3 Reasons Why Your Brake Rotors Warp
Rotor warp can be fixed by machining down the uneven surface
Thumbnail and Featured Photo by Benjamin Brunner on Unsplash
3 Reasons Why Your Brake Rotors Warp
Brake rotors are the disks that sit in between the axle and your wheel. The piece of metal that looks awesome especially when you have colored brake calipers.
Also known as brake discs, these have to withstand lots of heat and dissipate them quickly. Most sports cars have holes on them.
Imagine, driving comfortably along the road behind a car. The car stops all of a sudden, you press your brake pedal, your car's brake pads apply themselves onto the brake rotors, and you stop a couple inches away from that car. Phew. That whole process generated a lot of heat on your brake rotors.
Reasons for brake rotor warp
Did that scenario cause your brake rotors to warp? Not necessarily.
First, brake rotors are considered warped when the rotor's surface becomes rough and uneven.
Excessive heat
It is the main cause for creating an uneven surface
Applied braking for a very looong time
- The grippy material from your brake pads can glaze over your brake rotors like glaze on a donut
- The rotor is made up of different materials from your brake pads. It's what causes the friction. Friction of the brake pads on the rotors material is what makes you stop.
- The performance drops when the rotor is glazed with some of that brake pad material.
Hard-Soft Surfaces
- With excessive heat, the harder rotor can become softer, less dense, leading to faster wear. With this uneven wear, the harder, more dense spots end up sticking out. The results are an uneven surface
- The side effects of uneven ware would be vibrations of your steering wheel when applying your brakes.
Improper Bedding-in of Brake Pads
- After installation, apply pressure to brake system without coming to a stop at slow speeds
- 15 min cool down without applying brakes
As long as your brake pads are aligned nicely, the brake rotors won't deform.
- No uneven wear = no warping
Closing Note
Rotor warp can be fixed by machining down the uneven surface. Machining can be done as long as the material of your rotors are thick enough. Machining is the process of shaving off a layer of your rotors so that it's even again.
At Tri-City Tire and Automotive, we can provide this service to you. Call us today to inquire or book an appointment! (760) 630-2266
