restiller

I took my car in with new OEM rear brake pads in a box and asked them to replace my old ones (in addition to getting my snow tires mounted and balanced). The writer suggested that I get my rotors resurfaced, so I said sure. It cost me $150 for the rear axle brake job. Later, I'm almost home and I realized that for that kind of money I might as well have gotten new rotors instead! The last time I bought rotors for my old car ('91 mr2 turbo) they were about $20 each at NAPA. I go to finishlineperformance to check out the price and the were $109 each.

So here's my question:
What is our brake rotors made of that makes them so damn expensive?

I8U

iTrader: (1)

^2006 Galaxy Gray Shinka? I thought in 06 Shinka's only came in Copper Red Mica?

restiller

nope. shinkas became their own trim level in 06. not 100% sure if it was available for all colors.

newguy

change the pads yourself for $50 AND THEN SEE IF YU NEED ROTORS FROM THERE

ken-x8

Ummm...and take everything apart again?

You can tell if you need to do anything about the rotors the first time around:

o If there's a shimmy when you step on the brakes, the rotors need to be turned or replaced.

o If there are scores in the rotor, it needs to be resurfaced. As far as whether there's enough metal left - a machine shop will measure the rotor with a micrometer that has a point that they'll put into the deepest groove. They'll know before doing anything whether it can be turned.

If the old rotors are still good, you need to go over them with emery cloth as part of the pad replacement.

Ken

restiller

in a way i did get ripped off then. no shimmy in the brakes and i never went metal-to-metal with the pads. what sold me was that the writer suggested the how resurfacing would "remove the glaze and rust" from the rotors and how i shouldn't use new pads on a glazed rotor. OK i guess...

this is the first new car i've owned and if i had done the brakes myself, i honestly would have left the rotors alone. i no longer have the real estate or warm weather to do my own brakes, but i was willing to pay for the price of laziness. i just didn't expect the total to be that steep.

but really. $109 for a new rotor?

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

u did got ripped off, big time.

Just dont go back anymore except for warranty work (if u still have any)

ken-x8

I think that's a consequence of having a low-production interesting car.

Back when they put asbestos in brake shoes, replacing rotors was relatively rare and they were expensive - like that $109. When asbestos came out, rotors started to wear more. They were now a volume wear item, third parties came in, and they got into the $30 to $40 price range.

Then China came along. The last set of rotors I bought for my Accord were made in China, and I think were $15 apiece.

One of those things we have to live with - after market for this car is performance stuff, not economy.

If it's just a matter of glaze, all that's needed is emery cloth. Which you need to do with a new rotor anyway, after using solvent to clean the oil off.

Ken

kersh4w

iTrader: (3)

glaze?

what about this excellent way of taking off anything thats on the rotor.

hitting the brakes hard from 60mph.

i guess i just dont get it. rotors get a little rusty when the car sits for a few days and it rains. they get back to pure shiny as soon as you take the car out for a drive and hit the brakes once.

Potentiated

You should not have gotten the new rotors. Do what newguy said above. Store the rotors for now. Put the brake pads on yourself, then bed in the pads properly (do a search online for a bedding-in procedure), and see if there is any wobbling from the old rotors. If not, you're fine.

I'm on my 3rd set of OEM front pads (i.e., replaced twice) and 2nd set of OEM rear pads. I remember way back then when the dealership tried to get me all paranoid about getting new rotors at the same time. I'm way past that now. I have absolutely no wobble and everything is just fine. Even added brake fluid and bleeded my brakes by myself when things got spongy and brake pedal travel got too long.

Obviously, if and when the braking creates wobbling, at that time I'll get new rotors. Not before.