Front Brake Job - Replace Rotors?

[buickultra2000]

Today I was at the dealer for new tires (Hankook H727). While the car was on the lift the service mgr informed me that the front pads are separating. He gave me a price for new pads (much higher than chain brake shops). He also said I "might" need new rotors.

He said that it cannot be determined if the rotors need replacement until they are removed and ground. Is that true? The need to replace cannot be determined by visual inspection when the wheel is removed?

Thank you for any advice.

[old_master]

Rotors must be measured with a micrometer. They have a minimum thickness they can be machined to. If they are less than spec after machining, they must be replaced.

[imidazol97]

Originally Posted by buickultra2000

Today I was at the dealer for new tires (Hankook H727). While the car was on the lift the service mgr informed me that the front pads are separating. He gave me a price for new pads (much higher than chain brake shops). He also said I "might" need new rotors.

He said that it cannot be determined if the rotors need replacement until they are removed and ground. Is that true? The need to replace cannot be determined by visual inspection when the wheel is removed?

Thank you for any advice.

Whether the rotors can be turned or need to be replaced depends upon the miles of the car and whether they've been replaced before.

My finding is the original rotors tend to have little pits in them from corrosion of some kind.

I like to replace the rotors on the first or second set of replacement pads. I also like to put on rebuilt calipers after a second pad set or sooner. It just saves trouble with calipers not sliding right and dragging a pad causing heating of the rotor and warping.

As for the cost of the pads, it depends on the quality.

If you want the car to stop like when it was new, replace the calipers, rotors, and put on a set of original equipment quality pads--not the superdooper fancy pads, not the super drilled rotors.

With my 2003 the original equipment was semi-metallic pads. I chose to get the ceramics that GM had at the parts counter. The parts guy told me the semi-metallics were what came on my leSabre.

The semi-metallics were slightly cheaper. I think the pads were nearly 70$. Bendix semi-metallic probably are the same pads, might be the same manufacturer as GM was selling, and were some less at the local parts store.

I put on Raybestos High Tech rotors which are top line standard rotors. I did not change the calipers because they were different than the slides and rubber grommets on my 98 leSabre which rusts and compresses the rubber against the sliding pins.

[big white bufflo]

a good set of pads will run less than 40 $ a new rotor less than 50 $ a do the job your self its real easy . they charge way to much for how easy it is