So what is everyone's thought on the retaining screws for your rotors?

I've heard stuff from they were just to hold the rotor on at the factory to they help alighn the lug nuts or something(not sure about that)

But what are yalls thoughts on them?

When you took them out did you leave them out or put them back in?

 

You don't need them. You have 5 massive lug nuts holding everything in place.

If they're in good shape, I'll put a bit of lube on the threads and reuse them. If they get mangled, I just toss them and don't bother replacing them.

They are intended just to hold the rotor in place, but once your wheel and lugs go on, they're effectively useless.

 

I just did my brakes and I had to drill all of them out. One of the screws actually had managed to back itself partially out. The lugs will hold your rotors in place.

Just make sure that your lugs are torqued with a precision wrench when you're finished.

 

If there are fine I put them back in. If not well as others have said they are not needed.

I always put anti-seize on all the bolts when I put brakes back together. Makes taking them off next time much easier. Put it on the screws too.

If the screws are tight I will grab my Dewalt driver and hit them with it. Never have a problem since using it on them.

 

They are only there to keep the rotor on tight/aligned for when the caliper and pads go on. They serve no other purpose. Mine have been off for over 600k miles now.

 

Every time that I've had to remove rotors, I was able to get these screws off with an impact screwdriver and I did reinstall them afterwards because there was nothing wrong with them, but like others have said they don't serve any purpose other than to hold the rotors aligned and in place during brake jobs.

 

thats not exactly correct- its not about holding parts in place during repairs
It has EVERYTHING to do with the car `flying` or on stilts under the frame rails- as it goes thru the factory with NO WHEELS... until the end of assembly line.
So the screws keep the rotors in position as parts are added to the car, but not there to keep things in place for your convenience~


always ck the hub ridge for rust- that can keep the wheel from sitting flush and allow all kinds of bad vibration related issues to come up

always torque the lugs in 2 or 3 steps to final setting of 80 foot pounds
That keeps from stressing the rotor center and the axle hub it attaches to!