Brake Rotors. Resurface or New?

[rtimgray]

It was just mentioned above, but I had never had the experience of having a wheel stuck onto disc/hub until about a month ago - and man was that frustrating.

My wife called me at work and let me know that the front passenger tire on her Kia Sorento was flat. Luckily, I was only working a half-day, so I left at lunch to go change the tire and hopefully take it for repair (she was only about 2 blocks from the tire shop). First, I had to use two jacks to get the front axle up high enough to work on (one really low to the ground, because the tire was completely flat, then another to take over from there). Anyway, after I got it jacked up, I finished removing the lugnuts and tried to pull the wheel off...

...and tried and tried and tried and tried...

OMG - that was frustrating. I kept looking for something that I missed, like a hidden lugnut or something, but I knew there wasn't one, because I've removed the wheels several times in the past for brake jobs and tire rotations. I fooled around with that thing for about 30 minutes (in the middle of the court house parking lot) before I finally got it free. I was a little afraid to beat on it too hard because I didn't want to knock it off the jacks, because I didn't go home to get jackstands/blocks/etc. since it was just going to be a quick change.

I'm going to have to tried the anti-seize advice - that will be well worth it. On that day, at least I had the time to do it, it wasn't too hot or too cold, it wasn't raining or on the side of the interstate, etc. I had just never encountered that in all my time working on vehicles.

Stuck brake drums are an entirely different story - in fact, I'm pretty sure brake drums are ONLY stuck and never easy to come off....

Good luck and take care.

 

[Turbys_1700]

My vehicles are services regularly by a local mechanic that I've known and used all my life...
He still turns rotors with all brake jobs...
When the rotors can no longer be turned then new ones are installed...
Typically get 40 K- 50 K out of a set of pads...
Rears are twice as long...

 

[brown40]

Winter weather and the salt we use in the north is death on vehicles. Ten years after purchase its a small miracle if the body, exhaust and frame aren't starting to give up the goose--let alone brakes and wear items. Once salted, they wear out from disuse as well as use--24/7...

 

[ovrszd]

I can tell you, in my area, there is only one parts store out of dozens, that still turns rotors.

Ceramic brake pads are often lasting long enough, to wear the rotors below the minimum thickness.

When you can get a lifetime warranty on rotors, it doesn't necessarily pay to turn them. If you plan on keeping the vehicle, you are going to be buying rotors sooner or later. Buy them at the first brake job, get the guaranteed ones, and then you get new ones when ever you need, no charge. Plus, you save the money you would spend having them turned.

Most shops don't want to have them turned because there's no money in it for them. They are better paid to replace them and pass the cost of the new rotor on to the vehicle owner. I understand that completely.

It cost me $15 each to have my rear rotors turned. New rotors are somewhere around $115 each. No brainer to me. It was 90K miles ago that they were put on new. Truck has 195K miles on it now. I figure I'll get another 50K miles out of them before needing turned again or possibly replaced depending on use.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Spent half the day trying to get a rotor off, couldn't break it free. I just ordered a puller from Amazon at half the price of NAPA.

 

[ray66v]

Most shops don't want to have them turned because there's no money in it for them. They are better paid to replace them and pass the cost of the new rotor on to the vehicle owner. I understand that completely.

It cost me $15 each to have my rear rotors turned. New rotors are somewhere around $115 each. No brainer to me. It was 90K miles ago that they were put on new. Truck has 195K miles on it now. I figure I'll get another 50K miles out of them before needing turned again or possibly replaced depending on use.

Rear brakes are a different story. Rear rotors are often over priced, but they also don't wear, like the fronts.

My Villager has 240k, and it's only on 30k into it's 3rd set of rear brakes.

I stopped having rotors turned, 20 years ago. Not because of the money. Because, I got tired of having to replace the rotors later, when a customer came back complaining the pedal was pulsating, after trying to save them money.

As far as cost goes, I pay retail now, and I can still usually get brand name, guaranteed for life front rotors for my vehicles for around $60. And 2 year guarantee rotors for around $35. A no brainer to me.

 

[roadhunter]

I drove my wife's car last weekend and noticed the rotors were warped. Less than $100 later E-bay delivered a set of drilled and slotted rotors and a new set of pads. Probably get to that in the morning.

 

[ray66v]

Spent half the day trying to get a rotor off, couldn't break it free. I just ordered a puller from Amazon at half the price of NAPA.

You can go to AutoZone, or Advanced, and "rent" pullers for free.

I rarely got a stuck rotor or drum off, without heating it up.

 

[ovrszd]

Rear brakes are a different story. Rear rotors are often over priced, but they also don't wear, like the fronts.

My Villager has 240k, and it's only on 30k into it's 3rd set of rear brakes.

I stopped having rotors turned, 20 years ago. Not because of the money. Because, I got tired of having to replace the rotors later, when a customer came back complaining the pedal was pulsating, after trying to save them money.

As far as cost goes, I pay retail now, and I can still usually get brand name, guaranteed for life front rotors for my vehicles for around $60. And 2 year guarantee rotors for around $35. A no brainer to me.

My fronts were also around $115 each. At 195K miles I'm on 3rd set of pads, 2nd set of rotors.

 

[ray66v]

My fronts were also around $115 each. At 195K miles I'm on 3rd set of pads, 2nd set of rotors.

If they are ceramic brake pads, 3rd set is pretty typical. I am told, most get about 70k out of them.

2nd set of rotors is not typical.

What is the make, and model of this vehicle?