grandnexus

Honda Civic 2001 LX, 2dr coupe, auto.

Need to replace front two rotors, should I get honda stock rotors or are there better rotors out there?

MindBomber

You might be able to get your current rotors returned, check that first.

If not brembo blanks.

grandnexus

Returned? What do you mean, like exchanged for new ones for free at the honda dealership or something?

MindBomber

No, you can get the surface of the rotors grinded down to the original specifications once, machines shops and some auto parts stores do it. It should be less than half the cost of new rotors to have this done.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

either way, they cheap. So don't cheap them out too much and ye should be fine. they just cast iron anyway and last a long time (if not too much cheap)

Kennykid2002

iTrader: (1)

I think the proper term you're looking for is having your rotors turned/resurfaced
I believe Autozone/Pep boys does it for $15 a rotor

I bought new Brembo blanks for $50 a piece, love em

MelJ

Depending on the quality, I'd get them resurfaced. Some manufacturers have rotors that are close to the minimum spec and by the time you calculate how much material you need to take off and if you need that final cut, you may be too close to the service limit. I had to go buy some new rotors from Auto Zone this week. They're pretty good with their warranty(2 years), so I said what the hell.

MindBomber

re-turned, re-surfaced, turned, surfaced, ground down.. all the same thing.

they're turned at the factory, so re-turned is accurate.

My grammar was just lacking in the first post, which caused confusion.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

has anyone noticed brakes tend to work better when its cold? idk, before they even "warm up" they bite much harder than in summer...

Kennykid2002

iTrader: (1)

Yep, once they're warmed up, they tend to soften up

grandnexus

I checked with oreilly, they will resurface a rotor for $15, and they'll check for free if there is enough metal on them to resurface the rotors.

So I guess the question is, should I just buy two new rotors and attempt to install them myself, or get someone to re-surface them? What are the advantages vs disadvantages between brand new rotors and re-surfaced rotors (besides money considerations)?

OH, by the ****ing way! I called brakes plus, they said $60 to re-surface both rotors ($150 at the dealership!!). Why is oreilly dog cheap and everywhere else super expensive? Whats up with that?

MindBomber

There's no real disadvantage to a re-surfaced rotor over a brand new part, all it does it make the surface smooth again to restore stopping ability.

O'Reilly's probably has a kid making minimum wage operating the machine that re-surfaces the rotors in between pulling parts, the dealership and other shops have actual mechanics doing the work, which is why they're more expensive.

grandnexus

ok, so.....can a kid do it just as good as a mechanic? I guess I'm asking if the procedure is simple enough so that not a lot of skill/experience is required.

MindBomber

I haven't used a brake rotor re-surfacing machine before, so I can't say for certain that a kid can do it as well as a mechanic, but logic would dictate that anyone with a few minutes training should be able to handle it. All that's happening is the surface of the rotor is being ground true again, since normal pad wear and heat causes it to become uneven, and the machine does the majority of the work. They should be checking the rotors when they finish the resurfacing anyway, to ensure they're completely true.

Kennykid2002

iTrader: (1)

The machine does all the work, same theory as tire balancing.

Only downside I see to resurfacing is less material = less heat dissipation, and if your rotor had previous rusting problems

I just bought new rotors for peace of mind.
$30 vs $100 isnt really too bad especially since 7th gens only have 2 disk brakes (excluding Si)

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

yeah machining rotors is a tricky business. i would maybe do it once if it was needed, but you are taking off material and this decreases braking performance in many ways. if you use your brakes properly in the first place (i bet 95% of car owners do not), you should never have to machine rotors. just change the pads a few times and keep the old rotors. change the rotors only if they wear past the service limit.