[CrookedRacer]

It's ridiculous - nobody has a brake lathe anymore. Nobody can turn my rotors at any price. Every service shop simply replaces rotors these days.

But I've got three sets of rotors that could be used again if I could just give them a turn on a brake lathe.

But I can't find a local place that does it anymore. None of the local NAPA places do it anymore. They can't even tell me if any of the shops they supply do it anymore.

So I thought, I'll buy one of these things that there's no demand for, and I'll do it myself! WRONG!

I looked on eBay... Who is buying these brake lathes for $3000 on eBay if it doesn't make financial sense to turn rotors anymore?

 

[[email protected]]

It's because with modern pad compounds the rotors are typically toast by the time the pads are worn out and even if you did turn them the turned rotors wouldn't last the life of the new pads.

-Steve

 

[CrookedRacer]

I'd argue modern rotors are lighter with less material on them than they used to be... but even so, it seems a big waste to toss all that steel away when there's only the slightest correctable wobble going on.

 

[Overlag]

In the UK they charge so much to do this it's cheaper to buy new . Like you say it's just a waste of perfectly good discs.

 

[Methane Herder]

Know anybody with a Blanchard grinder?
MH

 

[CrookedRacer]

Know anybody with a Blanchard grinder?
MH

I doubt I know anybody who knows what a Blanchard grinder is.

 

[CrookedRacer]

By the way, what's a Blanchard grinder?

 

[Methane Herder]

http://www.ggmfg.com/grinding.aspx

 

[Methane Herder]

It's really only a practical suggestion if you know the owner of one.
MH

 

[[email protected]]

Many dealerships started switching to on the car brake lathes back in the 90s but the vast majority of them still own their old bench lathes, just find a dealer that's been around a while and see if they'll turn them.

That said, I doubt you'll be happy with the performance of the turned rotors if you can in fact get them done.

-Steve

 

[randywatson]

are they warped or glazed?

if they're glazed you can sand them down and break in pads. you can see how to break in pads on stoptech's site (i can't post link even though i meet all the req)

if they're warped check the tolerance and the runout to make sure if you turn them they won't go past spec if you do find a place that'll turn them.