Lexus Champion
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or, if you don't have a dial indicator, hold a ruler up to the top half of the rotor and look down it while you turn it. You'll see any highs/lows against the straight edge.Originally Posted by jagtoes
To check for warped rotors all you need to do is pull the wheel and using a dial indicator check for run out of the rotor while turning by hand. Simple process.
Lexus Fanatic
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I've been driving for many years with many vehicles and never had a warped rotor problem.Originally Posted by GoingHaam
you guys must be really hard on your brakes? i have never warped a set of rotor before..
On my '12.I've had a rotor problem at 2500 miles,Dealer cut rotors and they warped again a few hundred miles later.New rotors installed.Will see how it goes.
A Lexus mechanic here said that some ES350's have warping rotor problems.
Rookie
I had warped rotors once before, but that was when I lived in the mountains, and pretty sure that was my fault. That was on my Suburban.
Lexus Champion
Flat land living is not as hard on rotors versus hill and mountainous areas. In Northeast PA, I have gone through many a rotor. I treat the brake and gas pedals as off and on. I don't bother with cutting, just replacement. The $$ spent for cutting acts as my discount for new ones (plus the installation of the cut ones).
Lexus Champion
Warped rotors usually happen because of severe braking conditions (police cars, taxis, mountain areas etc.) causing a lot of heat in the braking system. I used to see it a lot at the Ford dealer I worked for when the local PD sent cruisers in for service. They're definitely not a myth, as some would have you believe. They're rare in an every day driver, but at least in New England, some people drive their cars as hard as police cars and taxis particularly with regards to stop-n-go traffic.
Brake pads will definitely wear down. When that happens and you take it in for service .....here comes another controversial thing:
I can almost guarantee you every shop and dealer will say to turn or machine the rotors so that the new pads will bite or make contact correctly. But do you have to? I don't think so. But many will try to convince you to and consequently the thinned rotors will warp a lot easier. It is HIGHLY unlike a rotor can be turned twice (gotta check specs) and they make a killing replacing pads and rotors. It is this reason I do all my brakes myself now as well as changing the brake fluids.
When the time comes for the es350, I will do it myself and maybe post a DIY.
Warped rotors aren't that uncommon imo. to GoingHaam , how many miles do you get out of a set of rotors and who does your brakes?
I can almost guarantee you every shop and dealer will say to turn or machine the rotors so that the new pads will bite or make contact correctly. But do you have to? I don't think so. But many will try to convince you to and consequently the thinned rotors will warp a lot easier. It is HIGHLY unlike a rotor can be turned twice (gotta check specs) and they make a killing replacing pads and rotors. It is this reason I do all my brakes myself now as well as changing the brake fluids.
When the time comes for the es350, I will do it myself and maybe post a DIY.
Warped rotors aren't that uncommon imo. to GoingHaam , how many miles do you get out of a set of rotors and who does your brakes?
Lexus Champion
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I can almost guarantee you every shop and dealer will say to turn or machine the rotors so that the new pads will bite or make contact correctly. But do you have to? I don't think so. But many will try to convince you to and consequently the thinned rotors will warp a lot easier. It is HIGHLY unlike a rotor can be turned twice (gotta check specs) and they make a killing replacing pads and rotors. It is this reason I do all my brakes myself now as well as changing the brake fluids.
When the time comes for the es350, I will do it myself and maybe post a DIY.
Warped rotors aren't that uncommon imo. to GoingHaam , how many miles do you get out of a set of rotors and who does your brakes?
If your rotors are scored, or glazed over, you should have them turned so long as there is enough material there to be within spec. Certain lower quality pads score and glaze rotors faster than higher quality ones. Me personally, I'd rather spend $50 to get them turned during the service to get more life out of them. Or, you can be wasteful like BMW and when a car comes in for brakes you replace all the pads and all the rotors every time.Originally Posted by cl206
Brake pads will definitely wear down. When that happens and you take it in for service .....here comes another controversial thing:I can almost guarantee you every shop and dealer will say to turn or machine the rotors so that the new pads will bite or make contact correctly. But do you have to? I don't think so. But many will try to convince you to and consequently the thinned rotors will warp a lot easier. It is HIGHLY unlike a rotor can be turned twice (gotta check specs) and they make a killing replacing pads and rotors. It is this reason I do all my brakes myself now as well as changing the brake fluids.
When the time comes for the es350, I will do it myself and maybe post a DIY.
Warped rotors aren't that uncommon imo. to GoingHaam , how many miles do you get out of a set of rotors and who does your brakes?
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Yes if they are scored or glazed, you should either turn them or replace them. My point was that dealers and shops will almost always push you to machine them even if they are in good shape with the pretext I mentioned earlier.Originally Posted by jcat_GS3
If your rotors are scored, or glazed over, you should have them turned so long as there is enough material there to be within spec. Certain lower quality pads score and glaze rotors faster than higher quality ones. Me personally, I'd rather spend $50 to get them turned during the service to get more life out of them. Or, you can be wasteful like BMW and when a car comes in for brakes you replace all the pads and all the rotors every time.
Driver
I know back when I had a pontiac, which was a couple years ago, I bought brand new rotors and they were warped out of the box. Apparently this can happen when you buy ****ty rotors, where the rotors solidify incorrectly, forming a huge bump on the rotor.
Lexus Champion
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Originally Posted by jacobjohn
I know back when I had a pontiac
well there's your first problem.....

Lexus Champion
When Lexus replaced the rear brake pads on our 2007 Ultra under recall / warranty, they just replaced the pads, no rotor work. This was done at around 19,000 mile \s and they lasted hopefully past my trade in of the car at 58,000 miles.
Driver
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haha, hey hey, it was my first car when I was 16. It lasted a good 5 years (10 years in the family), so not much to complain about.Originally Posted by jcat_GS3
well there's your first problem.....
Lead Lap
I typically replace the rotors when the brakes come off. Some call it costly; however turning guarantees that I'll have them warped again (as others have said, and quicker!). DIY definitely makes the cost more affordable, and it's just a little $$/insurance every time I hit the brakes.
Lexus Champion
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pennywise and dollar foolish IMO...even if you turn the rotors and they warp again in 2k miles, you still got 2k more miles out of that set of rotors, resulting in less expenditure on rotors over the life of the car. Especially if you DIY, then the labor to pull it again is free.Originally Posted by mlacomb
I typically replace the rotors when the brakes come off. Some call it costly; however turning guarantees that I'll have them warped again (as others have said, and quicker!). DIY definitely makes the cost more affordable, and it's just a little $$/insurance every time I hit the brakes.




