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I wouldn't consider a brake job complete without turning the rotors. Without exception, every time I've changed pads or had them changed, the rotors were some combination of unevenly worn or grooved. Not turning them just shortens the useful life of the new pads.
Mounting and road force balancing runs between $15 and $20, here, per tire. Some shops will do that if the tires were bought elsewhere, but a few months ago when I called a few shops about brake work, none of them would install parts they didn't sell. I even specified Hawk pads, which are the best known aftermarket pads for my car.
I disagree about turning the rotors.
I replaced pads on the following vehicles in the last few years:
2006 Ridgeline - OEM pads, no symptoms of warped rotors.
2006 Pilot - OEM pads, no symptoms of warped rotors
1997 NSX - Hawk HPS pads, no symptoms of warped rotors
2007 Infiniti M35 - aftermarket ceramic pads, replaced front rotors
2008 Ford Fusion - Wagner pads, replaced front rotors
Most of the gearheads I know are no longer turning rotors. Turning them removes metal, making them thinner (effectively "older"), more prone to warping again. New OEM quality rotors are just not that expensive.
My son's 2004 Element is showing signs of warped rotors and I have no intention of turning them. I will just replace them.
Save dealer visits for warranty work or engine / computer problems. Any typical repair shop can do brake, struts, wheel replacement work for a lot less then the dealer.
I wouldn't consider a brake job complete without turning the rotors. Without exception, every time I've changed pads or had them changed, the rotors were some combination of unevenly worn or grooved. Not turning them just shortens the useful life of the new pads.
Oddly enough, I very rarely turn or replace rotors. Only when there's an obvious reason to do so. OEM rotors are generally better quality than replacements, and turning the rotors removes thickness.
You don't turn rotors on a Mazda, you replace them. Two new front rotors, 2 new rear drums, all new quality brake pads/shoes and you should be spending around $400.00 installed. DO NOT use ceramic shoes. Get semi-metallic. Time to do the job is about an hour and half- these are EXTREMELY easy to do. If you have any mechanical knowledge at all, you can do this.
Tires will depend on the type of driving you do. Mostly hiway you need a good set tires. Mostly town driving at speeds 50 and under, the tires don't have to be top shelf. Get reviews from places like Tire Rack and Discount Tire and look for reviews with vehicles the same size as yours. The Focus is in the same size range and you should be able to find a lot of reviews on tires from both cars. Pick several different brands and models and shop the purchase. I've known folks that have gotten great service from Pep Boys tires although I wouldn't suggest them for a hiway tire. Make sure about the warranty for any tire you buy. Buying at a local place and have a flat 500 miles from home may leave you buying a new tire.
I replaced pads on the following vehicles in the last few years:
2006 Ridgeline - OEM pads, no symptoms of warped rotors.
2006 Pilot - OEM pads, no symptoms of warped rotors
1997 NSX - Hawk HPS pads, no symptoms of warped rotors
2007 Infiniti M35 - aftermarket ceramic pads, replaced front rotors
2008 Ford Fusion - Wagner pads, replaced front rotors
Most of the gearheads I know are no longer turning rotors. Turning them removes metal, making them thinner (effectively "older"), more prone to warping again. New OEM quality rotors are just not that expensive.
My son's 2004 Element is showing signs of warped rotors and I have no intention of turning them. I will just replace them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Big George
Oddly enough, I very rarely turn or replace rotors. Only when there's an obvious reason to do so. OEM rotors are generally better quality than replacements, and turning the rotors removes thickness.
I didn't mean to suggest that turning rotors is expected to be an automatic function in all brake jobs. In all my cases, they needed to be turned (I think I did replace a couple because they couldn't be turned, but it's been a while) to alleviate a problem. Usually it was a case of buying some time for replacement of either the rotors or the vehicle. Replacement is a better option in many cases, I agree, but I'm all for getting all the useful life out of anything I can.
I had the front brakes done on my GTO a few months ago. They turned the rotors because they were warped, which is what prompted the brake job in the first place. I've been considering a CTS-V brake setup, which apparently bolts right on with little modification, and is a third of the price (from the dealer, no less!) of an aftermarket Wilwood or Baer kit. And Brembo makes it! So I wasn't going to spend $60-$100 per rotor to replace them if turning them buys me time to sort out the CTS-V setup. So far it has, and the potential brake upgrade has been moved until springtime.
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