This is why I hate national chain auto repair places! *UPDATE*

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weirdichi

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Sep 19, 2001
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2009 Mazda 3 sedan
75,000 miles

I thought $99 was too much at the shop and I can replace it myself anyway; I've done it before on an old Acura Integra.

I don't need performance, just so that I can drive and be safe. What are some decent brands that will last for me a while?

**EDIT**
Took it in for state inspection this morning. Couldn't pass because brake fluid was low. Gave them permission to check brakes and was told rotors may need to be replaced along with brakes. Said no thanks because I already have brakes and can do it myself.

Came home didn't go anywhere. Few minutes ago, got in car to go to gym and when I turn left to get out of the parking lot, there's a scraping sound. Turning right does not produce any noise. There was no scraping sound before I took it in to stupid Firestone. Visual inspection of the calipers, pads, and rotors look normal.

Do I take it back to Firestone and yell at them tomorrow?

OR

Do I just go ahead and change the brakes myself (rotors should still be ok, but I may think about taking it in for free inspection just to make sure)?

**UPDATE 7/20/13**
The plate was bent so they could take the measurement of the rotors and they never bent it back into place. Went in and they restored it. What a waste of time.

Also, I took it to another place for state inspection and it passed with flying colors. Fuck Firestone!
 
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Jimzz

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Oct 23, 2012
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If you plan on keeping the car a long time the Raybestos Advanced Technology and Centric High carbon are good rotors.

www.rockauto.com has both of these.


S model (2.3l)
CENTRIC Part # 12545069 High Carbon Rotor; High Carbon / Power Alloy $55.79

RAYBESTOS Part # 980283 Advanced Technology; 5 Bolt Holes $62.79

2.0L model
RAYBESTOS Part # 980295 Advanced Technology; 5 Bolt Holes $55.79
 
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weirdichi

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Sep 19, 2001
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If you plan on keeping the car a long time the Raybestos Advanced Technology and Centric High carbon are good rotors.

www.rockauto.com has both of these.


S model (2.3l)
CENTRIC Part # 12545069 High Carbon Rotor; High Carbon / Power Alloy $55.79

RAYBESTOS Part # 980283 Advanced Technology; 5 Bolt Holes $62.79

2.0L model
RAYBESTOS Part # 980295 Advanced Technology; 5 Bolt Holes $55.79

And I'm thinking these prices are per rotor, so I'd have to double the price for a pair, correct?

Also, I don't need to resurface store bought rotors, right? I can just install them from the box?
 
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Jimzz

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Oct 23, 2012
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Correct, most rotors are sold each.

Rotors just need to be cleaned out of the box to install, no turning/resurfacing.
 

weirdichi

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Sep 19, 2001
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Thanks. I'm just wondering at how many miles do rotors need to be replaced. It's still running on the factory ones when I bought the car new.
 

phucheneh

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Jun 30, 2012
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It's not a mileage thing. there's going to be a vast difference between someone who gets 50k+ out of a set of pads and has never had them machined, and someone who has them turned every 10k miles because of pulsation issues.

It's determined by measuring. Discard thickness is often printed around the center part of the rotor. If not, you look it up in a book.

General rule of thumb for most cars: every other brake job.

Did you find the source of your noise? Was it a scrape...or a grind? Grinding is lack of pad material. It can be hard to see, as it's commonly the inboard pad on one side that wears through first. Even more, the pad rarely wears totally evenly, and it may only be through to the backing plate towards the center of the rotor.

As noted above, make sure you clean new rotors. They will have oil on them that keeps them from rusting in the box. Rinse with brake cleaner and wipe off with some clean rags or paper towels.
 

weirdichi

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Sep 19, 2001
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I believe the noise is coming from the front passenger side. I had my roommate go out and listen from the passenger and driver side while I was driving in circles around him. It's a scraping sound. I would recognize the grinding sound. When I brake, there is not noise either. The pads still look like it could get another 10k miles from them. I checked the CV boots and everything around just to make sure nothing was leaking and everything was fine.

Could it be that there's a shield of some sort between the pads and the calipers and they didn't put it in correctly?
 

phucheneh

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Jun 30, 2012
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Sounds like one of two things to me:

Wear indicators (squealer tabs). Either a coincidence, or the shop bent them in just to be dicks.

Brake pad is wearing through. I've seen brakes start to make a dull scrape before the real 'grinding' started, and it's usually from a big lip on the edge of a rotor starting to rub backing plate. Basically, the edge of the pad is still there, but that 1-2mm of rotor that doesn't see contact with the pad sits a little higher and has started to rub right outside the edge of the actual friction material. Because it's just a tiny amount of 'metal on metal,' it doesn't really grind, but it makes a bit of an odd noise.
 

weirdichi

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Sep 19, 2001
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I'll take it in to a different place tomorrow morning and give an update. I'm hoping it's the pads and that will solve the issue. Thanks.
 

Wingznut

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Dec 28, 1999
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Wear indicators (squealer tabs). Either a coincidence, or the shop bent them in just to be dicks.
Gotta be the wear indicators. The fact that it doesn't make the scraping noise while braking is the telltale sign.

I suppose it's possible that the shop bent them in, but that's really unlikely. They'd have to be serious bastards, borderline sociopaths.
 

phucheneh

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Jun 30, 2012
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LOL, why would you bend a dust shield INTO a rotor to measure them?

Odd that the noise went away while braking. Dust shields are usually pretty constant. Must have barely been touching.
 
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