Turning your Rotors...

Wolfie1 · 05-17-2016, 12:34 PM

Hi guys,
So I've been readin a bunch of threads about the easiest DIY. I am going to need new brakes soon and wanted to do it myself.

I was curious what evreryone does about turning your rotors when changing brakes pads yourself?

ShocknAwe · 05-17-2016, 12:37 PM

Never bothered with it. Maybe I should.

Wolfie1 · 05-17-2016, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

Never bothered with it. Maybe I should.

I am super confused...I called th local BMW dealership and they say they DO NOT turn the rotors when doing a brake job...

Huh!?

bodega_bladerunner · 05-17-2016, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolfie1

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

Never bothered with it. Maybe I should.

I am super confused...I called th local BMW dealership and they say they DO NOT turn the rotors when doing a brake job...

Huh!?

Subscribed because I've gotta hear this

Wolfie1 · 05-17-2016, 02:04 PM

I messaged my good buddy who is a service advisor at a MINI dealership. He said BMW does not turn rotors. They suggest just replacing overtime 60k-80k miles depending on driving habits...

What do you guys think about this?

Dackelone · 05-17-2016, 02:08 PM

You really don't want to turn the rotors. Its more of a band aid fix than a real perminate fix. Most of the Japanese car makers use on he car machines to turn the rotors.

German car makers don't use a lathe bc they know this will make the rotors too thin and they will only warp out in no time. German metal also seems to be of better quality than the metal the Japanese car makers use. Just my opinion.

IF your car needs brakes... you are most likely to need two new rotors, brake pads, pad clips, pad lube(for the backing plates) one sensor and new rotor set screws( which come in BMW dealer parts or ATE rotor kits).

Dackel

Wolfie1 · 05-17-2016, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dackelone

You really don't want to turn the rotors. Its more of a band aid fix than a real perminate fix. Most of the Japanese car makers use on he car machines to turn the rotors.

German car makers don't use a lathe bc they know this will make the rotors too thin and they will only warp out in no time. German metal also seems to be of better quality than the metal the Japanese car makers use. Just my opinion.

IF your car needs brakes... you are most likely to need two new rotors, brake pads, pad clips, pad lube(for the backing plates) one sensor and new rotor set screws( which come in BMW dealer parts or ATE rotor kits).

Dackel

Thanks for the information!! Great stuff!!

Two new rotors? Fronts? Would there be any benefit to replacing all four at one?

I'd rather just do the two and then spread out the cost.

Dackelone · 05-17-2016, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolfie1

Thanks for the information!! Great stuff!!

Two new rotors? Fronts? Would there be any benefit to replacing all four at one?

I'd rather just do the two and then spread out the cost.

Just do the fronts for now. The rears last longer.

Yes, two new front rotors are needed. I hope you will be sitting down when you get the price quote. Its just under a grand.

Wolfie1 · 05-17-2016, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dackelone

Just do the fronts for now. The rears last longer.

Yes, two new front rotors are needed. I hope you will be sitting down when you get the price quote. Its just under a grand.

Haha I was expecting right around a grand

chris@strutmonkey · 05-17-2016, 04:00 PM

For the effort to turn rotors, just buy 2 new rotors and install them yourself. Cost you about $200.

135ivert · 05-17-2016, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dackelone

Just do the fronts for now. The rears last longer.

Yes, two new front rotors are needed. I hope you will be sitting down when you get the price quote. Its just under a grand.

Unless, of course, you see the DTC light a lot!

FYI I had to go to 3 different places (O'Reilly, Advance Auto, Napa in that order) to find someone who could turn the 338mm rotors on my SUV. If you have a BBK it could be an issue.

PrematureApex · 05-17-2016, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dackelone

You really don't want to turn the rotors. Its more of a band aid fix than a real perminate fix. Most of the Japanese car makers use on he car machines to turn the rotors.

German car makers don't use a lathe bc they know this will make the rotors too thin and they will only warp out in no time. German metal also seems to be of better quality than the metal the Japanese car makers use. Just my opinion.

IF your car needs brakes... you are most likely to need two new rotors, brake pads, pad clips, pad lube(for the backing plates) one sensor and new rotor set screws( which come in BMW dealer parts or ATE rotor kits).

Dackel

19k posts and you don't know that "warped rotors" is a massively incorrect term?

http://www.stoptech.com/technical-su...nd-other-myths

Stop using it.

"warped rotors", 99% of the time means uneven pad deposits. It's a term that should really never even be mentioned, much less by someone like you.

MZWIE · 06-08-2016, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrematureApex

19k posts and you don't know that "warped rotors" is a massively incorrect term?

http://www.stoptech.com/technical-su...nd-other-myths

Stop using it.

"warped rotors", 99% of the time means uneven pad deposits. It's a term that should really never even be mentioned, much less by someone like you.

I suppose we have all been wrong all along. So if the rotors are not flat and have ondulations what would you call.

I've been working on cars over 40 years and never heard another terms. How do deposits translate into steel not being flat.

I read the Stoptech article. I can absolutely verify that I have seen "warped rotors". For pad deposits all you need is a steel wool and remove them (done that).

In fact it was so warped that you could see it with the naked. Laying the rotor flat on a table revealed spaces as big as 1/32''.

thatonetime · 06-23-2016, 12:12 AM

So... (don't know is this is true or not) I was told bmw performance department is the one that came up with the no turning rotors rule. I guess from a performance stand point a lipped rotor holds better integrity from warping than a recently surfaced rotor. The heated/used face of the rotor is hardened after so much use and the lipped edge helps also. Once you resurface the rotor the face has now open pores from the resurfacing and there is no more extra ring on the edge to hold integrity. I guess the chance of you warping a rotor after it has been newly resurfaced is higher than leaving the rotor alone and just changing the pads.
They said this is kinda like the same effect with suspension droop at the track. A dragging tire still provides grip over a tire thats not touching the track at all. So a lipped rotor provides more structural integrity vs a newly resurfaced rotor that has lost material and will need to be bedded in.

Don't hold me at gun point for this. What I have been told.

fe1rx · 06-23-2016, 10:56 PM

The "no turn / no reuse rule" is simple economics for BMW. Rotors won't reliably last for two complete sets of OE pads. If dealers put new pads on used rotors they would be facing all sorts of unhappy customers complaining that their rotors wore out before their pads.

Rotors are good until they reach the minimum thickness specified on the rotor. If you are doing your own brake jobs, feel free to get all the life you can out of them.

I swear that BMW uses abrasive pad formulations just to keep your rotors looking nice and shiny. You are paying for those shiny rotors in rotor life.

05-17-2016, 12:34 PM	#1
Wolfie1 Private 11 Rep 75 Posts Drives: Alpine White 135i Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Woodland Hills, California iTrader: (0)	Turning your Rotors... Hi guys, So I've been readin a bunch of threads about the easiest DIY. I am going to need new brakes soon and wanted to do it myself. I was curious what evreryone does about turning your rotors when changing brakes pads yourself? Last edited by Wolfie1; 05-17-2016 at 12:41 PM.. Reason: Can't spell to save my life...
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05-17-2016, 12:37 PM	#2
ShocknAwe 1Addict 3234 Rep 7,894 Posts Drives: E82 Mutt, M57 Truck Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Charleston iTrader: (22)	Never bothered with it. Maybe I should. __________________ 2010 135i 6MT Jet Black N54/3 FE82 Mutt \| BUILD THREAD \| GARAGE SALE
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05-17-2016, 02:04 PM	#5
Wolfie1 Private 11 Rep 75 Posts Drives: Alpine White 135i Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Woodland Hills, California iTrader: (0)	I messaged my good buddy who is a service advisor at a MINI dealership. He said BMW does not turn rotors. They suggest just replacing overtime 60k-80k miles depending on driving habits... What do you guys think about this?
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05-17-2016, 02:08 PM	#6
Dackelone European Editor 10589 Rep 22,992 Posts Drives: N54 e82 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Bayern, Germany iTrader: (1)	You really don't want to turn the rotors. Its more of a band aid fix than a real perminate fix. Most of the Japanese car makers use on he car machines to turn the rotors. German car makers don't use a lathe bc they know this will make the rotors too thin and they will only warp out in no time. German metal also seems to be of better quality than the metal the Japanese car makers use. Just my opinion. IF your car needs brakes... you are most likely to need two new rotors, brake pads, pad clips, pad lube(for the backing plates) one sensor and new rotor set screws( which come in BMW dealer parts or ATE rotor kits). Dackel __________________ Dackel's European Delivery Museum Guide
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05-17-2016, 04:00 PM	#10
chris@strutmonkey Banned 127 Rep 245 Posts Drives: 2007 BMW 335i Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Northern Virginia iTrader: (0)	For the effort to turn rotors, just buy 2 new rotors and install them yourself. Cost you about $200.
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06-23-2016, 12:12 AM	#14
thatonetime Private 73 Rep 92 Posts Drives: 135i Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: San Jose iTrader: (1)	So... (don't know is this is true or not) I was told bmw performance department is the one that came up with the no turning rotors rule. I guess from a performance stand point a lipped rotor holds better integrity from warping than a recently surfaced rotor. The heated/used face of the rotor is hardened after so much use and the lipped edge helps also. Once you resurface the rotor the face has now open pores from the resurfacing and there is no more extra ring on the edge to hold integrity. I guess the chance of you warping a rotor after it has been newly resurfaced is higher than leaving the rotor alone and just changing the pads. They said this is kinda like the same effect with suspension droop at the track. A dragging tire still provides grip over a tire thats not touching the track at all. So a lipped rotor provides more structural integrity vs a newly resurfaced rotor that has lost material and will need to be bedded in. Don't hold me at gun point for this. What I have been told. __________________ ig: @alexbucur e82 135i Build Thread e36 3/4/5 Techno Violet Build Thread e91 Touring Build Thread
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06-23-2016, 10:56 PM	#15
fe1rx Captain 1397 Rep 777 Posts Drives: 135i, 328i, Cayman S Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Canada iTrader: (3)	The "no turn / no reuse rule" is simple economics for BMW. Rotors won't reliably last for two complete sets of OE pads. If dealers put new pads on used rotors they would be facing all sorts of unhappy customers complaining that their rotors wore out before their pads. Rotors are good until they reach the minimum thickness specified on the rotor. If you are doing your own brake jobs, feel free to get all the life you can out of them. I swear that BMW uses abrasive pad formulations just to keep your rotors looking nice and shiny. You are paying for those shiny rotors in rotor life.
	Appreciate 0 Quote