I'm going to have my 430's brake pads (non carbon) changed and NOT the rotors. Am I being penny wise but pound foolish? I can't stand going for brakes because I feel like it's "Let's Make a Deal" time - take your pick door number 1, 2 or 3 -surprise! How about a game of roll the dice - pay less and save $ but possibly ruin your new set of pads with bad rotors OR pay more and be safe but feel like a sucker b/c they really didn't need to be changed. It would be one thing if I was told the rotors are bad and need to be replaced (maybe warped or too thin) but, when not told definitively I'm thinking all clear - right? Gee I wonder if they will resurface them? Any opinions...?
If your pedal doesn't pulse (rotors not warped), and there are no obvious signs of cracking or glazing on them, and they are within spec for thickness, you should be fine. Especially if you don't track the car. Be aware though, if they cut the rotors, they will feel fine, but they will be more susceptible to warping. It's the rapid cooling that will warp the rotors. A thinner rotor cools faster. In a nutshell, If the rotors are in perfect shape, I think you made a wise gamble. Also remember, it is ALWAYS better to change the rotors with every brake pad change. It's your choice, I would probably also leave them if it were my car. On all my cars, I usually do one brake change without rotor replacement. I change the rotors every 2nd brake pad change.
You can take the guessing out of it. The minimum spec is stamped on the rotor. If the rotor is above that minimum spec, put pads on it and enjoy your car! Even if the rotors have slight imperfections, within a few miles , after braking, the pads will wear to the rotor. S p.s. The only thing I have seen , rarely, is brake squeal when rotors are re-used.
No problem with the pad only break change. I did the same service about a thousand miles ago. I asked the mechanic the same questions you have raised here. He assured me all would be well, and it was. I say go for it. You will be glad you did. Cheers!
So long as the discs arewithin the factory tolerances (26mm min thickness, 0.0025mm run out) then they will be fine to use with new pads. The pads may take a little longer to bed in but they will wear at the same rate once they are properly bedded in. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Just had new pads but on last week, same rotors, no resurfacing since they were in fine condition. Went with Porterfield R4-S pads, BTW... dust free (apparently).
Its not the rapid cooling that warps the rotors, its uneven cooling. Uneven cooling happens several ways, but the most common is a panic stop from high speed, then no rollout (stopped with foot on brake). This causes the un-padded part of the rotor to cool faster than the clamped part where the pads are grabbing the rotor. This uneven cooling causes the warping because the hot part is too long, causing the cooling section to not have enough space and to have to bend (warp). So after a panic stop, just roll forward and you will not warp your rotor in most cases.
Close. The uneveness of the disc is caused by pad material transferring onto the disc face when the pads are beyond their operating temperature and the pads is clamped onto the disc. In other words, getting your brakes too hot and coming to a complete stop by holding your foot on the brake will "warp" your discs.
