What Brake Rotor Resurfacing Consists Of
Everyone understands the need to have their car’s brake pads replaced as they wear down over time, but there is more to efficient stopping than just pads. The brake pads efficiently slow and stop the car by grabbing the brake rotors and impeding the ability of the wheels to continue turning.
Although the steel rotors don’t wear down at the same rate as the pads, the process does cause friction and heat, which means over time the rotors might get damaged. Typically, they can be resurfaced, but in some situations, it’s better to just replace them.
Why Rotors Need Resurfacing or Replacement
Resurfacing the rotor gives it a clean finish so the brake pads can work more efficiently against the rotors. Unfortunately, resurfacing the rotors leaves them a bit thinner than they originally were. After being resurfaced more than once, they can easily be too thin for safe braking. They aren’t as strong as the engineer’s design calls for, meaning they can potentially break, and they don’t disperse heat as well which causes more problems which can lead to the need for further repairs.
Because some newer cars already have thinner rotors than older models, and replacement rotors are much less expensive than they once were, sometimes it’s better just to replace the rotors as needed rather than trying to resurface them.
What Can Happen if You Don’t Service Your Brake Rotors
Basically, if the rotors aren’t maintained they will eventually have a failure by cracking. That a bad situation to be in and potentially dangerous if a brake gives out unexpectedly in traffic, but perhaps not an utter disaster. Remember, there are three other brakes that will stop the car, just not as efficiently as you might be used to.
Another issue worthy of consideration is if the rotor actually cracks, it’s probably going to cause more damage to the surrounding parts and other components of the brake system, and that in turn is going to be more expensive to repair than what it would have cost to conduct the proper maintenance on the rotor when it was first needed.
Choosing an Experienced Service Center in Wayne County
It’s always important to consider the services of an authorized dealership such as LaFontaine Kia in Dearborn, MI and serving the surrounding Wayne County communities of Chicago, Taylor, and Westland.
As opposed to going to a local mechanic, our technicians are trained to understand the specifics of each make and model of car, any technical needs they have, and whether any warranties or recall information might be available which affect the repair.
Service Amenities:
- Complimentary transportation provided by Lyft
- Newly remodeled waiting areas/service lounges
- Quiet area with workstations
- Complimentary Wifi
- Complimentary Beverages and Snacks
- Vending Machines
- Coming in May to the Dearborn area…
5G cellular service
