I see a lot of owners saying they replace both rotors and pads together on their brake jobs.

I'm just wondering why if you've never taken a few .001's off the surface and put on new pads.

The pads are the part designed to wear, so don't you just need to renew the surface to seat a new set of pads and keep on keepin' on? Thanks in advance.

I got spare rotors and swap them out then get them turned and ready for the next time I need them.

just depends on how bad the rotors are. as long as they are within spec and no major warping there shouldn't be an issue. they are almost as good as new rotors.

you may feel brake fade earlier b/c of the loss of material but it shouldn't be to bad or even

You are correct in that the pads are the actual wear item. That being said, it has a lot to do with the conditions you drive in and the style of driving and braking that you do. If you live in a moderate climate without temp. extremes and you break early and gradual, your rotors will heat evenly and slowly and be less likely to warp and build up pad deposits. Another factor is the quality of pad used. Some pads are "cleaner" than others and will help rotors last longer.

The Toyota FSMs for almost all of their trucks state to change the pads when worn and check the rotor thickness to stay within spec. In fact, the FSM actually tells you to remove the pads only without even removing the calipers on a typical brake pad change. Rotors only need to be changed when worn down and out of specification. Now, with that being said, often times other factors such as aggressive driving/braking, stuck calipers, etc. will prematurely wear rotors or leaving brake pad deposits which will cause braking issues. In these cases, you could re-surface your rotors to remove any run-out, or if insufficient material exists to just go ahead and replace the rotors.

My rotors were warped to the point that at certain speeds, my 4runner would lurch and wiggle when braking. My friend had the same problem with his silverado. I got new ones and he got his turned. Mine still feel like new and he was back in the shop 6 months later getting them turned again. Hope this helps! Good luck!

The only difference is the thickness of steel. The thinner rotors won't last as long as the thicker rotors.

well, considering how cheap rotors are now..

$36 fronts and $27 rears my wholesale cost. why the hell not just put new ones on each and everytime if you need it?

New OEM pads cost about $110 front and rear.

so a DIY brake job will be less than $250 for all four corners

Be careful to buy only brands you recognize for brake equipment, rotors particularly! Just because you get them from Autozone or what ever doesn't mean they're safe. A lot of "cheaper" off-name branded rotors are made from poor quality Chinese steel and I have heard of cases of the rotors fracturing and practically disintigrating as a result.

As for the OP, honestly if the rotors are within spec and not severely warped; you're probably looking at about .005 off them to turn the rotors. At the dealership we turn all the Toyota rotors if they are within spec, but new rotors won't hurt either. Its just a matter of personal preference assuming the rotors are in good condition.

I ended up @ $290 all the way around using Brembo replacement rotors, new pads and new brake fluid. The first set lasted just over 100k miles, so no issues just replacing it all at that type of interval.