When to Change your Rotors

[bigwalts4runner]

Just changed the brake pads on the 4runner, how often do the rotors have to be changed? The 4runner has only 31K Miles. Thanks in Advance

 

[stanleybb50]

Only when they need changed!

Could be soon, could be another 50k miles. All depends on a lot of things. If they're not like pulsating, then they're good.


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[BlackWorksInc]

If the rotor is not warped beyond specifications, severely over heated (spots), and or thicker than the minimum specfication for resurfacing. Then the rotor is good.

 

[Nuke]

Never, unless you've damaged them. In all 6 of my Toyotas and very close to 1 million miles, I've only had to replace rotors once and NEVER had to have a set turned except on that same ONCE above. That was on my '00 3rd gen and having the rotors turned and then replaced was done under a TSB due to brake design issues that caused warping. A decent set of OE rotors should last the life of the car if they're not overheated or scored by debris.

 

[runner mike]

I purchased a used 08 4runner sr5 v6 last april and it had 103,000 miles on it. the dealer told me that the brakes had some wear on them since they didn't replace them (as expected). Anyways the truck now has 120,000 miles on it (road trip vehicle) and i am looking to change the brake pads, should i change the rotors too? I don't notice anything out of the ordinary when stoping and the rotors don't appear to have any damage or excessive wear on them or at least anything out of the ordinary from a truck that has 120,000 miles on it. thanks in advance.

Also, i was looking at the brembo rotor and brake pad combo. good?

 

[RonJR]

As above, don't touch them unless they are damaged or out of spec. The common brake shop practice of resurfacing them every time the pads are changed simply shortens their life for no good reason. If the brakes work smoothly and evenly just change the pads and keep driving.

My '94 4Runner still has original untouched rotors at 211,000 miles. Still work like brand new.

 

[AZ06SR5]

The minimum thickness of the rotor is cast in the rotor.

 

[amalik]

The minimum thickness of the rotor is cast in the rotor.

so they go too thick above spec when problematic, or too thin below spec?

 

[amalik]

As above, don't touch them unless they are damaged or out of spec. The common brake shop practice of resurfacing them every time the pads are changed simply shortens their life for no good reason. If the brakes work smoothly and evenly just change the pads and keep driving.

My '94 4Runner still has original untouched rotors at 211,000 miles. Still work like brand new.

that's amazing.

means you have changed pads at exactly the right interval all 211k miles. what's your interval?

 

[nevada]

As above, don't touch them unless they are damaged or out of spec. The common brake shop practice of resurfacing them every time the pads are changed simply shortens their life for no good reason. If the brakes work smoothly and evenly just change the pads and keep driving.

My '94 4Runner still has original untouched rotors at 211,000 miles. Still work like brand new.

that's just not true.

pads wear INTO the rotors during normal use. whenever you change the brakes, the new pads will have a perfectly flat surface, however its VERY unlikely that the old rotor will also have a perfectly flat surface, due to the wear mentioned above. to ensure proper brake performance and life, the rotors needs to be resurfaced.

 

[nevada]

that's amazing.

means you have changed pads at exactly the right interval all 211k miles. what's your interval?

its not that amazing. it could only be on its 2nd set of brakes.

but, im highly suspect of the rotors being "like new".

 

[luke87gt]

As mentioned above, use a set of calipers to measure the thickness and find out what the min thickness is.

Also as stated above, I generally don't replace rotors unless there is a problem or they are too thin and can't be turned.

The brake shops and brake parts manufacturers have managed to convince much of us consumers that rotors should be changed as frequently as pads. It's not true.

 

[nevada]

As mentioned above, use a set of calipers to measure the thickness and find out what the min thickness is.

Also as stated above, I generally don't replace rotors unless there is a problem or they are too thin and can't be turned.

The brake shops and brake parts manufacturers have managed to convince much of us consumers that rotors should be changed as frequently as pads. It's not true.

true, not changing them. but they really should at least be resurfaced, to ensure proper performance and life.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

As mentioned above, use a set of calipers to measure the thickness and find out what the min thickness is.

Also as stated above, I generally don't replace rotors unless there is a problem or they are too thin and can't be turned.

The brake shops and brake parts manufacturers have managed to convince much of us consumers that rotors should be changed as frequently as pads. It's not true.

That's mostly because companies like BMW swear you can't resurface their rotors and feed you done BS line about how the factory finish is flatter than humanly possible and so they have to be replaced everytime a brake service is performed. Rotors will last typically anywhere from about 100k to 200k on Toyotas depending on a few factors.

 

[afalex1]

I have 246xxx on my 03. I replaced my pads about 2500 miles ago. The rotors were above minimum spec, but not thick enough to resurface them. The pads will wear to the rotor surface after a 100-200 miles, but the overall life if the pads may be reduced because of this. To me it wasn't worth buying new rotors with so many miles on the vehicle. I'll keep an eye on the thickness at oil changes and replace if needed.

OP, since your 4runner is your road trip vehicle I would have the rotors resurfaced if they are thick enough. Mine gets me about 22 miles round trip to work on a country road at 55 mph and only 3 stops signs that I mainly use engine braking to stop at. Nothing like road trips and city driving.

 

[RonJR]

that's amazing.

means you have changed pads at exactly the right interval all 211k miles. what's your interval?

I replaced my last set of pads after 50,000 miles, but not because they were worn out. I had a front wheel bearing issue so while I was in there I swapped the pads. They were at .250" thickness. New is .350 and minimum spec is around .039", but that's way too thin - you run the risk of rotor damage if you let them get that thin.

I used to get rotors resurfaced on previous vehicles, but then I stopped doing it as an experiment and realized it was impossible to tell the difference. The pads will seat in quickly, and if you replace the pads before they get too thin, the rotors won't have much in the way of variations anyway. The killer on brake rotors is pads that get down to the backing, or worse, rivets.

BTW, my daily driving is a mix of city streets and suburban "parkways", with 6-7 stoplights each way every day, so the brakes do get their fair share of use. I do a lot of engine braking on the '94, however, since it has a manual.