I brought my GS350 in for TSIB (BR002-06) service on the brake pads. When I went to pick up my toy, they told me that previous "high performance brake pads" caused uneven wear on the rotors. So before they replaced with the low dust brake pads, they resurface the rotors.

Just for peace of mind, please have your toy check!!!

 

awesome sig.

 

It's pretty much standard procedure to resurface rotors with any brake change.

 

...although it shouldn't be. Turning rotors is a carry-over from the old days. There's no reason to resurface rotors that are not warped. Rotors are wear items, just like brake pads. As material is removed, its heat-dissipation capacity is reduced and the likelyhood of warping increases. New rotors are relatively cheap. Surface glaze can easily be removed with a light sanding if needed. If the dealer wants to resurface your rotors, you stand an increased chance of warpage a year or two down the road...depending on how you drive. I'd ask them to do it right and install new rotors...takes less time too.

This is especially important for high performance cars. My Porsche is on its 3rd set of rotors in 5 years. It's a track car and sees hard brake use. Thin rotors can be a big problem in high-heat situations. Just a thought...

 

Thanks for the info. I'll mention it when I take the car in for the pad replacement.

 

High performance pads are "high friction" pads. Indeed the GS manual in its many fine print lines states that rotors are expected to be replaced, if I remember correctly, within 30k miles if not sooner. They are hard on the rotors so replacing them will be a good thing. I always disliked this "feature" on the 3GS not to mention the poor lifespan of the OEM tires.

 

I posted something similar to this a few weeks ago when I went in for some choppy brakes and was told my rotors were all out of wack and neeeded resurfacing after 10100 miles...

Still doesnt make sense but here is the link ...

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=281414

 

Thanks for the heads up!

 

I agree to a certain extent. As brake pads wear, rotors wear accordingly. Of course they exhibit the same rate of wear but one affects the other. That said, little grooves form on the surface of the rotor as the pads wear. If you look at your rotors you will see a radial pattern of ridges and grooves from the center of the hub out. Every ridge is a different height. It's impossible for a pad to wear perfectly flat and smooth. If you change your pads to brand new flat pads without resurfacing your rotors or changing them out, they are only contacting the high spots or ridges that are left on your rotors. You could end up with 50-75% brake rotor/pad contact until they "bed" in or until the high ridges on the rotor wear down or the pads develop a ridge for the rotor ridges to fit into. Think about interlacing your fingers and you kind of get the idea. If you resurface your rotors, you get 100% contact from the first stop.

If you track your car, heat is a definite issue. You should probably replace your pads and rotors at every brake change. The question is who tracks their GS? If you want maximum braking performance from the first stop and you limit your car's use around town...... resurface or replace your rotors.

BTW, if you have gone through your 3rd set of rotors in 5 years, I am impressed! That is some serious track time!!!!

 

Just some good clean fun...

 

Hot damn, she's a beauty! Any performance mods?

 

shoot i already had to resurface my rotors 2 times without changing brake pads because my stocks keep warping. can someone point me in the direction for a new set that works right for my awful driving, maybe a cross drilled kind.

 

On a 3rd gen GS? How many miles do you have on your car? Do you live in an area with a lot of hills?

 

Thanks. It started life as a stock 89 Targa. I transplanted in a 3.6 Varioram motor from a 97 993 and had it tuned up to 305hp (car weighs 2700 lbs). It has lightweight flywheel and Sachs performance clutch, Porsche 930 (Turbo) brakes all around, 23mm front and 29mm rear torsion bars, sway bars, Koni Sports, Quaife, lowered and corner balanced....and the list goes on. Once I got the track bug, it became a slippery slope.

Here she is in street clothes:

 

Doesn't make much sense to keep turning those rotors. Are you riding your brake pedal? Drilled or slotted rotors won't solve that problem. I'd have new OEM rotors put on and try and figure out why you're eating up brake components. Something's not right.