It is needless to say that braking is one of the fundamental aspects of automobile engineering. Proper knowledge on the brakes and its parts especially rotors is a must in this vastly advancing world of automobiles. Replacement of brake rotors is crucial for the proper maintenance of your vehicle and its control. You may be surfing in various sites to get the proper directions on when to replace your braking rotors.
Contents
Brake Rotors and Their Functions
The rotor is a part of the braking system which is attached to the axis of the tire, rotates with the movement of a wheel. The calipers compress the braking pads against the rotors upon pressing the brake paddle and thus, the resulting friction decelerates wheels’ gyration and ultimately, stops the car.
When to Replace Brake Rotors?
Wearing of brake rotors can occur in many ways, and a defect is often very difficult to detect. Some usual problems which reduce the efficiency of rotors and ask for their replacements are talked about below
Rotors Turning Into a Dish Shape
It is understood from the very name, the uneven wearing of rotors take place in such a way that they turn into something shaped like a dish. Through the naked eye, it is often undetectable, although a lip might be felt on the outer border of your rotor.
Formation of Deep Grooves
Like the previously explained problem, the formation of deep grooves is critical because they won’t allow your braking pads a level, uniform contact area, and this affects your braking efficiency.
Overheating Issues
Rotors literally get too hot at times. If the dissipation of heat doesn’t take place properly, your rotors may be left with a pale orange ring or spot. This situation might lead to a broken rotor.
Rusting Issues
A usual hearing from the discussion by any group of technicians would say that drivers hear their brakes screeching or pulverizing when they first start to drive the car in the morning, but it cannot be heard anymore once the car gets hot. It is almost always caused by rust produced on the surface.
Buckling Issues
This is another problem that can be detected by drivers like a pulsation of the brake pedal. As warping of rotors takes place with age, pads no longer keep uniform contact with the rotors all the way surrounding the axis and thus, reduces the efficiency of braking.
Missing of Cracks or Chunks
These problems are easily visible with naked eyes and these are signs of a rotor that has defects and asking for its replacement.
Features of a Good Quality Rotor
There are some special features to look at before you go to buy a rotor:
- Provides more dissipation of heat.
- Ability to reduce vibration.
- It should have good stopping power.
- It should be easy to install.
- Should contain ceramic brake lubricant.
These features should be given topmost priority while buying rotors.
Q: How will you examine or check your brake propeller?
Ans: For a spoke wheel design, you can run your finger vertically down into the friction surface of the brake rotor and after this, if you can notice and feel deep grooves, then you need to replace your brake rotor. For the vehicles having pivot caps that don’t allow the rotor to be exposed, removal of the wheel is needed for the inspection of your brake rotors.
Q: How will your brake rotors look like when they are worn out?
Ans: One of the most common indicators of your brake rotor that’s worn out is clattering, wobbling, or vibrating at the time of braking. The vibrations can be normally felt by your foot as you press the braking pads, and it is usually the identification of brake rotors that have gone bad or worn out.
Possibility of the Bad Braking Pads to Ruin Braking Vanes
The first point of contact for decelerating the vehicle is your braking pads, and when wearing down of pads take place, the force is applied to the rotors in place of the pads. Worn out braking pads can also cause the wheels to get warmer, and this produced heat can also cause the warping of rotors.
Can Driving With Bad Brake Rotors Be a Dangerous Decision?
If you identify that you have rotors already gone bad or warped, you must stop to drive your vehicle and call a technician right away. Driving with bad rotors ultimately will fail the braking system, which can be injurious to yourself and those around you too.
FAQ
Q: What is the first indication that will let you know that your rotor is going bad?
Ans: The rotors will produce some noise. They may produce screaming or peeping sounds and thus, will indicate that the rotor is going bad.
Q: What will happen if you put new braking pads on bad rotors?
Ans: If the newly bought braking pads are installed on the defected rotors, the contact between the pads and rotors will not be uniform and thus, it will reduce the stopping power of the vehicle.
Deep grooves that have developed in a worn rotor will act as a hole-puncher or shredder and damage the pad material as it is pressed against the rotor.
Q: What happens if you do not replace bad rotors?
Ans: Bad brake rotors lead to wearing and tearing of your braking pad, and if it goes unnoticed, pulsation and fast braking may take place. This indicates that the tires jiggle and shake and it leads to a convulsive steering column and also causes anti-lock braking process failure. You need to change the brake rotor in this case.
Conclusion
The braking system has always been considered as the backbone of automobiles. Rotors being solely an important part of it requires proper maintenance and timely replacements. You will always look for the ways to long last your braking rotors and thus the braking system of your vehicle.
That is why a proper knowledge on when to replace them is a must if you have a vehicle or a technician in this field or anyone interested in automobiles.