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Resurface my rotors?

Old 12-04-2014, 11:15 AM
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Resurface my rotors?

Hello, I have a 2001 SE 5spd. It's got Brembo cross drilled and slotted rotors. It's about time to change my pads, fluid, and I want to resurface the rotors, or else i'm stuck with changing them out for the Nissan value advantage stock replacements that suck donkey ***** compared to the ones I have now. The dealers I called and some local brake shops I called says that they can't resurface them and I would need to take it to a race shop to have those kind of rotors resurfaced. Before I go out and buy some crappier smooth rotors and put them on my car is there anything you guys can think of that I can do to keep my rotors on there? I don't even know of any performance shops in my area that can do this. Thoughts? suggestions?
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Old 12-04-2014, 11:39 AM
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Why are you stuck with the stock replacements? Just buy new slotted rotors.
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Old 12-04-2014, 11:49 AM
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^^

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Old 12-04-2014, 12:04 PM
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O ya

Just i'd rather resurface mine I have on there now than buy new ones (its probably cheaper to do).

If I do end up getting new ones i'll probably just get some regular smooth rotors that aren't such a pain to get resurfaced...

Just ranting I guess.
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Old 12-04-2014, 01:20 PM
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Originally Posted by LazYRaCeR
O ya

Just i'd rather resurface mine I have on there now than buy new ones (its probably cheaper to do).

If I do end up getting new ones i'll probably just get some regular smooth rotors that aren't such a pain to get resurfaced...

Just ranting I guess.
Slots are overrated anyway. Invest in some good blanks like Centrics and call it a day.
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Old 12-04-2014, 03:15 PM
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Scuff them up with a 3" scuffing pad on 90 degree die grinder..... I resurfaced my 6th Gen Xdrilled rotors one time and the Part tech whined so much I scuff them and repadded about 3 times til I bought the Powerstop Xdrilled rotor/pads package for F/R!
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Old 12-04-2014, 08:54 PM
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You need a lathe to resurface a rotor.
Rotors are like 20 bux each come on guys.
You'll probably save 5 bux if you do find an old crusty hole in the wall mechanic to do it for you.

Last edited by Donkeypunch; 12-04-2014 at 08:59 PM.
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Old 12-04-2014, 10:43 PM
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Originally Posted by Donkeypunch
You need a lathe to resurface a rotor.
Rotors are like 20 bux each come on guys.
You'll probably save 5 bux if you do find an old crusty hole in the wall mechanic to do it for you.
+1!
And PowerStop kits (rotors + pads) are both very good an inexpensive.
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Old 12-04-2014, 10:46 PM
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I'm probably going to get some regular rotors. Then try to resurface my old ones myself lol.
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Old 12-04-2014, 11:12 PM
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Originally Posted by TallTom
Slots are overrated anyway. Invest in some good blanks like brembo's and call it a day.
fixed for quality
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Old 12-04-2014, 11:22 PM
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Originally Posted by max ride 41
fixed for quality
Centric supplies the oem rotors, I think. The quality is fine. I used to buy them for whatever car when I do brake jobs (now advance auto online codes are where it's at).
But I have used brembo blanks before when I got a pair cheap.

The problem is that 5th gen rotors are too small.
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Old 12-05-2014, 04:54 AM
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^^ Slots arent overrated, they provide more pad bite at the expense of faster wear.

Many track guys use slotted.

Drilled is probably best setup for street use, but can crack and not good for durability. Even tho many OEM sports cars have em.

And then you have the combo of slotted/drilled which IMO is perfectly in the middle, great for hard street use and good for some track use.
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Old 12-05-2014, 06:03 AM
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Originally Posted by Child_uv_KoRn
Centric supplies the oem rotors, I think. The quality is fine. I used to buy them for whatever car when I do brake jobs (now advance auto online codes are where it's at).
But I have used brembo blanks before when I got a pair cheap.

The problem is that 5th gen rotors are too small.
brembo's are often times the same price or cheaper than centric and are better quality imo http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw...otors&_sacat=0
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Centric-Brak...6c477a&vxp=mtr
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Old 12-05-2014, 06:39 AM
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Performance shop? Slotted/cross drilled rotors are common place. Mechanic shops (at least in my area) turn motorcycle rotors (which tend to be cross drilled and slotted) all the time. You just have to turn them more slowly - no difference than doing car rotors of the same design.

I think they just didn't want to mess with it.

CMax is correct, unless you have or believe you have warpage on the rotors they probably don't require turning anyway. Just take some 80 grit paper and go over them by hand for minor resurfacing....use a pad on a grinder if the surface needs more attention.
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Old 12-05-2014, 05:43 PM
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Originally Posted by D.Stillwell
^^ Slots arent overrated, they provide more pad bite at the expense of faster wear.

Many track guys use slotted.

Drilled is probably best setup for street use, but can crack and not good for durability. Even tho many OEM sports cars have em.

And then you have the combo of slotted/drilled which IMO is perfectly in the middle, great for hard street use and good for some track use.
Maxima's aren't track cars.
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Old 12-05-2014, 05:46 PM
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Originally Posted by max ride 41
brembo's are often times the same price or cheaper than centric and are better quality imo http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw...otors&_sacat=0
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Centric-Brak...6c477a&vxp=mtr
I have had both and had better luck with the Centrics. The brembo's warped within 10k miles.
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Old 12-05-2014, 06:33 PM
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I see some regular Brembo brakes in the classifieds that I'll probably get. The advisor from Nissan suggested I get mine resurfaced, and re-rounded. That requires a special machine. I'm going to probably just get new rotors just the smooth kind. Then i'll try going over my rotors with some brake cleaner and fine grit sand paper. I don't know how I would round them though. Trust me though, my rotors are bad!
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Old 12-05-2014, 08:23 PM
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Originally Posted by TallTom
I have had both and had better luck with the Centrics. The brembo's warped within 10k miles.
I have also had both. Both of them warped soon.

My OEM rotors (presumably Centrics?) warped within the first 15-20k miles. I replaced them with Brembo blanks and they also developed brake shudder very soon. And indeed, they did warp, because when I replaced them earlier this year, I measured rotor run-out: it was an order of magnitude above the acceptable tolerance.

My latest rotors are PowerStop. I bought the kit (blank rotors with ceramic scorched pads) and after 7k miles they still very smooth with no trace of shudder whatsoever. We'll have to wait another year to see how they do at 15-20k miles.
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Old 12-05-2014, 08:37 PM
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Originally Posted by D.Stillwell
^^ Slots arent overrated, they provide more pad bite at the expense of faster wear.

Many track guys use slotted.

Drilled is probably best setup for street use, but can crack and not good for durability. Even tho many OEM sports cars have em.

And then you have the combo of slotted/drilled which IMO is perfectly in the middle, great for hard street use and good for some track use.
The design makes a difference on how close the drill holes are to each other also, I've had Xdrilled rotor turned b4 but you have to lathe them really slow and the drilled holes need to be chamfered after turning them...I realize how to do a correct brake job but scuffing the rotor works as well....and it's quicker!
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