Turn or replace rear rotors
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I never found new rears to be expensive enough to warrant trying to resurface them. 2 new ones from RockAuto appear to be ~$90 shipped (Bosch QuietCast - there are cheaper and more expensive options) vs $15-$25 each to turn at the places that actually still do it, plus leaving the house in the other car in the middle of the job (which means I have to do it when my wife is home and not going anywhere), waiting for it to be done, possibility of having to buy new rotors anyway etc. etc. Just seemed like $50 well spent.
Make sure you clean off any oil.
Around here, when I've done brakes, due to rust I generally just go ahead and replace the rotors. They are cheap enough. I also have used Bosch QuiteCast, and don't recall any issues with them.
Ultimately, rotors are cheap, and at least on my vehicles it always just made sense to replace them when I was doing brakes.
If money is really tight, posting up some pictures could help determine the course of action. Otherwise, just think about how DIY is saving you tons of money in labor, buy new rotors, and carry on. Trying to save too much money can often end up costing more. Extreme example not very relevant, but I helped a buddy change the brakes on his truck cause the pads were scraping. We got the brakes off and I was puzzled, cause one side looked like it had 90% life left, while the other side was scraping. Not a sticky caliper, but the brake pad was worn at an extreme angle. The caliper piston was ground down at an angle. The prior owner must have run the brakes so long they lost the pad entirely, and after damaging the piston, instead of rebuilding or replacing the caliper, threw a new pad on it. Not only must that have resulted in greatly reduced braking until the pad wore to the extreme angle, but again, the other pads had 90% life left. So this resulted in replacing not just pads and rotors, but a whole new caliper too (technically, we could have rebuilt it, but it's easier to save the rebuilding for a dedicated company, which is why brake calipers have core charges).
Bringing this around to something more relevant, make sure when you change the brakes to grease the caliper slide pins, and ensure it's sliding smoothly. If not, clean and grease the slide pins and/or replace the caliper, cause a sticky caliper will mean you'll be changing brake pads and rotors way sooner than you need to, and you'll still have to deal with the caliper at that point.
Technically speaking, it is possible to not do anything, if the rotors are in exceptionally good condition. In practice, the only time I've done this is with the brakes on my motorcycle. The rotors never saw salt, and were still very smooth, so I just slapped a new set of pads on and it worked great. But none of the cars or trucks I've worked on ever had brake rotors in a condition where that that would be a good idea. Either too much rust, or a sticky caliper caused uneven wear, or the surface was grooved, etc.
Ultimately, rotors are cheap, and at least on my vehicles it always just made sense to replace them when I was doing brakes.
If money is really tight, posting up some pictures could help determine the course of action. Otherwise, just think about how DIY is saving you tons of money in labor, buy new rotors, and carry on. Trying to save too much money can often end up costing more. Extreme example not very relevant, but I helped a buddy change the brakes on his truck cause the pads were scraping. We got the brakes off and I was puzzled, cause one side looked like it had 90% life left, while the other side was scraping. Not a sticky caliper, but the brake pad was worn at an extreme angle. The caliper piston was ground down at an angle. The prior owner must have run the brakes so long they lost the pad entirely, and after damaging the piston, instead of rebuilding or replacing the caliper, threw a new pad on it. Not only must that have resulted in greatly reduced braking until the pad wore to the extreme angle, but again, the other pads had 90% life left. So this resulted in replacing not just pads and rotors, but a whole new caliper too (technically, we could have rebuilt it, but it's easier to save the rebuilding for a dedicated company, which is why brake calipers have core charges).
Bringing this around to something more relevant, make sure when you change the brakes to grease the caliper slide pins, and ensure it's sliding smoothly. If not, clean and grease the slide pins and/or replace the caliper, cause a sticky caliper will mean you'll be changing brake pads and rotors way sooner than you need to, and you'll still have to deal with the caliper at that point.
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If the rotors are in good shape, and you don't have brake pedal pulsation, I'd just do a pad slap (pads only) and a fluid flush, starting at passenger side corner.
I'd try not to "index" the rotor. Ie, remove the rotor and reinstall in a different position on the studs. This might cause rotor runout.
I'd try not to "index" the rotor. Ie, remove the rotor and reinstall in a different position on the studs. This might cause rotor runout.
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197 Posts
I don't have strong opinions here. Akebono are pretty well liked and I believe are the OEM. I have the Bosch QC on another vehicle right now and they seem to be good as well. I've also used the Centric PQ line recently (they have some sort of bed-in compound on them - might be a gimmick, not sure). Any of the above would likely be fine, but if you want the most OE brake feel, probably the Akebonos.
I second this. I had horrible experiences with the after market rotors , lots of vibration after the install. I had them turned and the tech said they were out of round. I tossed the originals before , that was a mistake and they would have been perfectly fine.
Guys I have to correct this , sorry. I was referring to the rear drums on my 06. I wasn't awake enough when I made this post..lol
Spec is 1 mm of pad left minimum (12 mm is new, this is pad material and doesn’t include backing plate), 25 mm rotor thickness minimum (28 mm is new).
EDIT: These are values from the FSM for OEM parts. Aftermarket parts may have their own minimum limits.
Good point. The FSM does mention that you should make index marks on the brake rotor and on the hub when removing brake rotors so that they are in the same position when you reinstall them.
Often the minimum is cast or stamped somewhere on the rotor.
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I have found non-OEM pads make noise and loads of dust. I like OEM myself and always replace the rotors.
Just did my 2011 front and back with OEM.
Only heard positive stuff about the Bosch rotors. Interested to hear about more reviews on the pads.
I have replaced brake pads with Akebono pads for all of my Sienna brake jobs and have been happy with them all. For the rotors I have used
Power Stop JBR1310XPR Front Evolution Drilled & Slotted Rotor for the fronts and
Power Stop JBR1389EVC Rear Evolution Geomet Coated Brake Rotor for the rears
Power Stop JBR1310XPR Front Evolution Drilled & Slotted Rotor for the fronts and
Power Stop JBR1389EVC Rear Evolution Geomet Coated Brake Rotor for the rears
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860 Posts
Replace it.
Just remember to properly break it in.
Just purchased OEM pads and rotors.
Do I still need to bed in the rear brakes? The fronts were done same time last year, and I thought that with heavy braking, the fronts took most of the grunt anyway….
If so, what’s the process?
Thanks
Do I still need to bed in the rear brakes? The fronts were done same time last year, and I thought that with heavy braking, the fronts took most of the grunt anyway….
If so, what’s the process?
Thanks
Advice from a guy who’s fought with brakes in the rust belt for 30+ years...
I’ve taken to replacing everything reasonably possible, irrespective of how it looks; rotors, pads, pins, hardware packs, and even whole darn calipers occasionally. With some careful shopping the price can be surprisingly reasonable, particularly given how this actually speeds the job plus the peace of mind knowing you’ve got truly new brakes now for the next 50k miles.
By this point in my life I’ve spent way too many hours fighting rust, contemplating what to save, running around having rotors cut, sanding/scraping, indexing, only to end up re-removing wheels to chase down persistent pulses or new noises. Argh!
To save what, $40 while I burn half a Saturday? No thank you.
Yoink it all out, pop in new everything, move on!
I’ve taken to replacing everything reasonably possible, irrespective of how it looks; rotors, pads, pins, hardware packs, and even whole darn calipers occasionally. With some careful shopping the price can be surprisingly reasonable, particularly given how this actually speeds the job plus the peace of mind knowing you’ve got truly new brakes now for the next 50k miles.
By this point in my life I’ve spent way too many hours fighting rust, contemplating what to save, running around having rotors cut, sanding/scraping, indexing, only to end up re-removing wheels to chase down persistent pulses or new noises. Argh!
To save what, $40 while I burn half a Saturday? No thank you.
Yoink it all out, pop in new everything, move on!
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Years ago the dreaded "You need new rotors" was something I feared whenever I had brakes done, as the shops would charge exorbitant amounts even though it added little to the labor.. Now that I work on my own cars, particularly my Miatas, I always replace the rotors and, yes, I go to Rock Auto.
Get new rotors. Don't forget to buy the pin boot kit which includes pin boots and the rubber guides for the pins. I have always found that the pin lube causes the rubber guides to swell causing the pin to bind or to not even be able to reinsert the pin. The kit is like $6 at autozone. I use ebc yellow pads and solid rotors. They are quiet and grip really well, no brake fade but they do generate dust. I just don't wash my rims and they look flat black...
This is best to absolutely ensure and guarantee quality. Original equipment (OE) is always the best fit if money isn't an object. Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) is second best. The difference in them is that OE is made by the company that makes that exact component on vehicles in the factory, whereas OEM makes parts for that vehicle from the factory, but not necessarily the parts you're buying. For instance, Bosch may make some electronic components, sensors, etc, and Akebono makes the brake pads. You buy the pads from Bosch, that OEM, where buying them from Akebono is OE.
You need to bed the brakes. You can do in in your driveway. After you've done the work, start the engine and pump the brakes several times to build up pressure. Then you need to stop from 10, 15, 25, and 40 MPH, each time using gentle, progressive pedal action (i.e. don't nail the brakes). This is advice from my friend, a mechanic. There is also plenty of advice on the internet: https://www.autozone.com/diy/brakes/bedding-brakes Bedding In Brake Rotors What is the Break-In Procedure? - PowerStop The exact procedure from all these sources varies somewhat, but the general consensus is that it's less important how you do it and more important that you do it.
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