must rotor be resurfaced when brake pads is replaced?

[peter]

When the brake pads wears out for the first time (around 38K miles), must
you resurface the rotor when you replace the pads?
I called some shops, some say yes, some say depends.

What happens if the rotor has minor grooves and new pads are installed
without resurfacing the rotor?

Do the front brake usually wear out before the rear, or are they designed to
wear out about the same time?

The car is a 2002 wrx if it matters.

 

[DK]

When the brake pads wears out for the first time (around 38K miles), must
you resurface the rotor when you replace the pads?
I called some shops, some say yes, some say depends.

It depends. Resurfacing is only helpful when rotor wear was uneven.

What happens if the rotor has minor grooves and new pads are installed
without resurfacing the rotor?

Rotor will wear out faster. Some shops recommend changing
rotors to avoid paying twice for pad and rotors replacement.

Do the front brake usually wear out before the rear, or are they designed to
wear out about the same time?

The car is a 2002 wrx if it matters.

WRX, I assume, has disc brakes on all four wheels and a four
wheel drive. So the wear will be about even - particularly on
manual models. With FWD, most of the brakign job done by front
anyway.

DK

 

[David]

It depends. Resurfacing is only helpful when rotor wear was uneven.


Rotor will wear out faster. Some shops recommend changing
rotors to avoid paying twice for pad and rotors replacement.


WRX, I assume, has disc brakes on all four wheels and a four
wheel drive. So the wear will be about even - particularly on
manual models. With FWD, most of the brakign job done by front
anyway.

DK

I think the front brakes do most of the work on any vehicle.

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

I think the front brakes do most of the work on any vehicle.

about 70% IIRC.
The pads will wear into the 'wavy' rotor after 2-3 stops - just be a
little careful leaving the shop. After all, the old pads were working
with those 'groovy' rotors.


Carl

 

[peter]

The pads will wear into the 'wavy' rotor after 2-3 stops - just be a
little careful leaving the shop. After all, the old pads were working with
those 'groovy' rotors.

That's good to hear. So is it ever necessary to resurface the rotor?

So far, of the 3 shops I called, two of them (including a subaru dealer)
combine pad replacement with rotor resurfacing, only one shop says
resurfacing is optional.

I don't know what type (semi metalic? organic?) the OEM pads are. The part#
is 26296SA000 for front and 26696FC002 for the rear. The front pad kit sells
for $70, but the shops want $300 including resurfacing. This is why it is so
tempting to do-it myself. Of course I won't be able to resurface the rotor.

Has anyone tried ceremic pads? I read they are better than organic and semi
metalic (no dusts).

 

[Ragnar]

That's good to hear. So is it ever necessary to resurface the rotor?

So far, of the 3 shops I called, two of them (including a subaru dealer)
combine pad replacement with rotor resurfacing, only one shop says
resurfacing is optional.

I don't know what type (semi metalic? organic?) the OEM pads are. The part#
is 26296SA000 for front and 26696FC002 for the rear. The front pad kit sells
for $70, but the shops want $300 including resurfacing. This is why it is so
tempting to do-it myself. Of course I won't be able to resurface the rotor.

Has anyone tried ceremic pads? I read they are better than organic and semi
metalic (no dusts).

You could change the rotors yourself. Adds maybe 20 minutes to the
overall brake job. New rotors for an 02 WRX are about $45 each.

 

[Porgy Tirebiter]

"Grooves" usually only appear when you run the pads down to the rivets.
"Turning" the rotors is not a bad idea while you are in there, if they have
enough "meat" left on them to do so.This is usually done to correct slight
warping and a pulsing brake feeling.
Most shops charge $10-$15 per rotor to do this and you can pull them and
take them in yourself.
"Ceramic" pads are noisy, they tend to squeal under light pressure.I rather
have the dust and quiet brakes.Pads are cheap,rotors are not.
Brake shops WILL screw you, it's in the book. $4x15+70=$130. The rest is all
labor. There is no reason why you can't get a factory book and do this
yourself.(Doubt you will need a book for this).

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

That's good to hear. So is it ever necessary to resurface the rotor?

So far, of the 3 shops I called, two of them (including a subaru dealer)
combine pad replacement with rotor resurfacing, only one shop says
resurfacing is optional.

I don't know what type (semi metalic? organic?) the OEM pads are. The part#
is 26296SA000 for front and 26696FC002 for the rear. The front pad kit sells
for $70, but the shops want $300 including resurfacing. This is why it is so
tempting to do-it myself. Of course I won't be able to resurface the rotor.

Has anyone tried ceremic pads? I read they are better than organic and semi
metalic (no dusts).

I went 120K on a '81 Civic wagon with original and never resurfaced rotors.

YMMV

Carl

 

[Rick Courtright]

What happens if the rotor has minor grooves and new pads are installed
without resurfacing the rotor?

Hi,

As Carl said, you need to take a little extra time and care "breaking"
in the new pads to the old rotors. Once they're worn in, stopping will
be fine, though perhaps a bit noisier than with perfectly smooth rotors.

For myself, I've never resurfaced rotors on my own cars. Doing brakes
for others, yeah. Most shops want to do it cuz of the liability issue as
well as the extra income. If new pads are placed against smooth rotor
faces, they don't have to worry that Joe Customer's headed down the
street w/ only about half the breaking he expects for the first few
miles.

Ceramic pads? One of my clients was a brake mechanic for a large
dealership until he retired this year. He said ceramics were going to
"put him out of business." They wear longer than other pads, and don't
cause much rotor wear. Only caveat I've seen w/ ceramics is to do the
conversion w/ NEW rotors (check w/ the mfr to see if they have "ceramic
specific" rotors in their catalogs--some have varying grades of
replacement parts, and match the cheapest pads with the "factory warped"
Chinese rotors, the better pads w/ the straight Chinese rotors, the best
pads with... well, you see the progression.) I haven't heard the noise
or seen the dust issues w/ ceramics that were mentioned in another post.

Good luck whichever way you go!

Rick

 

[houndman]

When the brake pads wears out for the first time (around 38K miles), must
you resurface the rotor when you replace the pads?
I called some shops, some say yes, some say depends.

What happens if the rotor has minor grooves and new pads are installed
without resurfacing the rotor?

Do the front brake usually wear out before the rear, or are they designed to
wear out about the same time?

The car is a 2002 wrx if it matters.

I never worried about gruves. Till the pads make full contact, the car
won't stop as fast, but then you have more contact area when they do.)

VF

 

[strchild]

I never worried about gruves. Till the pads make full contact, the car

won't stop as fast, but then you have more contact area when they do.)

VF

I haven't done the math, but I'm not sure the angled contact surfaces of the
grooves are as worthwhile as flat rotors. Don't get me wrong, but I have a
suspicion that if it were worthwhile some car company somewhere would patent
and sell grooved pads and rotors. (-; Maybe somebody in the forum here is
a math whiz? Most folks I know only resurface the rotor when they get
pulsation from the brake pedal, or when it's somebody else's nickel.

~Brian

 

[Larry Davis]

On my 2003 XS, I just replaced pads on all 4 wheels for the first time
at 71,000 miles - so obviously I'm not hard on brakes. I used stock
pads and I didn't do anything with the rotors.
Brakes work fine and back to original in every way.