My 02 3/4T Ram is due for a brake change. It has 130K on it. Was talking to one of the guys at the garage who was advising me to throw on all new rotors in addition to pads. Said rotors aren't made like they were in the "old" days. Used to be you could resurface 2 or 3 times but these days you're lucky if you can do it once. Full of shit or spot on?
Mechanically Inclined
- Thread starter Ovis
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cjcj
New member
Full of Shit.... If they are smooth then there good... Your rear are probably ok..... blow out the dust if they grind.... Use Quality pads on the truck.... maybe ceramic... no cheapies
I am going to say full of shit, unless you are noticing problems with them i.e. vibration or shaking that you can feel through the steering wheel when you step on the brakes. My '01 2500HD Chevy had 271,000+ on the original rotors when it got totaled, and my '06 has 124,000+ on the original pads and counting.
barefooter19
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Rotors on a 02 3/4 ram probably cost $100 a piece. You should have the thickness measured, thats how you determin if they need to be replaced.If they are at or under the min. thickness they need to go.
If you keep a rotor on that is too thin it can worp and when you go to stop the truck will jump, instead of braking smooth.
You can turn rotors on a 3/4 ton but you need a special lathe that can handle the big rotors.
If you keep a rotor on that is too thin it can worp and when you go to stop the truck will jump, instead of braking smooth.
You can turn rotors on a 3/4 ton but you need a special lathe that can handle the big rotors.
Delw
Member
You don't want smooth)as in shiny) rotors as they will not brake properly., you dont want gouged rotors for sure. rotors should ahve a semi rough finish to them.
Only buy Quality pads from the dealer or NAPA everything else is junk and cheap.
yours rears with usually go 100k miles+
my 1990 k3500 4x4 has 190,000 miles on it and the only time they were replaced was in 1995. we did alot of hauling in that truck and alot of hunting in it. it was also my deliver truck that carrier almost a ton of gear steel blanks 3 times a day 5 days a week 50+ miles one way trip for 7 years. The front brakes I went through every 8 months.
just get them skimmed to get the right surface finish in it.
Only buy Quality pads from the dealer or NAPA everything else is junk and cheap.
yours rears with usually go 100k miles+
my 1990 k3500 4x4 has 190,000 miles on it and the only time they were replaced was in 1995. we did alot of hauling in that truck and alot of hunting in it. it was also my deliver truck that carrier almost a ton of gear steel blanks 3 times a day 5 days a week 50+ miles one way trip for 7 years. The front brakes I went through every 8 months.
just get them skimmed to get the right surface finish in it.
unless your brakes are pulsating, throw on new pads and good to go. Cutting rotors is a scam, I know, I worked as a dealer wrench for 13 years. Del, your wrong..... shiny rotors are what you want, and any "dull" rotor will be shiny in a few hundred miles anyway. A semi-rough finish is only to break pads in extra fast, and nothing more. I used to do "pad slam" brake jobs at the dealer and my service manager would get pissed because he had to charge less without cutting rotors. Never had a comeback from not cutting shiny rotors
A-con
New member
Full of shit.
Like Schmalts said, for the most part, turning rotors is just a way to jack up the price of a brake job. Lots of shops aren't satisfied with hoseing you on the turn, they want more money, so they suggest new rotors.
Learn to put the new pads on your self, or pay a buddie to do it. I have a friend (factory certified) who charges a 12 pack of Keystone beer to put the new pads in, takes about 10 minuets. If he's busy, I just do it myself. I have over 375,000 miles on two pick ups and never purchased a rotor or paid a shop for a brake job.
Like Schmalts said, for the most part, turning rotors is just a way to jack up the price of a brake job. Lots of shops aren't satisfied with hoseing you on the turn, they want more money, so they suggest new rotors.
Learn to put the new pads on your self, or pay a buddie to do it. I have a friend (factory certified) who charges a 12 pack of Keystone beer to put the new pads in, takes about 10 minuets. If he's busy, I just do it myself. I have over 375,000 miles on two pick ups and never purchased a rotor or paid a shop for a brake job.
barefooter19
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True Story..... Firestone was running an add on the radio about replaceing brakes. My girlfriend at the time had a Ford Explorer that needed brakes so I told her for $99 bucks just take it to Firestone and get it done. She calls me and says, they just told me it's going to cost about $700.00 because it needs rotors, calibers, pads, fluid,and bleeding I told her to bring it home and I checked it out , everything was fine and I put pads on all four for about $50 . She kept that Explorer for 2 more years and traded it in.
That was my first thought also. I had a buddy show me how to change the rotors and pads last year. I did my truck solo about a month ago - about 20 minutes a side on my first attempt. Pads would only take a few minutes after the tires are off.
Delw
Member
unless your brakes are pulsating, throw on new pads and good to go. Cutting rotors is a scam, I know, I worked as a dealer wrench for 13 years. Del, your wrong..... shiny rotors are what you want, and any "dull" rotor will be shiny in a few hundred miles anyway. A semi-rough finish is only to break pads in extra fast, and nothing more. I used to do "pad slam" brake jobs at the dealer and my service manager would get pissed because he had to charge less without cutting rotors. Never had a comeback from not cutting shiny rotors
no I'm not. just the terminology is that you misinterpreting. remember i am a machinist so smooth to me would be like glass also would mean glazed to me, Glazed rotors are not good.
I believe the proper finish for a set of rotors is like 250v- maybe 125v-
also if they are glazed you might have some stress cracks in the, you can see these pretty easy. brakes Glaze the rotors when they get hot.
so Del, have you taken in your cars to get the rotors cut just because the rotors were "glazed" and not stopping well because of it?? I didn't think so Nor have I ever fixed a car for that reason either. Looks like someone used that line on you to get you to pay to have rotors cut. Mechanics want you to think that "glazed" rotors are a problem, because it makes them money. Besides, the roughness of the new metallic pads will scuff any rotors enough to make them work even if they were polished like a mirror. I never had a car with a problem stopping from nice shiny rotors, but have had them stop like shit because the finish was not smooth enough like crappy new rotors with machine marks in them, but 20 miles later they are smooth and fine from pad break in. If a rotor got so hot that it stress cracked, and is discolored, it will also be warped and the brakes are pulsating anyway so if it isn't pulsating, slam on new pads and be done with it. Another thing I never saw is a rotor that failed from a micro stress crack on the surface, it is no concern. The only thing you need is rotors that have minimal run-out, and are not under the discard thickness stamped on them. If they are undersized they will warp up more and keep on warping even if they are turned
Nor have I ever fixed a car for that reason either. Looks like someone used that line on you to get you to pay to have rotors cut. Mechanics want you to think that "glazed" rotors are a problem, because it makes them money. Besides, the roughness of the new metallic pads will scuff any rotors enough to make them work even if they were polished like a mirror. I never had a car with a problem stopping from nice shiny rotors, but have had them stop like shit because the finish was not smooth enough like crappy new rotors with machine marks in them, but 20 miles later they are smooth and fine from pad break in. If a rotor got so hot that it stress cracked, and is discolored, it will also be warped and the brakes are pulsating anyway so if it isn't pulsating, slam on new pads and be done with it. Another thing I never saw is a rotor that failed from a micro stress crack on the surface, it is no concern. The only thing you need is rotors that have minimal run-out, and are not under the discard thickness stamped on them. If they are undersized they will warp up more and keep on warping even if they are turnedUm... read the prior posts. Only if your brakes pulsate when stopping.
Cutting rotors makes them thinner, and therefore make them get hotter, and warp easier. leave em alone unless they are pulsating or deeply grooved.
LILIDAHO
New member
I agree with Delw also a machinist here and you do not want a glazed rotor. Usually if the are glazed they have heated up and probally have hard spot which will usually just f up new pads. I also agree there are just places out there looking to hose the average Joe but if the rotors are glazed I would have them turned, if your putting on new pads. I garintee the concept of turning rotors was not just to screw someone over. LIL
machinists.... they always think they are mechanics
So a hard spot eh? Harder than the usually soft metal that usually didn't wear pad out but will now that it is smoother it will? I thought a pad would wear more from something with a rough surface over a smooth surface. Also, how do you get a "hard spot" on something that spins and will pretty much be the same temperature throughout the surface?
Mechanics and parts suppliers love guys like you. Turning rotors was made for truing warped rotors, turning rotors that are not warped was made for suckers
So a hard spot eh? Harder than the usually soft metal that usually didn't wear pad out
but will now that it is smoother it will? I thought a pad would wear more from something with a rough surface over a smooth surface. Also, how do you get a "hard spot" on something that spins and will pretty much be the same temperature throughout the surface?Mechanics and parts suppliers love guys like you. Turning rotors was made for truing warped rotors, turning rotors that are not warped was made for suckers
Schmalts, have to agree with the other machinists. I have faced lots of big truck flywheels (cast iron)that have hard spots with carbide. High speed will not touch them. If you don't remove the hard spots the clutch will not hold up.
I cut my own rotors mostly cause I'm too lazy to change the pads on time.If it's pulsating I pitch them. More than likely it will it will be pulsating not long after facing.
Ovis, if they are factory rotors, I just go with the pads. My 99 ford f350 went 140,000 on the first set of pads. I bought cheapo pads that went 30,000 and into my rotors. I have a friend at ford and got a big discount on parts and it went 80,000 on ford parts.
I cut my own rotors mostly cause I'm too lazy to change the pads on time.
If it's pulsating I pitch them. More than likely it will it will be pulsating not long after facing.Ovis, if they are factory rotors, I just go with the pads. My 99 ford f350 went 140,000 on the first set of pads. I bought cheapo pads that went 30,000 and into my rotors. I have a friend at ford and got a big discount on parts and it went 80,000 on ford parts.
Delw
Member
so Del, have you taken in your cars to get the rotors cut just because the rotors were "glazed" and not stopping well because of it?? I didn't think so
naw I just buy new ones. , you still dont get the point about being smooth as in my terminology. Thats ok I realize its a little cold up north
dude I am a machinist mechanics are hacks, a air hammer and airchisel type mentality LOLOLOL dont take it serious.
Delw
Member
Schmalts, have to agree with the other machinists. I have faced lots of big truck flywheels (cast iron)that have hard spots with carbide. High speed will not touch them. If you don't remove the hard spots the clutch will not hold up.
I cut my own rotors mostly cause I'm too lazy to change the pads on time.
Ovis, if they are factory rotors, I just go with the pads. My 99 ford f350 went 140,000 on the first set of pads. I bought cheapo pads that went 30,000 and into my rotors. I have a friend at ford and got a big discount on parts and it went 80,000 on ford parts.
Thats what I was trying to say, Thanks
I new a mechanic wouldnt understand but a machinist would. The flywheel clutch is the perfect example never thought of using that example.
Del. I am a machinist and a mechanic and a fabricator, Kind of strange qualification but that is what an experimental Mechanic is. You wouldn't understand it, trust me.
Turning a flywheel eh? Carbide cutters? your better off blanchard grinding them, you would not have that problem.
How many brake jobs have you machinist guys done?? nuff said, easy to be an expert when you don't or have ever done it for a living. Sorry, but flywheels and brake rotors are very different in the application. A flywheel with heat spots slips not because of the heat spots, but because it is not flat from the heat spots. So you guys think that brake pads and clutch disks wear or get eaten up because of how hard the metal is rather than the finish itself?
Ovis, if your brakes are not pulsating, just replace the pads and let us all know if your truck is still stopping a year from now with those nice shiny rotors that will look just like the ones that are turned after 100 miles.
If it isn't, let us know how the hell I ever made it as a mechanic for so many years without ever having a comeback on a brake job...
Del, trust me, I know there are tons of hack mechanics, most are thieves as well and will tell you that you need new rotors every time, and an air filter every oil change just because.
Turning a flywheel eh? Carbide cutters? your better off blanchard grinding them, you would not have that problem.
How many brake jobs have you machinist guys done?? nuff said, easy to be an expert when you don't or have ever done it for a living. Sorry, but flywheels and brake rotors are very different in the application. A flywheel with heat spots slips not because of the heat spots, but because it is not flat from the heat spots. So you guys think that brake pads and clutch disks wear or get eaten up because of how hard the metal is rather than the finish itself?
Ovis, if your brakes are not pulsating, just replace the pads and let us all know if your truck is still stopping a year from now with those nice shiny rotors that will look just like the ones that are turned after 100 miles.
If it isn't, let us know how the hell I ever made it as a mechanic for so many years without ever having a comeback on a brake job...
Del, trust me, I know there are tons of hack mechanics, most are thieves as well and will tell you that you need new rotors every time, and an air filter every oil change just because.
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