Rotors: Turn or New?

[Casey B]

My front brake pads are still good but I have some warped front rotors. How much is a fair price to have someone turn the rotors, they do the pulling. I've been told that I can just have them turned without having to put new pads on.



Is it cheaper to get new rotors? What's the difference in the slotted rotors and are they recommended? Is there any other maintenance that should be done while they are off? Any feedback is much appreciated.



Oh, for anyone who didn't see how the dealership visit turned out, it needed a new water pump pulley. So they replace a couple of pulleys and put a new belt on to get rid of the squeal.



Casey B

 

[Todd Z]

Depending on the application, It is normally a 10 dollar difference between cutting and new, But if doing this on the st, I would just replace them.. If the rotors are that bad, they will warp again... Replace them...



Pads are cheep enough, Replace then too, You have to remove them to remove the rotors any way..

Since your 2wd, you may want to replace the brgs and seals as well, you can reuse the old ones with out issue, but new is a piece of mind...

Lube the caliper slides and the pad anti-squeal shims... Don't use grease, use super lube or caliper lube. Most places use anti squeal, this is ok, but the specific lube is better...



For the squeal, The water pump pulley itself can not cause a squeal... It can be the brg in the pump, but that would require changing the pump... Sounds like they just changed everything because they could not narrow it down....



Glad it is fixed..

Todd Z

 

[Kevin Palmer]

I am with Todd all the way. Absolutely replace the pads. They are way too cheap not to since you will have.them in your hands....

 

[Casey B]

I've never done brakes on my own but I think I'm going to do these. I'll have mechanics in the shop with me in case I need them. I thought it would be better just to go new. I haven't researched any prices yet, I'll do that today.



I thought that the whole water pump would have to be replaced if it was the culprit but they changed the wheel. I recently changed the belt but they put a new one on. The noise is gone, for now.



Todd-thanks for the input.

 

[Johnny O]

Generally you can turn rotors once. After that they are too thin. In my experience they warp faster again after they are turned since they are thinner (just my opinion). Time was that new rotors were expensive, these days you can get the cheapo imported stuff at AutoZone for less than $40.

I got tired of turning rotors on my wife's car so I ponied up for the expensive heavy-duty ones from NAPA, they are a lot heavier, and they warped just as fast as the cheap ones. Then too, if I could get her to downshift on hills it might not be a problem to begin with, but there's some people you just can't reach.

 

[calgary sporttrac]

Get new rotors, if you have a vibration problem it will come back, machining the rotors takes some material off them which makes them thinner and more prone to warp. If your doing the rotors for the extra cost I would put new pads on also.

 

[Richard L]

Casey,

I also agree with Todd. Replace the pads too. It's cheap insurance that you will get more life out of the brake job.



Most vehicles can have the rotors turned several times and last 100K-miles, however the ST has a bad reputation for warped rotors and the thinner you cut the rotors, the more they are apt to warp.



I would recommend good quality aftermarket rotors to replace the FORD rotors. Slotted rotors are more for racing or high performance applications and are not necessary for street use, but they do provide for a little better braking depending upon the pad material used.



The problem with some High Performance or racing pads is they need to be heated up before they can develope their full stopping power. So they are intended for hard use which may not be good for freeway driving where you may drive for 30+ miles and never touch the brake pedal, but if you need to brake hard, they are too cold to give you the necessary stopping power that conventional brake pads would.



...Rich

 

[TomT]

If the rotors are truly warped then replace them. Rotors are not supposed to warp. Way to many shops and individuals turn their rotors whenever they do a brake job whether they need it or not. Most of the time they do not. I only turn mine about every third brakejob. If your having to turn them more frquent then there is something wrong. A good rotor (maybe not the ones in our ST's) should last 200,000 miles or more.

 

[Dave Bryant]

Always,Always torque the lug nuts when putting them back on! This is the #1 cause of warped rotors.