| A brake rotor is a vital part of the braking | | | | heating and cooling may cause them to warp. |
| system on your vehicle. A brake rotor, in | | | | Heating of your brakes plus water, snow, or |
| conjunction with brake pads, brings your car | | | | ice will also warp the rotor. There is an |
| to come to a quick and complete stop. If you | | | | easy way to determine if your brake rotor is |
| have a worn brake rotor, you should have it | | | | warped: you may feel a shuddering as you |
| replaced as soon as possible for your own | | | | apply your brakes. This vibration usually |
| safety. | | | | indicates that your brake pad is pressing |
| | | | against an uneven rotor. When this happens, |
| When you apply your car's brake pedal, brake | | | | it is time to either have your rotor turned |
| pads press down against the brake rotor. The | | | | or replaced entirely. |
| rotor is part of the front wheel hub, and it | | | | |
| stops the wheels from turning. Brake rotors | | | | Most vehicles manufactured in the past five |
| are commonly referred to as "discs," and | | | | years or so have been equipped with composite |
| people often refer to cars with brake rotors | | | | brake rotors. It is strongly recommended that |
| as being equipped with "disc brakes." | | | | with these vehicles, you do not have the |
| | | | rotors turned. Turning these composite rotors |
| In recent decades, most cars have been | | | | will take the heat tempering out of them. It |
| equipped with a brake rotor at the front of | | | | is best to simply replace the entire rotor in |
| the car. Some cars are also equipped with | | | | these this case, rather than trying to have |
| brake rotors on the rear wheels for added | | | | it resurfaced. |
| stopping power. The older alternative to a | | | | |
| disc brake is the drum brake; some cars are | | | | When replacing brake rotors, you face a |
| still made with drum brakes on the back | | | | variety of manufacturer options. You can |
| wheels. As with front-wheel disk brakes, | | | | choose to purchase Chevy parts if you own a |
| rear-wheel disk brakes are added for a more | | | | Chevy, or you can go with aftermarket parts |
| acutely responsive braking system. | | | | that often outperform the stock Chevy parts. |
| | | | The primary consideration is to make sure |
| After a period of standard wear, your car's | | | | that all of your brake parts are compatible |
| brake rotors may need to be replaced. | | | | with one another. |
| However, some conditions may wear down the | | | | |
| rotors more quickly, calling for quicker | | | | Finally, it is critical that you either |
| replacement. For instance, if you allow your | | | | replace or turn both of your brake rotors at |
| brake pads to wear down too far before you | | | | the same time. Replacing one brake rotor and |
| replace them, the brake pad can dig grooves | | | | not the other can result in different heat |
| into the rotors. These grooves must be | | | | dissipation rates - this will cause one wheel |
| repaired in order for your brakes to operate | | | | to stop turning sooner than the other, which |
| correctly. If your brake rotors have grooves | | | | could be very dangerous under hard braking |
| in them, you can have them "turned" or | | | | circumstances. Remember that when you are |
| resurfaced by a machine shop. This will | | | | working on your brakes. Your own safety |
| remove the grooves and make the rotor itself | | | | should always come first - prompt response to |
| thinner. | | | | any warning signs or problems is essential to |
| | | | the safe operation of your braking systems. |
| Warped brake rotors will also require | | | | |
| premature replacement. Brake parts grow | | | | When you are talking about your vehicle's |
| extremely hot during normal operation. If you | | | | braking systems, an ounce of prevention is |
| have been applying your brakes heavily and | | | | certainly cheaper than a pound of cure. |
| heating them more than usual, this rapid | | | | |