If the rotor is close to the minimum spec, they can still look "good" and/or
"meaty". The minimum spec is there to protect the user from a bigger
mess/accident. Yes, I've seen what happens when a "Brake Specialty Shop"
turns the rotors too thin and they shatter under the heat - not a pretty
sight. Not cleaning up the rotors at each brake pad change creates more
issues with the braking system than it's worth. Don't skimp on your
brakes...they're the main thing that prevents you from hitting someone else
or stopping in time in an emergency.
NAPA does carry a alternative to the Powerslots for less money...and they
work well.
- Bernd
-----Original Message-----
From: jon@dakota-truck.net [mailto:jon@dakota-truck.net]
Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2008 9:06 PM
To: dakota-truck-moderator@bent.twistedbits.net
Subject: Re: DML: Ball Joints & rotors
"Jay & Dana" <jay&dana@telus.net> wrote:
> They also said that my upper and lower ball joints and both brake rotors
> should be replaced soon. What do you guys think about $130.00CDN each for
> the lower ball joints, $90.00CDN each for the upper ball joints (Mopar non
> greaseable of course) ,and $95.00CDN each per rotor? They said the
> originals couldn't be turned but they don't look that bad to me.
Just by way of comparison, Autozone sells a rotor with a 2 year
warranty for $54 and another with a 1 year warranty for $42. (They
also sell a Baer drilled and slotted rotor for $128.) I don't know
how any of the above would compare to the rotors that the dealership
is selling, quality-wise. Since you are stopping in at NAPA anyway,
see what they have to offer in the way of rotors as well. In my
experience, the dealership is usually the most expensive place to buy
parts (where alternatives exist).
My personal theory on rotors is that I think a lot of them get
changed while they still have a lot of life left in them. Rotors are
a pretty beefy part so I don't think there is a big risk of them
blowing apart on you or anything along those lines unless you take it
to extremes. I get my brake pads at Autozone which have a lifetime
warranty on them, basically you buy one set of pads and as long as you
own the vehicle, you can bring them back in and exchange them for a
new set when they are used up. So, if a rotor is grooved up or
something and may tend to eat pads, I don't care as much as if I had
to pay for new pads all the time. :-) I just let the pads bed in to
the rotor. The exception to this is if the rotor is actually warped
and you're getting pulsation when you apply the pedal, then I'll
replace the rotors, but as long as they are smooth and doing their
job, I haven't really paid much attention to things like grooves or
thickness.
Keep in mind that I am a self described cheapskate and the above is
just my personal perspective; I am certainly not advocating that you
take the same route, I'm just throwing that out there as a data point.
If it were me, I'd look at the rotors and make a judgement call based
on what they look like and how they are working. Based on your
description, I suspect that would mean running them as-is in my case,
but if you are uncomfortable with that, the peace of mind of having
brand new rotors installed certainly has some value as well. Wether
it has $190 CAD worth of value is your call. :-)
--
-Jon-
.- Jon Steiger -- jon@dakota-truck.net or jon@jonsteiger.com -.
| '96 Kolb Firefly, '96 Suzuki Intruder, Miscellaneous Mopars |
`-------------------------------- http://www.jonsteiger.com --'
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