Brake Rotors

Brake Rotors

Brake rotors (or brake discs) provide a surface for the brake pads to apply pressure to and make your vehicle slow down or stop. Cars will either have two brake rotors or four. If they have two brake rotors, those rotors will be located on the front wheels and drum brakes, a different type of braking system, will be applied on the back wheels. In a four-wheel disc brake system, one disc brake will be present at each wheel.

There are also two main types of brake rotors – solid and vented. Solid rotors are the most basic type of brake rotors and are typically seen on smaller cars. They are one solid piece of metal and are quite cheap to produce. Vented brake rotors contain fins in between the two disc faces. These fins help distribute air to make the rotor cool down faster.

Signs of bad brake rotors

• Excessive wear
• Difficulty stopping
• Pulsation in the brake pedal or steering wheel
• Clattering noise when braking

Brake rotor maintenance

If you notice any of the above signs, get your brake rotors serviced by a car care professional right away. Worn brake pads can often result in issues and warping of the brake rotors, so be sure to get your brake pads replaced regularly. Your technician will take several measurements of your failing brake rotors – the thickness, run-out, and parallelism. These measurements will determine whether the rotors need to be replaced entirely or simply resurfaced. Resurfacing the brake rotors can also be referred to as “machining the brakes”.

The best way to get maintenance done on your brake rotors is to book your appointment through CarAdvise. CarAdvise makes car care simple and guarantees that you’ll pay less than retail price on all car maintenance services.