At Rogers Mobile Lube and Tire we have noticed a common question from our clients in regard to maintaining their brakes: Do we need to spend the money on having the rotors replaced?
This is a great question, and it is a little more complicated than a yes or no answer. Here is some information to help you make the correct decision for your situation.
Brakes are one of the most important systems on a car in reference to safety, and at Rogers Mobile Lube and Tire we recommend using the highest quality parts you can find (you can read more about the parts we use here https://rogersmobilelube.com/brake-parts-what-we-use-and-why.) The main reason for this is to increase the longevity and safety of your brakes. However, we understand that when doing this, the costs can be a little spicy. The question arises, “do we need to replace the rotors with the pads?”
The short answer is sometimes. Here are some situations in which the rotors will need to be replaced in addition to the brake pads:
- The rotors are warped – You can notice this if there is shaking or pulsing when applying the brakes. If this gets really bad, you can feel and sometimes see the steering wheel wobble.
- Grooves and/or ridges on the rotor – This won’t be something you’ll notice unless you get in there and look at them, but if service your vehicle, we will always let you know if this is happening.
- The rotors’ overall thickness- Another cost saving option would be to have the rotors “turned” on a brake lathe to resurface them with the pad change. The downside to this is that generally it costs just as much as new rotors and it can take several days to a week for a machine shop to complete.
- Metal to metal contact- If you hear grinding when braking, this usually means the pads are fully worn and have damaged the rotors. In that case they almost always will need to be replaced.
- There are also other factors that can lead to you having to change the rotors that don’t have anything to do with the vehicle itself – for example, if a piece of debris gets caught in brakes and damages the rotor. Manufacturer defects, metal fractures, chipping etc.
For one of our clients that uses the highest quality Napa brake parts (the FLEET line), we change their rotors every other pad change (unless there are other factors leading to them being changed earlier) saving them money.
It is important to note that new brake parts mate and wear together, in some cases if the rotors are not replaced, this can create unwanted brake noise and reduced pad life.
There is not a one size fits all solution when having your brakes maintained, it is very situational, and it is always best to have us inspect the brakes to give you the best recommendation. At Rogers Mobile Lube we are committed to making sure that your vehicle is safe, and that you are not spending money where you don’t need to!
Authored by Brenden M.