5th & 6th Generation (2002-2006 & 2007-2011)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 2002-2006 & 2007-2011
Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance all involving America's favorite family car, the Toyota Camry.
I need some input.
What are you guys thought about resurfacing rotors?
Alot of people will say dont do it because it makes them more prone to warping and it will be safer to get new ones. But then some people say it will save you alot of money and could also be better than to buy after market blanks.
So here's the situation. The 5th gen had the rear rotors replaced under warranty (im not sure about pads) at 50k km, ( 31.25k miles) and right now the car has 120k km (75k miles). The car started making some grinding noises so I knew it was most likely the brakes. The front have about 30% left so I'm not too worried about them right now but the Rears are TOAST. I got new pads today but I can't work on the car until the weekend. So I have some time to make a decision.
Would it be a good idea to resurface the rear rotors? the brake pads left a few small gashes in the rotor there fore not making it smooth no more.
here is what i came up with
Pros to resurfacing :
cheaper
30% of braking in the rear. (if it was the fronts i would just get new rotors)
Rotor's not warped, just not smooth with some gashes in it.
Rotors are still in good condition (only 70k miles)
Cons to resurfacing :
Prone to warping
possible safety
new rotors = $$
I need some input.
What are you guys thought about resurfacing rotors?
Alot of people will say dont do it because it makes them more prone to warping and it will be safer to get new ones. But then some people say it will save you alot of money and could also be better than to buy after market blanks.
So here's the situation. The 5th gen had the rear rotors replaced under warranty (im not sure about pads) at 50k km, ( 31.25k miles) and right now the car has 120k km (75k miles). The car started making some grinding noises so I knew it was most likely the brakes. The front have about 30% left so I'm not too worried about them right now but the Rears are TOAST. I got new pads today but I can't work on the car until the weekend. So I have some time to make a decision.
Would it be a good idea to resurface the rear rotors? the brake pads left a few small gashes in the rotor there fore not making it smooth no more.
here is what i came up with
Pros to resurfacing :
cheaper
30% of braking in the rear. (if it was the fronts i would just get new rotors)
Rotor's not warped, just not smooth with some gashes in it.
Rotors are still in good condition (only 70k miles)
Cons to resurfacing :
Prone to warping
possible safety
new rotors = $$
So what do you guys think?
Besides the stuff above on Cons, they will make noise and might require several redos just to get them close to surfaced correctly. Do you feel lucky ? I'm not a lucky person and I spent another 3 hours !! in the waiting room to get them redone and they still were not right. I just had to wait for the pads to wear them back down again. My advice... just say NO ! if they insist then go somewhere else.
If the rotors really do need resurfacing like if you let them go too long and the studs on the pads ate into them, then you need new ones anyway. If that didn't happen and you replaced your pads in time the new pads will do the job.
Bottom line ? Do nothing... or get new ones. Never resurface.
Besides the stuff above on Cons, they will make noise and might require several redos just to get them close to surfaced correctly. Do you feel lucky ? I'm not a lucky person and I spent another 3 hours !! in the waiting room to get them redone and they still were not right. I just had to wait for the pads to wear them back down again. My advice... just say NO ! if they insist then go somewhere else.
If the rotors really do need resurfacing like if you let them go too long and the studs on the pads ate into them, then you need new ones anyway. If that didn't happen and you replaced your pads in time the new pads will do the job.
Bottom line ? Do nothing... or get new ones. Never resurface.
yea? its kind of a hit or miss situation?
This is a job that will be done by me, no one is suggesting it just i thought it could be a solution.
It probably wont be a huge problem using the new pads on the rotors but since im working on it, i might as well fix it right. I can TRY to take a pic, but the car is in a different town, and i have no camera except a cell atm.
Here is another situation where a photo would be worth a million bucks, but here is my two cents. You have gone through the friction material and are now down to metal to metal. If the steel has cut a small groove and hasn't 'chattered' across the surface, and if the groove isn't deep, you might get away with having the disk turned down. It's cheap and doesn't take much time. If when you pull the disk off you find more substantial damage then I would replace them, both sides, and then remember how much trouble and how expensive this was. Next time you will do a better job of checking wear and fix them before it gets this far.
Finally, disks can be had in the after market but try to avoid the no-name disks made in China or India. If you can find a Raybestos or similar, that would be just fine. Almost always replace disks in pairs unless you have a very unusual situation. Thin disks heat faster and fade faster. With a thick one on one side and a thin one on the other side you will find that you fight pulling after a couple hard stops.
__________________
2007 V6 Camry LE, Built TMMK 27 September 06
"People who think they know it all are particularly irritating to those of us who do."
Here is another situation where a photo would be worth a million bucks, but here is my two cents. You have gone through the friction material and are now down to metal to metal. If the steel has cut a small groove and hasn't 'chattered' across the surface, and if the groove isn't deep, you might get away with having the disk turned down. It's cheap and doesn't take much time. If when you pull the disk off you find more substantial damage then I would replace them, both sides, and then remember how much trouble and how expensive this was. Next time you will do a better job of checking wear and fix them before it gets this far.
Finally, disks can be had in the after market but try to avoid the no-name disks made in China or India. If you can find a Raybestos or similar, that would be just fine. Almost always replace disks in pairs unless you have a very unusual situation. Thin disks heat faster and fade faster. With a thick one on one side and a thin one on the other side you will find that you fight pulling after a couple hard stops.
I can try to get pics, but it will be through the wheel spokes. That's the best I could possibly do. The thing is, its not my DD. Its mainly my moms and the brakes were replaced not TOO long ago. The fronts are still okay for a month or two, I didn't think the rears would be done. I guess its like the situation honda's have, where they use the rears alot more to prevent the car from dipping when braking hard. I've been away at school while the car has been at home where my mom drives it, my parents went out of the country for the month and I was asked to stay at home and commute to school to watch the house. I have a stick shift so i kept my car and my sister can't drive my car, so she took my mom's camry to her apartment for school, so I dont even drive it.
She told me that it was making funny noises so I took a look at the brakes and found out the rears were done. If it was my car and it was my DD i definately would have found out alot earlier!
There isn't much of a grove, if any its very minimal its just there is some gashes in the rotor, its not like evenly distributed, its kind of in random spots.
And btw the brakes will be replaced in pairs with OEM parts.
ahh I'll have to call around tomorrow to see. Hopefully it all goes well.
And its suppose to rain tomorrow!!! I guess I'll have to do it in the crowded garage being careful around the 6th gen cam!
Also how long did it take you to get them resurfaced?
Because of the redo it took about 8 hours to get a break job done on just two wheels. If I consider my time is worth anything at all I should have just had them put new rotors on the first time. If I could do the work myself I would tust me to get it right but not anyone else.
Kinda like tire preasure... don't even get me started... even places that ONLY do tires can't seem to get this simple task right. Every time I have my car serviced all 4 tires have a different preasure and they are all wrong.
I really wish I could do all the service myself but I just can't. I have to try to fix all the things that got messed up when I get home and hope they didn't damage the car too bad.
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