disposable brake rotors?

[x Baldwin Motion]

I just came from getting my 04 silverado the required annual (NY) state safety inspection. The service manager is a friend that I used to work with over 25 years ago. When he told me I needed rear pads and NEW rotors I was surprised. He said that "nobody" cuts rotors anymore because they are so cheap to replace! I've only got 36,000 miles on this vehicle and wouldn't think I needed pads or even cutting rotors. Is this common with the 4wheel disc brake vehicle? This is a 4WD w/ABS. The past 4 or 5 vehicles I've owned weren't kept long enough to need brakes. (50-60,000 miles) Anyone have anything on this? thanks.

[nuch_ss396]

Chris,

I've experienced this both with my SUV & Cobra. I've been
told that ABS sort of mandates rotor replacement. I still
can't figure-out why that is though

I'm just guessing that the dealers don't want to perform
that grunt work anymore. SO, unless you go to the secondary
market for repairs, you're stuck with new rotor costs. I've
also been warned that there are a lot of cheap rotors out
there that warp even faster than the OEM rotors. GOOD-GRIEF!

[Xplantdad]

I have an 02 1500 Chevy...and it's got 99,500 miles on it...4 wheel disc brakes...haven't had to do a thing to the brakes...yet?

I know when we had our 528it BMW wagon...they refused to turn the rotors...it had something to do with the softness of the material (would warp?) I don't know if they we giving us a line of crap...but the new rotors were about $90 bucks (employee discount ) each....

FWIW...

[x Baldwin Motion]

"I've also been warned that there are a lot of cheap rotors out there that warp even faster than the OEM rotors. GOOD-GRIEF! "

Thats exactly what he told me came on my truck from the factory; "made in China" rotors. And the material they are made from is not worth cutting as they will most likely warp.

Bruce, I drive like an old lady around here, coast often, and there aren't any stop lights. I once got 105,000 miles on a set of shoes on my 85 C10. I'll be pulling the wheels on sunday to see for myself how bad they are. He said also that the emergency brake shoes (inside the rotors) are prone to rusting and crumbling away. That would explain why the emergency brake won't work on the wifes Trailblazer.
Are all these parts really made in China?

[nuch_ss396]

[ QUOTE ]
.... Are all these parts really made in China?

[/ QUOTE ]

See my earlier post ( different topic ) regarding the Chinese menace

BTW, let me make it perfectly clear that I am referring to
the Chinese gov't and their unfair practices, not the Chinese
people as a whole.

[moparts]

In most cases it is cheaper to replace rotors especially on front wheel drive cars. We just did a service on a 04 k2500 duramax that had a 128,000 on it and it still had 1/4 of the rear pads and over 1/2 of the front pads left. Curious point to all this is that alot of the new trucks are going back to rear drum. Maybe the disc's were lasting toooooo long.

[Fast67VelleN2O]

My shop charges only $28 bucks to cut a PAIR of rotors..... Don't see what the problem is, we do it on every vehicle unless they NEED rotors...

[Keith Tedford]

I've seen rotors off of a Saturn rusted/pitted so bad that they wouldn't clean up, and this was on a vehicle that had mostly highway running on a regular basis. Very poor material. The Saturn rotors don't seem to be any better than the cheap replacements. Probably the same parts. Our old cars sit most of the time and the old two piece rotors never seem to build up any surface rust on the faces. The rotors on our '97 LSS don't rust either. Originals with 90K miles and look like new.
With rear discs, especially in salt country, you need to pull the calipers every year, to clean and lubricate the pins they float on. Rear drums seem to be a lot less trouble in salt country.

[x Baldwin Motion]

My son-in-law works for a GM dealer and says US feds require them to use 30% post consumer recycled metal to produce these parts and therefore the rusting issue.

Bruce, mine is a K1500 also, maybe my environment is causing more rust?

[Xplantdad]

Chris...could be! Plus...mine are all fairly high speed freeway miles...