lldknyll26

Currently I have 10200 miles on my Tl-s. I went to the dealer and they said i needed to change the brake pads and i have 3mm of pads left. They quoted me $465 for the front two pads. I think $465 is a ridiculous price. When i told them that i would just purchase the oem factory brembo brake pads and install them myself, they told me that I would need to resurface the rotor prior to installing the pads. Can a local shop resurface the rotor? Is resurfacing the rotor a job something any mechanic can do or an experienced acura dealer mechanic? Last thing i want to do is have a non dealer mechanic resurface the rotor and Fu*k it up. How much would i be paying just to purchase the oem brembo pads and where would i purchase? Also how much would i be looking at to have a non dealer mechanic resurface the rotor and install the pads for the front two? IS resurfacing really necessary?
Last question, how many miles can i drive for with 3mm brake pads? Im aware that it really depends on my driving habit but just an estimate. Thanks!

lldknyll26

sorry for all the newb questions

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

If there is no vibration, I wouldn't cut the rotors at all.
Just rough up the surface and install new pads.

DrMooCow

As a rule of thumb, I always surface my rotors each time I install new brake pads. However, I only resurface it once and the second time I need new brake pads, I just get new rotors.

If you have about 3 mm left, then it's pretty much all gone. If you drive mostly city, then you probably need to change it within 1500 miles. But if you only have 10,200 miles, it seems like you like to brake heavy so you should get it done within a month.

The oem brembo brakes pads have a metal attachment at the tip of the brake pad. When you brake and start to hear faint metal scratching sound, then it's defiantly time to change it.

Any local shop can resurface the rotor. It's not hard. They just put it on a machine that spins and a cutting device is placed over the rotors. As the rotor spins, the machine cuts it, almost like a cd spinning in a cd player.

I purchased my oem brembo pads on ebay for about $160 after shipping. All OEM brembo brakes comes with the brake grease. I paid my local mechanic to install the brake pads and cut the rotors for me, he charged me $85 dollars. I was not going to pay the dealer around $430 for a job that takes 20 minutes. So I saved nearly $200 by not going to the dealer.

Good luck!

Lazer187

iTrader: (1)

10k and a rotor change ALREADY???? Good lord

Sinistr

I believe that if you are getting no vibration on the pedal, then you could probably forego the machining process, but only if your indicator has not began squeeling. If the indicator has not touched the rotor yet, then just swap out the pads. Although this could save you a few dollars, machining is always recommended. Almost any auto parts store will machine your rotors, such as AutoZone, CSK, etc. As for price, I just purchased a set of Hawk Ceramic pads for $121 Shipped via Ebay. Just be sure, that if you didn't machine your rotors after the first change, you get them machined the second time around. No question. Hope that this helps you out a bit. Oh, and by the way, do them yourself. They are about the easiest thing next to changing your own oil. It's your car, learn to take care of it.

lldknyll26

Thanks Guys. I appreciate it! The dealers asking for $197 for oem brembo pads. So on ebay its $160 after shipping and handling? Anywhere else where i can purchase oem brembo pads for good price?

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Why cut the rotor anytime if it's not necessary? GM had a bulletin that advised dealerships NOT to machine rotors unless there is a 1.5mm grove, thickness variation in excess of 0.25mm, greater than 0.080 mm lateral run out, or excessive corrosion on rotor braking surface.
Rotors are not to be resurfaced to correct noise/squeal, cosmetic corrosion, discoloration or routine pad replacement.

It's just another way to make money, less heat dissipation with a thinner rotor, and one must make absolutely certain that the finished cut is not under the minimum specification allowed. Garages only like to cut the rotors everytime a pad is replaced just to make certain the customer has noting to compain about. Quick and easy for them, no measurements to content with, just cut or replace. Easy way out.

When a pulsation is evident, or above specifications exceeded, cutting or replacement would be necessary. I know it's a Jeep, but had 210,000 miles on the OE rotors, numerous brake jobs, no cutting. Our RX7 Turbo (RWD) has 190,000 miles, OE rotors and on only the third set of pads. Daughter's Maxima needed to cut because of the brake pedal pulsation.

subinf

When I needed to first change the pads I was planning on resurfacing the rotor but my old shop wasn't open that day. I just put the rotors back on with the new pads and everything was fine.

01tl4tl

if you went thru pads that fast you may have done in the rotors- they may need to be replaced if they are grooved or hot spotted badly- causing warpage

Resurfacing isnt the dealers first choice- they like to replace rotors and you have to know why- service writers are just reading off paper note from tech

min pad thickness is 2mm, when its at 3 you better have pads on order and be ready to change them now!!

A brake fluid flush is smart before you touch the pads

01tl4tl

sub is that why you always had a brake noise? failed to resurface rotors?

subinf

No. I didn't have brake noise until I got the racing brake rotors and hawk pads. I've since gone back to the brembo pads and am very happy. No noise.

01tl4tl

yeah- the hawks get eaten by the RB rotors
RB finally started making their own ET500 pads for the brembo cars... when you need brakes in the future.
Its amazing how much better the rotors work when used with matched design parameters in the pads

subinf

I'm not going to switch again. I'm more than happy with the brembo pads. I wasted my money on the hawk pads after they were lauded as being great with the racing brake rotors. Fucking waste of money.

T Ho

10000 miles and your pads are gone?? Are you a "two-footed" driver (left foot braking)?

As mentioned, resurface isn't necessary unless the rotors are grooved or the brakes are pulsing.

xdrogosx

the way I see it it's good to cut even new rotors. I don't know about the top of the line rotors but regular rotors that you can get at autozone are not straight at all. It's a cheap steal produced in china. QC is non-existent there. It took me 10 minutes and 2 store managers to convince autozone to cut perfectly new rotor. Eventually they did and guess what happened. Rotor broke in half when guy started to cut it. I know it's a rare event but what if it broke when I was driving ?

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

How would you know they were out of specs if not checked with a dial indicator? I guess just on someone's say so.

xdrogosx

I never said they were out of specs. Just saying what happened when a guys has cut brand new rotor

powerflow

To start the fresh pads with a 100% flat, clean, even, rotor surface.

If it was my car, I would DIY the brake job, and find a place to cut the rotors.

SouthernBoy

This is going to make you all sick.

I have a next door neighbor who has an '05 manual TL. He commutes about 38 miles each way to work, 5 days a week and most of his drive is interstate. He has 74,400 miles on his car with the original pads. He asked me months ago about "helping" him do his brakes (helping for him means me actually doing it since he is not a gearhead). Anyway, yesterday I took a casual look at his pads and told him they still had a way to go. A little over an hour ago we jacked his car up and removed both front wheels to inspect the front and back front pads and they have about 3/16" left in them. At the rate he uses up his brake pads, he could see 100,000 miles out of his original factory pads for his Brembos.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

I've done more brake jobs than most will ever see, if you want to make easy money replace the rotor regarless of the specs, or cut the rotor and the next time replace it, but to be honest, check surface condition, mic the rotor and check for lateral run out and thickness. If within specs, roughen up the surface and you're good to go. Too many people believe that a rotor needs to be cut every time the pads are replaced, similar to the ridiculous notion that an alignment needs to be performed yearly, or when new tires are installed even if no irregular tread wear is noticed. Just another chance for some layman to screw up, either unintentionally, or working on a rack that's out of spec. I've seen parts stores/machine shops, cut the rotor way beyond factory minimum just to satisfy the customer. They know if they don't do the job, the customer will take the rotor somewhere else and have it done, so they might as well do the job and pocket the easy money regardless of the specifications of finished product.
As usual just my

powerflow

I see where your coming from. But I do have a different opinion. When replacing pads in a professional environment, I either cut the rotors 100% flat to match the new pads or replaced the rotors, on higher end cars. POS cars or budget repairs, different story. Wearing all the way through the pad lining will result with micro grooves on the rotor surface. I'm talking about taking a very, very minimal layer off the rotor just to have a 100% flat profile, clean, rough surface for the new pads, and knock the ridge off, properly determining before hand if it's within spec after the amount of machining. This can eliminate possible problems down the road, whether functional or audible problem. Just finding the spec on some cars, or rusty crusty rotors can be a time killer. I'm not really taking about what's necessary or ideal for everyone, but what I would do if it was my car.

lldknyll26

I drive mostly in the city. I hardly brake. I don't know why i need to replace the pads so quick. I spoke to few friends who are mechanic and they told me not to resurface the rotor. Perhaps later down the road.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

That is amazing on a FWD vehicle as there is no disc runout like a RWD, so the pads stay up against the rotor and create a great deal of friction even when not in use, but it does indicate that the pads will last if not abused. It may be a record.

01tl4tl

there should only be about 1mm clearance of the pad pads off the rotor when cruising.
You want them right there--but they should not touch and cause any more wear unless a caliper is stuck on

When the hydraulic pressure is released after braking- the piston retracts and the pads get pushed out by the slight rotor kicks~ thats why its important for slider tabs and clips to be lubed on brake job

3/16 pad- how many mm is that?
2mm is absolute min thickness pad material-- AND pads that are getting low also don't shed heat very well, longer braking distance, and may not be there when you need them

Going high miles for bragging rights vs having 100 percent brakes now...

No inspection is valid without removal of the pads from the bracket- visual and measured inspection of the pad and the rotor- check for heat stress on both etc

Outer pads may not wear as much as inners- big surprise to those who look at the outer pad only (single piston calipers- not brembo)
and find grinding of the pad into rotor--caliper piston extended to its max and pad at an angle-1/2 bare metal half pad bits (neighbor asking for help- does this look weird?)

Shops that shave rotors thinner than MIN allowed are asking for a lawsuit- it says right on the rotor for a reason!!
The rotor wears along with the brake pads- so a month later you could be below min thickness and then it needs new rotors
If too thin not only is it weakened- less heat handling abilty and prone to vibration or warping...it causes the caliper to push the pads further in the travel of its piston-possible damage to the oring insiide caliper from that- crud buildup

acura rotors have a rep for poor quality and are often replaced by aftermarket with substantial improvement