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  • #1

    sanding brake rotors

    I'm installing a set of Hawk pads in the rear and in the instructions it said that if you are re-using the rotors you should sand them with 130 grit paper and medium pressure.

    My rotors looked pretty good, so I decided to re-use them and went to sand them.

    Enter the belt sander...
    I got those puppies smooth like new! I used the belt sander to take them down just to the point they were smooth all the way around. You could no longer see the wear marks from the old pads.

    I'm only done with one side, I'll do the other side tomorrow night and take it for a test drive to break them in. I hope I didn't make them too uneven by taking the belt sander to them.

    Thoughts? Comments?
    Tracy
    2002 C5 M6 Convertible
    1994 Z28 M6 Convertible
    Current Mods:
    SLP Ultra-Z functional ramair, SS Spoiler, STB, SFCs, Headers, Clutch, Bilstein Shocks, and TB Airfoil. 17x9 SS rims with Goodyear tires, 160F T-Stat, MSD Blaster Coil, Taylor wires, Hurst billet shifter, Borla catback with QTP e-cutout, Tuned PCM, 1LE Swaybars, 1LE driveshaft, ES bushings, White gauges, C5 front brakes, !CAGS, Bose/Soundstream audio, CST leather interior, synthetic fluids
    Tags: None
  • #2
    honestly, Its a bad idea. with just a little bit of uneven area and hello Vibrations. Go get them cut. Spend the 10 bucks and do that. Ur best bet b4 you took a belt sander to it was using a wire brush. I dont know I really dont recommend a Belt Sander. Its always recommended to getting the disc turned when changing in some new pads.
    Eddie
    2000 M6 Trans Am
    Tune+exhaust=344WHP

    Comment

    • #3
      Why do you even have to worry about this? After a few stops, the pads will wear to match the grooves in the rotors and you will be fine. I can see why you would want to cut your rotors if you had some BIG grooves from letting the old pads stay on there too long. But if they are the normal grooves that everyone has... Whats the point?
      No F-Body right now

      Comment

      • #4
        You guys are right. After sleeping on it I've decided to go pick up 2 new rotors today.
        Tracy
        2002 C5 M6 Convertible
        1994 Z28 M6 Convertible
        Current Mods:
        SLP Ultra-Z functional ramair, SS Spoiler, STB, SFCs, Headers, Clutch, Bilstein Shocks, and TB Airfoil. 17x9 SS rims with Goodyear tires, 160F T-Stat, MSD Blaster Coil, Taylor wires, Hurst billet shifter, Borla catback with QTP e-cutout, Tuned PCM, 1LE Swaybars, 1LE driveshaft, ES bushings, White gauges, C5 front brakes, !CAGS, Bose/Soundstream audio, CST leather interior, synthetic fluids

        Comment

        • #5
          The thing about sanding the rotors is to use a heavy grit to allow the pad to wear into the rotors better. Sanding won't make the rotors flat. Only turning then on a lathe will do that.


          LT4KM, 160' TS, MAF ends, TB-BP, GMPP 1.6 R/R, SLP CAI, LCA, Adj. tierod, BMR tower brace, 17x9"F/R, 275/40R17 GY F1 tires. WS6 Muffler, LS1 DS. 21mm rear sway bar. Soon to be LT4 heads, intake, & HOT cam

          Comment

          • #6
            The only reason I say its Always a good idea to get them cut is in case of them being slightly warped from heat. Thats the hard part to see. It could be the little things like that which make big differences down the road. I know when I used to work with my old man we would simply slap on pads and get a lot of people complaining that it would vibrate. After that we began to cut all rotors or else we would not do the job. If you still have good rotors, why buy new ones. I guess if you have the money. I'd simply get them lathe cut.
            Eddie
            2000 M6 Trans Am
            Tune+exhaust=344WHP

            Comment

            • #7
              Originally posted by ConElite
              The only reason I say its Always a good idea to get them cut is in case of them being slightly warped from heat. Thats the hard part to see. It could be the little things like that which make big differences down the road. I know when I used to work with my old man we would simply slap on pads and get a lot of people complaining that it would vibrate. After that we began to cut all rotors or else we would not do the job. If you still have good rotors, why buy new ones. I guess if you have the money. I'd simply get them lathe cut.
              The shop charges $20 each to resurface them.

              Brand new rotors are $30.99 each. I just spend the extra money and got brand new ones, now they look pretty!
              Tracy
              2002 C5 M6 Convertible
              1994 Z28 M6 Convertible
              Current Mods:
              SLP Ultra-Z functional ramair, SS Spoiler, STB, SFCs, Headers, Clutch, Bilstein Shocks, and TB Airfoil. 17x9 SS rims with Goodyear tires, 160F T-Stat, MSD Blaster Coil, Taylor wires, Hurst billet shifter, Borla catback with QTP e-cutout, Tuned PCM, 1LE Swaybars, 1LE driveshaft, ES bushings, White gauges, C5 front brakes, !CAGS, Bose/Soundstream audio, CST leather interior, synthetic fluids

              Comment

              • #8
                Originally posted by TraceZ
                The shop charges $20 each to resurface them.

                Brand new rotors are $30.99 each. I just spend the extra money and got brand new ones, now they look pretty!
                Where did you get them from? I need new front rotors and pads pretty bad.

                2002 Firehawk Sold

                Comment

                • #9
                  Originally posted by '94 White Devil
                  Where did you get them from? I need new front rotors and pads pretty bad.
                  I got them at a Checker Auto Parts store, just down the street from my house.

                  http://www.partsamerica.com/Default.aspx
                  Tracy
                  2002 C5 M6 Convertible
                  1994 Z28 M6 Convertible
                  Current Mods:
                  SLP Ultra-Z functional ramair, SS Spoiler, STB, SFCs, Headers, Clutch, Bilstein Shocks, and TB Airfoil. 17x9 SS rims with Goodyear tires, 160F T-Stat, MSD Blaster Coil, Taylor wires, Hurst billet shifter, Borla catback with QTP e-cutout, Tuned PCM, 1LE Swaybars, 1LE driveshaft, ES bushings, White gauges, C5 front brakes, !CAGS, Bose/Soundstream audio, CST leather interior, synthetic fluids

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Well I guess Im lucky b/c I have a Rotor machine thing available anytime at my old mans shop. And at the Chevy Dealer I used to work at. I know the machine shop charges $5 each to cut if you buy the pads there and $10 if you dont. ha ha ha
                    Eddie
                    2000 M6 Trans Am
                    Tune+exhaust=344WHP

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Heck.....there has been a few times where I just change the front brake pads and do nothing to the rotors and it works fine.

                      Nothing wrong with a little sanding here and there.
                      Darrin C
                      '97 Z28 LT1 157K (((S O L D ))) A4, C/I Cold Air Induction, Flomaster Exhaust, SLP Fan Control Mod, Eibach Springs w/1" Drop, Racing Dynamics Shock Tower Brace, Lakewood LCA's.
                      07 Ford F150 - Daily Driver. I went from f-body to f-series. I think I'm out of my f'in mind.....

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Originally posted by 97LT1Z28
                        Heck.....there has been a few times where I just change the front brake pads and do nothing to the rotors and it works fine.

                        Nothing wrong with a little sanding here and there.
                        True, Sanding by hand never hurts.. ha hah a
                        Eddie
                        2000 M6 Trans Am
                        Tune+exhaust=344WHP

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          It's OK to sand them lightly because some of what's on there is brake pad material that's embedded in the rotor. I sure wouldn't do it with a belt sander but maybe a flexible disk sander on a drill or something similar. If there are real grooves on there or ridges on the outside, then they need to be cut, and, yeah, new ones don't cost that much more. But one thing to look out for is that most of the replacement rotors are from China, and some of those are imperfect right out of the box with respect to runout.

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Originally posted by ConElite
                            Well I guess Im lucky b/c I have a Rotor machine thing available anytime at my old mans shop.
                            Tell me about it.. In High School auto shop we had a brake lathe and I'd turn the rotors on every pad change, just cause I could. Once they got below service limits, I bought new ones.
                            '99 A4 1.8T QMS Santorin
                            (Hey, that's not an F-Body)

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Originally posted by e40
                              Tell me about it.. In High School auto shop we had a brake lathe and I'd turn the rotors on every pad change, just cause I could. Once they got below service limits, I bought new ones.
                              ha ha ha. Yeah. At any given time, I have 3 places I can go and cut them myself or get them cut for free.
                              Eddie
                              2000 M6 Trans Am
                              Tune+exhaust=344WHP

                              Comment

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