Chris,
The local tire/brake/lube place recently checked my brakes and said the disc(sp?) had some "hot spots" that needed to be ground down and they were going to charge me $40.00 or more to do it. Is that necessary?
Thank you for the question, the answer is really a simple one. Hot spots occur when uneven brake pads cause areas on the brake rotor to heat up, now this can cause more aggressive brake wear but it can also cause vibration and noise. In the case of the later then I would go ahead and have the brake rotors machined. This is a process of using a lathe to shave off a small layer of metal on the brake rotor and making the surface smooth again. If you do not have noise and vibration (when braking) then I would tell them no thank you! See every time you take a layer of metal off you shorten the life of the rotor and this also can cause the rotors to work less efficiently. It will not dissipate heat as well this will cause excessive heat and warp the rotors more quickly.
So if you had vibration when braking and or noise then spend the money, otherwise dont worry about it.
Some facts on Rotor Resurfacing.
Per rotor the cost should be between 20 and 40 dollars, depending on the model some rotors have to be removed from the front end and turned on a machine at the repair shop, or they hook a machine to the vehicle rotors intact and turn them on the car.
Make sure and call around most shops price match and this is a very competitive item. Places like tire and brake shops usually do a great job pretty cheap. This means one phone call and if you are at the shop that will price match it will save you some cash.
BY THE WAY IF THE SHOP WANTS TO CHARGE YOU FOR A BRAKE INSPECTION TELL THEM YOU WILL GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. BRAKE CHECKS SHOULD BE FREE!!!!
So if you had vibration when braking and or noise then spend the money, otherwise dont worry about it.
Some facts on Rotor Resurfacing.
Per rotor the cost should be between 20 and 40 dollars, depending on the model some rotors have to be removed from the front end and turned on a machine at the repair shop, or they hook a machine to the vehicle rotors intact and turn them on the car.
Make sure and call around most shops price match and this is a very competitive item. Places like tire and brake shops usually do a great job pretty cheap. This means one phone call and if you are at the shop that will price match it will save you some cash.
BY THE WAY IF THE SHOP WANTS TO CHARGE YOU FOR A BRAKE INSPECTION TELL THEM YOU WILL GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. BRAKE CHECKS SHOULD BE FREE!!!!
8 comments:
One thing that I have found, is depending on how bad the hot spots are, the cutter on a typical brake lathe may bounce over them and the hot spots must removed using a grinder. ALSO, once they have "hot spotted" they are prone to do it again. In many cases, replacing the rotors may be the only want to truly remedy this.
I also agree that if there is no noise or vibration caused when braking, machine probably is not necessary, however to get the pad to better "seat in" applying a non-directional finish to the rotor is a good practice.
Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and love learning more on this topic. If possible, as you gain expertise, would you mind updating your blog with extra information? It is extremely helpful for me. brandon auto mechanic
Truth
Truth
Tell me more about a “non directional” finish to a rotor, please. DV
Yah I just got a full break job in 2017 now the dealership tell me that I need another full break job. No way now I know what hot spot are. Thk you so much
Hello. I have a silly question
What happens if you continue to drive with hot spots?
Great question, Romo!
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