Brake Rotors
- Thread starter IHZ05VOY
- Start date
Just replaced the rears on my 9-7. What I did was locate the local brake warehouses that sell wholesale to the public. Stuff is much cheaper than retail or ebay. Just make sure you don't get the cheap Chinese rotors that will rust and are lighter in weight among other deficiencies.
- Dec 8, 2011
- 73
well just came back from the mechanic, and he said that my rotors need turning. they are glazed, and since im installing new pads i have to turn them or get new ones. $145 for all 4 pads + $160 turning and labor. I also got new tires coming next month, so i might just wait and see if i can get a brake and tire install deal. thanx for the info 
I've never done a single car repair before the 9-7x rear rotors and pads but have all the air tools and hand tools, hydraulic jack and stands basically a full garage set up at my house purchased by me that's never been used. I can tell you for the top notch equipment and pads right under the slotted and drilled rotors I spent about $150 and two hours of time. I could cut that two hours way down having done it once. I say go for it and do it youself and get nice, new rotors that are treated so they won't rust. I can't wait to change the Rainier brakes and rotors but it's going to be many years till they need changing and I get to do it again.
Boricua SS
Member
jrSS said:
the green stuff is considered top of the line for us SS folks without upgrading to the $3000 Baer Brake components... our rotors are around $60-$80 a piece!!! of course brake motives or rotor pros are cheaper... but just browse brakes on ssowners.. you'll see what i mean
welcome to the world of the SS 
to the OP... great choice on pads... maybe a bit overkill for your application.. but you will stop
i myself went the Duralast Gold Cmax ceramic pads... i actually bought them off of a member on tbssowners, who also sold me his center blank rotors for $80!!! deal of the century there... his SS was totalled, so he was looking to get rid of everything...
Lima Tango
Member
- Dec 4, 2011
- 242
I went with Raybestos Advanced Technology rotors and have been very happy with them. You can replace all your rotors completely for less than the $160 you'd be spending for turning and labor.
I wrote up an article on how to do the rotor and pad change; it's really not that hard and it's worth it for both the labor cost savings and because the more you know about and can do yourself on your vehicle, the better!
Article is here: GMTNation - How to Change Brake Pads and Rotors
Cheers,
LT
I wrote up an article on how to do the rotor and pad change; it's really not that hard and it's worth it for both the labor cost savings and because the more you know about and can do yourself on your vehicle, the better!
Article is here: GMTNation - How to Change Brake Pads and Rotors
Cheers,
LT
Lima Tango
Member
- Dec 4, 2011
- 242
IHZ05VOY said:I would like to do it my self. I saved me some $ when i did my spark plugs and throttle body cleaning, but i would have to invest in some tools. i might just skip the turning and buy new rotors and pay up for labor.
Your call, but no time like the present to start building up your tool collection. For this, if you had enough to do your plugs and TB then you probably just need a 1/2" driver and deep socket set, breaker bar, and torque wrench. Less than $100 in total.
- Dec 8, 2011
- 73
Lima Tango said:
I might just keep driving with the pads i have, the squeaking is tolerable. That way it will give me time to buy rotors and tools to do the job. I would really hate to not take advantage of the DIY post this site offers. thank you for the feedback.
There are folks in the county with a garage full of tools, who enjoy teaching new mechanics some tricks, and also appreciate good craft beers. Just sayin'. How far are you from Vista?IHZ05VOY said:I would like to do it my self. I saved me some $ when i did my spark plugs and throttle body cleaning, but i would have to invest in some tools. i might just skip the turning and buy new rotors and pay up for labor
You've got a PM. Standing offer for San Diego folks wanting to practice wrenching or put in parts while I advise.
Chickenhawk
Member
- Dec 6, 2011
- 783
Wow. Rotors are rarely turned anymore. Good quality rotors are relatively inexpensive these days and it is hard to justify the time, effort and money to turn rotors when you can buy brand new ones for the same price. Years ago, it made sense because rotors could easily be $400 each or more.IHZ05VOY said:
Even old school mechanics have brake lathes in the corner of their shops gathering dust.
Lima Tango said:
I'll add that the one thing I'm glad I bought was the two 10MM bolts that you use to drive the rotors off. The writeup referred to above says two small bolts but if your rotors are rusted tight, make sure you buy those two bolts from the hardware store ahead time. The 2$ I spent on them while gathering supplies made the difference between a really easy job and more work. My rotors were original 07's, and the car clearly sat for a long time at some point. Of course if you also do your rears, don't forget about the emergency brakes will make it difficult to remove the rotors if you've been using them and if you don't back them off a bit. Just the fact that you can buy all the tools you need and get to keep them for the price the shop will charge is reason enough to learn.