What happens if your rotors go bad

When rotors are warped or very worn, the contact between it and the brake pad can be imperfect. This sketchy contact results in vibration and shaking that can be felt through the brake pedal, steering wheel and even the car body. Worn brakes are noisy and persistent squealing or squeaking is a sure sign of problems. A grinding or scraping sound indicates severely worn rotors and pads.

A healthy brake rotor will appear almost smooth both to the eye and to the touch. This surface ensures good contact with the brake pads. However, letting the pads wear beyond minimum thickness will quicken the need for rotor replacement. Rotors that could have been machinable before the brakes went metal to metal may need to be replaced. Brake calipers are another component that can be destroyed if you continue to drive on bad brakes.

Once a pad is ejected or worn too thin, the caliper piston can hyper-extend and come out of place, causing brake fluid to leak. If this happens, the calipers must be replaced.

The calipers are not normally replaced during a brake job, so this is an extra expense that could have been avoided. Most vehicles should have their tires rotated at least every six months, which is a great time to have the brakes checked out since your mechanic can easily check the thickness of the pads and the condition of the brake hardware. Call us today at or schedule an appointment online. We are remaining open during the COVID pandemic as we service a wide variety of vehicles in which our community relies on including emergency and delivery vehicles.

Fast, free online quotes for your car repair. Brake System Inspection Cost. Service Location. Noisy Brakes One of the first symptoms commonly associated with bad brake rotors is noise.

Vibrations from the Brakes Another symptom of bad brake rotors is excessive vibration or pulsation coming from the brakes. Grooves or Score Marks on the Rotor Another symptom of bad or failing rotors is visual scoring or grooves on the face of the rotor.

Increased Stopping Distances Scoring and grooves in a rotor can impede its capacity to slow the vehicle, as well as cause vibration and pulsation that can be felt in the pedal. Home Brake System Inspection. The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified.

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Recent Brake System Inspection reviews. Excellent Rating. Rating Summary. Johnny 33 years of experience. Request Johnny. Toyota RAV4 L Johnny arrived early which was great, he performed the inspection in less than half an hour, and gave us a complete quote for all items needing attention, including the brakes as our main concern.

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