New pads = turn rotors?

KendtEklund · **Joined:** Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:29 pm **Posts:** 1204

From a Focus forum:

Quote:

I know I do not need to remind you (its for some of our rookies out there) but new rotors should be considered with any change of pad material, or at a bare bones minimum, they must be turned to have the surfaces cleaned of old bedded pad materials.

I'm not 100% sure if I have the Hawk HPS pads on my car now (my brother put them on right before I bought it). I'm considering another set of HPS, HP Plus, or even Axxis Metal Masters. I'm going to do the Rock in Sept and VIR in Nov.

AX, daily driver, and noob track day use. I have an extra set of lightly used stock rotors, but I'd like to keep the parts swapping to a minimum.

Chris Brown · **Posted:** Mon Aug 27, 2007 1:26 pm

if your wallet can manage it, i'd avoid turning rotors...when you turn a rotor, you remove material...with less mass, they will heat and cool quicker and increase the likelyhood that they warp.

MartynWheeler · **Joined:** Mon Jan 02, 2006 9:30 pm **Posts:** 303

Carbotech says clear off the bedded pad material when switching to their pads too, but that's just a barely scrape the top layer type of thing. Can't argue with the Focus forum comment on those grounds (nice if you can afford new rotors, I guess).

But a cultural comment on "turning the rotors":

It astonished me when I came to this country and "turning the rotors" seemed to be considered a routine and even desirable part of a brake job. Back in England, even if the rotor was grooved you'd still not turn it, it'd just take a bit longer for the pads to wear to match the grooves before you got full braking. If the thing isn't pulsing the pedal, it's not out of plane, so why mess with it and reduce the cooling mass?

KendtEklund · **Joined:** Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:29 pm **Posts:** 1204

Chris Brown wrote:

if your wallet can manage it, i'd avoid turning rotors...when you turn a rotor, you remove material...with less mass, they will heat and cool quicker and increase the likelyhood that they warp.

Definitely not by next week. So in your opinion would brake cleaner and careful bedding-in be better than turning the rotors?

The Axxis pads are just over half the price of the Hawks, I'm just afraid of having to change during the weekend and finding myself with no brakes.

Brad Mackey · **Posted:** Mon Aug 27, 2007 2:03 pm

Depending on your car, the HP+ pads should be fine for Rockingham. HPS pads are marginal for the track. Rockingham has moderate braking requirements, but the short lap times don't give your brakes much opportunity to cool-down between applications.

Whatever you decide to use, be sure to bed them in right, and flush your brake system before the track event.

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Mon Aug 27, 2007 2:08 pm

KendtEklund wrote:

Definitely not by next week. So in your opinion would brake cleaner and careful bedding-in be better than turning the rotors?

The Axxis pads are just over half the price of the Hawks, I'm just afraid of having to change during the weekend and finding myself with no brakes.

Personally, I wouldn't go on track without a backup plan for the brakes. I would likely buy a pair of rotors from Autozone or Advance and bring them with you as a contingency plan. Then if you don't end up needing them, you return them. If you do end up needing them, you won't be missing out on a session or two because you have to drive to Greensboro or Raleigh to find what you need.

If it would only take about 1mm worth of total material removal from the existing rotors to get them resurfaced, I would have that done prior as well. The last thing I would want is any form of sub optimal brakes on track. Even if there is less mass to handle the heat, having ALL of the pad material stopping me is more important than a little less heat (as long as you are well above the min thickness for resurfacing).

Autozone sells them for your car for $40.99 each. - AB

Brad Mackey · **Posted:** Mon Aug 27, 2007 2:16 pm

Aaron Buckley wrote:

Personally, I wouldn't go on track without a backup plan for the brakes. I would likely buy a pair of rotors from Autozone or Advance and bring them with you as a contingency plan. Then if you don't end up needing them, you return them. If you do end up needing them, you won't be missing out on a session or two because you have to drive.... - AB

Aaron's right (occasionally

). For the price of a set of rotors, why screw around? Also, bring an extra set of pads for the same reason. If you intend to do more track events, spares are part of the game. Stuff wears out at the most inopportune time!

KendtEklund · **Joined:** Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:29 pm **Posts:** 1204

Thanks for the advice!

See you on track

Graham Jagger · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 12:53 am **Posts:** 1718

If you're going from Hawk to Hawk, HPS to HP+ it is not likely you will have rotor issues with leftover material. As long as your rotors aren't pulsing under braking now. Take the rotor and scuff it with some 150 grit sandpaper and spray with brake clean. Put on your HP+ and bed them in per Hawk bed in procedure.

Like the others have said.

Those other rotors you have. Bring them with you to the track. Also bring those leftover pads. They may not be enough for a track session. But you can label them "Get home pads". Spare front rotors and pads are a must item to carry with you. Do a full bleed of the system before you go. Then bring some brake fluid also in case you have to bleed some off at the track.

For track your required "stuff" that you should bring is a fair bit more than AX. I don't care what run group you are in.

You can get spare rotors from NAPA for about $40/ea or order them online from Roackauto.com even cheaper. It's not if the rotors will crack, it's when...

Also on the turning rotors deal. I'll pitch rotors before I have them turned. It doesn't cost much more for a new rotor.

Bernie Baake · **Posted:** Mon Aug 27, 2007 3:45 pm

I turned my Stoptech slotted rotors and got four more track weekends on them they were turned down .005 on each side. So the thought of turning rotors varies. Carrying extra rotors and pads however is universal, imagine a cracked rotor after the first session or worn down pads on Sunday morning. Everyone carries that stuff with them. And you need to do the same Kendt.

KendtEklund · **Joined:** Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:29 pm **Posts:** 1204

Calling Essex to order HP Pluses right now, and I'll bring a spare set of front+rear rotors.

Thanks!

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Mon Aug 27, 2007 4:53 pm

KendtEklund wrote:

Calling Essex to order HP Pluses right now, and I'll bring a spare set of front+rear rotors.

Thanks!

Kent, I would only stock the fronts for now. 80% of your braking is done up front. I would be very surprised to hear you had a problem with the rears over a two day event. - AB

KendtEklund · **Joined:** Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:29 pm **Posts:** 1204

Aaron Buckley wrote:

KendtEklund wrote:

Calling Essex to order HP Pluses right now, and I'll bring a spare set of front+rear rotors.

Thanks!

Kent, I would only stock the fronts for now. 80% of your braking is done up front. I would be very surprised to hear you had a problem with the rears over a two day event. - AB

I've got a set of slightly used rears, so I might as well bring 'em

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Mon Aug 27, 2007 5:07 pm

KendtEklund wrote:

I've got a set of slightly used rears, so I might as well bring 'em

If you have them, then yes, bring them.

- AB

ChuckNelson · **Posted:** Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:08 pm

My thoughts: I always put on new rotors(This goes double from drums, no one knows how to cam grind shoes anymore) when I do a pad replacment. New(stock) rotors are cheap and modern rotors are so thin to begin with all turning them does is make them heat up quicker. If I was broke I would just replace pads and clean the rotors. I tried slotted rotors and did not find them to be worth the 4x over stock price. Even if I tracked a bunch I think I would use the unslotted rotors because you wear them out pretty quick and the slotted(and/or drilled) rotors are really expensive for the benefit in cooling(and possibly outgassing/fade depending on which car guy you read)

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