily laden rig. So in my example reducing the amount of metal by turning/shaving/milling/surfacing the rotors, effectively being used as a heat sink, is a futile short term solution. The only thing attractive IMO about surfacing the rotors is that it is relatively cheap.

 

[super90]

Since you asked: I've never had much luck with turning rotors. Somewhat of a short term solution based upon my experiences with same. Now having said that it really matters, relative to the 100-Series, where you travel and how much the truck weighs.

Living in the foothills of the Sierra with its steep and tall passes make rotor and pad cooling and/or over-heating a big issue. Especially with my 35" tires and heavily laden rig. So in my example reducing the amount of metal by turning/shaving/milling/surfacing the rotors, effectively being used as a heat sink, is a futile short term solution. The only thing attractive IMO about surfacing the rotors is that it is relatively cheap.

It's flat here in Dallas, the truck is stock and just hauls kids over 90% of the time. . Very few heavy-loaded panic stops downhill.

As it is relatively cheap and easy, I might give it a shot.

 

[offroadminivan]

Before the advent of internet forums, I turned my rotors with every pad change...never had an issue with warped rotors.

Then I got married. Turning or no turning, my wife, who doesn't realize you don't always have to be standing on a pedal, will warp any brakes on any car/truck.

 

[Skidoo]

Don't throw cheap pads on those freshly surfaced rotors. Factory or better, running Hawk LTS myself and very happy.

 

[highonpottery]

so...don't get them turned? is that the consensus? i ask because i've got a set of Toyota pads sitting here waiting for a free weekend to get installed on the cruiser. truck definitely shakes sometimes when braking and i assumed they're warped up front. i know that on my past Volvos we used to turn the rotors all the time, but they always went back to that warped feeling when braking, so it was a lost cause. plus they were "known for" warped rotors.

 

[OregonLC]

so...don't get them turned? is that the consensus? i ask because i've got a set of Toyota pads sitting here waiting for a free weekend to get installed on the cruiser. truck definitely shakes sometimes when braking and i assumed they're warped up front. i know that on my past Volvos we used to turn the rotors all the time, but they always went back to that warped feeling when braking, so it was a lost cause. plus they were "known for" warped rotors.

Have they been turned before? If not, try it. Worst case you spend $30 and buy new rotors later.

 

[Skidoo]

IMHO, if rotor surface is not very flat (ridges and valleys), will have them turned, otherwise just install new pads.
If your terrain or driving style have short brake life, warp or fade, look at aftermarket brake $ upgrade$.

 

[OregonLC]

i don't mind the ridges/valleys much. In theory it adds surface area, right? It might just take a little longer to get the new pads seated, which most folks don't take the time to do.

I think the original complaint was pulsation, which shouldn't be a ridge/valley problem.

 

[OregonLC]

Here's a good link from StopTech busting the myth of heat-induced rotor warpage. According to them, it's most commonly pad material transfer to the rotor.

StopTech : Balanced Brake Upgrades

 

[hoser]

Personally I would not rule out turning your rotors if there is plenty of material left above the minimum thickness spec in the FSM. I have turned rotors myself in the past and can definitely see some height variation. I do not think the metal actually warped but rather there was a degree of uneven wear/build-up.

If you don't turn the rotors, I would definitely scrub the rotors down with garnet/emery cloth and brake cleaner. And in all cases, bed the brake pads probably after installation.

 

[Pork Soda]

Had mine turned by the dealer at 87k. Warble came back by 95k. The dealer turned them again at no no cost . Still good at 103k. The first time they had to take them off due to the machine being down. Therefore repacked bearings. The second time they were able to leave them on. Don't know if that was the key.
I'd say it's worth a shot.
I noticed the difference immediately after the second go round. Doesn't stop any quicker, but much smoother.

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

My rotors were turned two times before I replaced them. Complete sucess...no reason to buy new rotors every time you need pads. 100 vs added weight vs no added weight...matter physics, etc. Turn them IF they are still in spec.

 

[Kenso]

I've turned the rotors on the vehicle with both my current 100 and previous one, and was satisfied with the results. Both had a noticeable problem with uneven stopping before the resurfacing.

 

[Tinkerer]

If you want virtually 100% guaranteed factory-performing brakes, use all new OE rotors and pads.

(I say "virtually" because there is always a chance of latent-defective rotors and other brake parts, even with OEM.)

On the other hand, if you want to gamble on a significantly lower probability of good results in exchange for lower cost, then go ahead and turn your rotors when doing the brake job.

Sometimes you get good results with turned rotors, but the rate of problems is high with turned rotors. Lots of variation. There are several reasons for this, a complete discussion of which would fill a small book.

I used to turn rotors, but in recent years I have used only new OEM rotors at every brake job. That's the way to get consistently good results, every time. (Except for the tiny percentage of latent-defective OEM brake parts, which I have not encountered in my own brake jobs yet.) I just don't have time and money any more to waste on re-doing brake jobs that fail due to turned rotors.

As for the "high-performance" aftermarket rotors/pads: Never used them. If they work for you, great.

 

[DWNUNDR]

over 5yrs in the repair business, we turned a lot of rotors... nowadays though for most vehicles its maybe $15 / rotor extra to replace with new... that being said you can get a 'warped' rotor straight out of the box... I had it happen at least 2 times... which is not bad considering the amount of brake jobs I have done...

I am not familiar with the LC?LX setup but you may be able to get them turned on the vehicle by a shop with the right machine which would save a lot of labor expense... as has been said, make sure there is plenty of meat left above minimum to machine...

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

On the other hand, if you want to gamble on a significantly lower probability of good results in exchange for lower cost, then go ahead and turn your rotors when doing the brake job.

Gamble?

Significantly?

Millions of folks per day must just be nuts for turning their rotors. LOL!

 

[pfran42]

I agree with Shotts... FWIW, I had a moderate shudder that completely went away after having my rotors turned (and brake pads replaced at the same time). It has been about 10K since I had this done and my brakes function perfectly.