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Originally Posted by Guenter
.... and what happens when they are below minimum thickness? my ;89 300e now has about 225k km and original rotors .... can't complain about anything except that they are a 'bit' glazed
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If the rotors are too thin, your maximum braking capacity is diminished. The act of braking turns motion energy (of the vehicle) into heat energy (in the brake pads and rotors). As the rotors heat up, their ability to absorb more heat is less. A thicker rotor can absorb more heat than a thin rotor. Under normal circumstances, this heat is transfered to the air well before the maximum level is reached, but in extremes, this heat level can be reached, and will result in brake fade. The rotor minimum thickness is set by the manufacturer to assure adequate braking capacity. If you're not turning laps at the local speedway or continually driving up and down mountain roads you will likely never have a problem with undersized rotors.