So I'm having a "discussion" with my wife about the brakes on her 2005 Saturn View. She says it's due for a service and will need new pads. I say I'll buy them and put them on myself. She looks at me like I'm nuts. How do you turn the rotors? Me, what do you mean turn the rotors? they were replaced just a few years ago? She, Saturn service recommends the rotors are turned every time you replace pads so they don't squeal and squeek! Me

I have never in my life turned rotors whenever I repalaced pads on any car. Is this some kind of bs thing to milk unsuspecting women of money or is it a genuine requirement? Sounds like bs to me but just wondered what anyone else thinks.

- Peter.

__________________
2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

I'm with you.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Turning the rotors every brake job was a money maker for dealers and some indies. And it relieved the sometimes inexperienced tech from making command decissions. Right now it is cheaper, in many cases, to simply fit new rotors. I've done hundreds of brake jobs without turning or replacing rotors. I think it's a general cya for dealers. If the rotors aren't deeply grooved I would just replace the pads. I did this just the other day on my '95 wagon with excellent results.

Does the Vue have 4-wheel discs? Ok, here's what you do: Put the car on jackstands and remove a wheel from the non-drive axle. Call your wife over and make a big production of turning the rotor with your hands...

My take is that if the rotors are smooth enough that you can drag the edge of your fingernail radially across the disc and not encounter a groove deep enough to catch a nail, the rotors don't need to be turned. The only theoretical caveat is that the new pads will need a bit of a break-in period to conform to the contour of the face of the unturned rotor.

Just make sure to eyeball the back of the rotors. My father is one of the last of the great left-foot brakers. If you follow him down the street, you can see the brake lights on for 3/4 of the block. He always found a way to trash the inboard side of the rotor while leaving the outboard side relatively intact. The neighborhood mechanic would put the car on a lift and just shake his head in wonderment.

When I did the pads on my E300, they came with wet sanding paper that was supposed to rough up the surface of the rotor to prepare it to break in the pads.

If the rotor's aren't warped and the pedal pulsating, I don't see any reason to turn them.

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-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250

Turn GM rotors why? They are like cheap. If they pulse and your cheap maybe, but I rather just replace. If they are fine just slap another set of pads on.

Now Ford rotors I'd turn, on my dads F150 they are part of the wheel bearing assembly and about $150 a corner!

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

What year F150 and is it 4WD? I recall that the front rotors on my 1999 4wd Expedition were a press fit onto the hubs. Made for good times on rustbelt examples, with techs using hammers, heat, etc to try to shake a stubborn rotor off.

I wouldnt bother replacing the rotors unless they're warped.

To prevent squeaking, I would take them off and hit them with some rough grit sand paper, just to brake the glaze left over from the old pads. If you dont, they might squeak. Unlikly though, and a pad swap would likely be just fine.


~Nate

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95 Honda Shadow ACE 1100.
1999 Plymouth Neon Expresso. 2.4 swap, 10.5 to 1 comp, big cams. Autocross time attack vehicle!
2012 Escape, 'hunter" (5 sp 4cyl)

Any idea how it is that there can be discernable difference in the same brake system component wear outcomes, the result of which can be attributable to one foot or the other being applied to the same single brake pedal/master cylinder actuating of the same mirror image braking system components?

Is it your theory that using the left foot to brake causes unbalanced application of the "inboard brake pad/rotor side" vs. "outboard brake pad/rotor side" or is it that frequent braking is the cause of the unbalanced wear pattern you've described?

2007, 2wd, its all one unit.

I don't know when they stopped doing it, I think the new ones are back to separate rotors and bearings. When my dad told me I was like WTF on my Silverado my front rotors are $45 each at Carquest.

Plus on the 1/2 tons the front brakes are weak, every 30k-40k they need to be done. On the 3/4 tons and up you can get 100k out of front brakes.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

And you wonder why you get banned?

Why not just ask "Why do you think his manner of braking affects the disk wear?".

__________________
Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

Never pass up an opportunity to break out the old thesaurus.

And maybe in support such apparent discomfort you should provide some evidence as to any "wonder" regarding anyone being "banned"?

Why not just stick to the subjects that you know and like best such as saving the whales, or the homosexuals, or even the homosexual whales, and avoid the irresistible urge to jump into a discussion of a technical nature for which you appear ill equipped, just to satisfy your prurient inclination to engage in ad hominem argument with me.

I can't be certain that Pauly C is not either of the order Cetacea or homosexual, but I'm reasonably certain that he's big enough of a person to take care of himself here, although he no doubt would appreciate such chivalry.

I didn't regard your questions as an attack, although I admit that I can't come up with any theory regarding the brake pad wear that I can't quickly shoot down on my own. Welcome back?

So it would appear that I'm correct and there is no need to turn rotors unless damaged/warped, which is essentially what I'd thought. Thanks for the input. I shall attempt to convince my wife of the worth of replacing pads myself.

- Peter.

__________________
2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S