Rotor resurfacing necessary?

[CulverC4]

Hey everyone,
I think I'm about due for my front brake pads, thinking of going with either the Hawk HPS or EBC Red Stuff, any suggestions? Well, I see that many of you guys swap out the brake pads yourselves, I was going to take it to the shop as I've always been told to resurface the rotors when swapping out the pads and I don't have a lathe. Is it really necessary to resurface? My car has no vibration under braking so I assume the rotors are true. Or can I just swap in the new pads?

Thanks in advance,
Jose

 

[TedC]

CulverC4, I'll be changing the pads on my 1989 as well. On my 1988, I pulled the rotors, sanded the surfaces by hand, and reinstalled with new bendix pads. I've read that the stock rotors are of better quality, and it is best to keep them if possible. I'm expecting to do the same treatment on my 1989. I'm sure you can find better better performance pads than what I used. I see you are a new member. So welcome to CAC.

 

[crowvet]

Hey everyone,
I think I'm about due for my front brake pads, thinking of going with either the Hawk HPS or EBC Red Stuff, any suggestions? Well, I see that many of you guys swap out the brake pads yourselves, I was going to take it to the shop as I've always been told to resurface the rotors when swapping out the pads and I don't have a lathe. Is it really necessary to resurface? My car has no vibration under braking so I assume the rotors are true. Or can I just swap in the new pads?

Thanks in advance,
Jose

You can do just the pads if you want. Turning the rotor corrects lateral run out and your brakes will last longer. Remember just because the rotors look smooth does not mean they are true. Only a dial indicator will tell for sure. I would turn them if it were mine. just my opinion

 

[Ugolino]

I've always just run my fingernail over the rotors and if I feel too many deep grooves I get them resurfaced, Napa will do this. This aint scientific, but I've been doing brakes for so long that it just comes naturally to me. Never had a problem with this method.

 

[G Winter]

I remember reading a GM bulletin that you were not supposed to resurface the rotors unless there was at least .060 wear.
I have a local shop just two blocks away that does rotor turning so I always do it for the run out.Many parts store provide the service.

The C4 brake pads are incredibly easy to replace. It actually takes as long or longer to remove and replace the wheels as it does the pads.

Glenn

 

[Tuna]

I replaced the pads on my '92 twice and never touched the rotors - once at 30K and again at 60K. At around 90K, I replaced pads and rotors as the rotors were definitely showing grooves by them. I bought new stock rotors for it then.

It's got 126K on it now so I better look at the pads.

If the rotors are grooved or you have any pulsing in the peddle, the rotors need work. Mine did not so I didn't bother with the rotors the first two pad changes.

 

[c4cruiser]

As long as there is no puslsation when braking and the surface of the rotors look smooth (very minor grooves are OK) you should be able to just install new pads. The FSM does not recommend turning rotors as there is not a lot of material in the rotor to take off before you get to the minimum thickness shown on the rotors. Stock rotors are inexpensive anyway.

Removal of the rotors requires removing the caliper mounting brackets. In the front, there are two large (21mm) bolts that hold the brackets to the spindle. These are torqued to 165 ft-lbs (+/-15 ft-lbs).

For the rears, there are two smaller bolts (15mm) and these get tightened to 70 ft-lbs. So if you are thinking about resurfacing or swapping rotors, you will need a long breaker bar and a torque wrench. When you re-install the brackets, clean the threads of the bolts and add some BLUE Loctite to the threads and torque down.

If the brake fluid in the master cylinder reservoir is dark, almost to the point obe being bladk, it would be a good idea to do a brake fluid flush. For street use a good quality DOT3 fluid will work fine. Castrol LMA or Valvoline SynTech will work and not be too expensive.

I installed a set of Speed Bleeders on my 87 to make brake bleeding a one person job. Go to www.speedbleeder.com to find the correct ones for your car (SB1010, IIRC). Use a turkey baster to remove most of the old fluid from the m/c, fill with fresh fluid and bleed each caliper. Wathc the fluid level to make sure you don't empty the reservoir. It will take less than a quart to do a full flush.

As to the pads, the Hawk HPS pads are great for street use and some low-speed autocross. The EBC Red pads are advertised as race use only and they should not be used for street driving. I had horrible luck with the EBS GreeenStuff pads (street) and I will not buy them again.

If you want a good pad that will work on the street but will also handle track days, go with the Hawk HP+ pads. You get lots of dust and they need a little heat to work properly but they are a very good entry-level race-quality pad that works on the street.

Are the brake hoses original?? With the car being close to 20 years old, it might be time to go with new hoses. You can get stainless lines for the same price as the stock rubber ones and you will get a bit more "feel" from the pedal. Go with Goodridge or Earl's lines, about $125.