Standard Procedure - Brake Rotor Machining: Notes

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2005 Dodge Stratus and 2005 Chrysler Sebring. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

NOTE: Refacing the rotor is not required each time the brake pads are replaced, only when the need is foreseen.

Any servicing of the rotor requires extreme care to maintain the rotor within service tolerances to ensure proper brake action.

If the rotor surface is deeply scored or warped, or there is a complaint of brake roughness or brake pedal pulsation, the rotor should be refaced using a hub-mounted on-car brake lathe, or replaced. See Fig 1.

Fig 1: On-Car Brake Lathe

Courtesy of DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORP.

1 - ON-CAR BRAKE LATHE

The use of a hub-mounted on-car brake lathe is highly recommended to eliminate the possibility of excessive runout. It trues the brake rotor to the vehicle's hub and bearing.

NOTE: All rotors have markings for minimum allowable thickness cast on an un-machined surface of the rotor. See Fig 2.

Fig 2: Minimum Brake Rotor Thickness Markings (Typical)

Courtesy of DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORP.

1 - ROTOR MINIMUM THICKNESS MARKING

2 - ROTOR

Minimum allowable thickness is the minimum thickness which the brake rotor machined surface may be cut to.

CAUTION: Do not machine the rotor if it will cause the rotor to fall below minimum thickness.

Before installation, verify the brake rotor face and the hub adapters are free of any chips, rust, or contamination.

When mounting and using the brake lathe, strict attention to the brake lathe manufacturer's operating instructions is required.

Machine both sides of the brake rotor at the same time. Cutting both sides at the same time minimizes the possibility of a tapered or uneven cut.