brake pads and rotors are shot, can i get by with this?

[posmindset]

i need both pads and rotors on my 02 explorer eddie bauer but i don't have the money to handle all that right now.

will it help to just replace the brake pads for now, i can do that fairly cheap.

i know that's a bandaid but will it help me any?

i'm losing stopping power

 

[manimal]

Pads will wear in to match the rotors over time but this is still a bad idea especially if your rotors are heavily grooved or warped. If the rotors need to be machined flat, most shops don't charge much more than $15 per rotor. Is that really too much to pay to know that your truck is going to stop in time to avoid an accident?

 

[Carguy3J]

Very few shops/parts stores do rotor machining anymore. It just isn't worth it. $15each to machine vs. $30 for brand new. A machined rotor is now thinner and much more likely to warp. It also has less "mass" to dissipate heat, and is therefor more prone to brake fade. It's a waste of money to machine most rotors these days. You can get new ones from Rock Auto for you Explorer for $30 each + shipping.

If you really can't afford it, then yes, of course new pads alone are "better" than worn out old ones that don't stop. Something is always better then nothing. However, if you rotors are grooved/scored, your new pads won't last nearly as long as they would with new rotors.

 

[posmindset]

thanks carguy,

like i said, i'm not looking for something to act as a long term fix , just something to help for a couple of months while i can get enough together to fix the problem correctly, rotors and pads.

manimal,

I've been to 3 auto shops concerning this and they are grooved somewhat. all of the shops are telling me that they won't machine them. 2 of them don't machine, the other won't because he says it's to close to the max specs they can machine and the liability is a grey area.

the parts aren't the concern as much as the labor cost. if you buy rotors, they don't install on their own. the price to get it done would be a couple hundred.

I hope you weren't insinuating that i'm being careless and not concerned with avoiding an accident and the safety of others. I asked this question looking at the situation and wondering if i had an option or not. I cam here to get unbiased opinions as the shops i've been too are mostly concerned with selling. I'll continue to goto more and get more opinions.

without walking in my shoes...you shouldn't judge. i come home everyday wondering if when i flip the light switch, the lights won't come on due to the power being turned off. at the moment, i'm robbing peter to pay paul on my bills so it's a challenge and will take some time to find a way to save up little by little to get this handled.

so yeah, that amount of cash, while it seems small, is a big deal...a huge deal. i'm in a tight spot for a moment and i'm trying to make due until i can handle the problems.

 

[97 EB Mike]

Just food for thought, although I'm guessing you've considered it already...

Have you thought of installing the parts yourself? It's not a horribly difficult job, even if you're a first timer. Maybe you have a local friend/relative with tools and/or willing to help?

Carguy is pretty much spot on. I work at a parts store in a town with 5, and we are the only place in town to get rotors machined. Even at that, we do very few. Usually by the time a bad rotor is found, they are too far out of spec to turn. And, imo, if this is a "band-aid" for a few months, then I personally would buy cheapest pads available. They will wear into the grooves on your rotor faster, which will provide more contact area, increasing stopping power. Sure, they'll wear quicker, but at this point anything will. And they're harder on your rotors to a point, but if the rotors already need replacement, what's to lose? Just my 2 cents...

Best of luck with your truck, and everything else!

 

[posmindset]

thanks Mike,

i had thought about replacing the pads with help from a friend and asked him if he had done rotors too, which he hadn't. So i was worried about getting into that and not doing it properly causing me to lose the breaks altogether. I was thinking it is more technical then you're mentioning.

i'll look into it and keep asking anybody i know if they know how to handle it and can give me a hand .

that's my plan is to buy cheap pads just for the shorterm.

thanks for the advice

 

[ranger7ltr]

There is another angle to this situation...

And you will find it unpleasant... But most shops will not just replace brake pads on subpar rotors...Yes new pads will help the stopping ability of the truck and get you by for a while...

But there is that pesky liability problem that if a shop works on your truck and it doesn't stop in time to avoid an accident the shop will be held responsible...

Granted I do 95% of my own work since I have the tools and the ability to do so and will tackle a job to learn from it and get it done but there are times that I still have to use a shop for work and they get to set the ground rules for repairs...

Good luck on getting the brakes done; whether you or a shop does them...Man money is tight as hell right now for everyone and no one I know wants to throw away money on an unneeded repair but your brakes stop bad stuff from happening...

Not going is bad, not stopping is worse...The first is inconvienent, the second can be deadly if not expensive and deadly...

BTW, you might post where you are because there are forum members everywhere and someone more knowledgeable might be able to give you a hand with your situation...Just another thought...

 

[nitro71]

Check some of the local junk yards. See what a used set will run. A set from a 02 shouldn't have that much wear. You can get by with new pads(cheap) for a while just watch them like a hawk.

 

[Carguy3J]

Check some of the local junk yards. See what a used set will run. A set from a 02 shouldn't have that much wear. You can get by with new pads(cheap) for a while just watch them like a hawk.

I suppose it can't hurt to ask, but most junkyards won't sell rotors,pads,etc... as they are "comsumables". Not only that, for what they would be able to sell a used rotor for (considering the price of new), it usually doesn't pay for them to expend the labor to remove them. They also know that many would later be returned for being warped or something. Same thing with exhaust, they usually won't bother selling exhaust, except for manifolds, and maybe a whole system, if it's stainless.

 

[Verno]

for the OP (POS...) changing the rotors themselves is actually easier than the disc brake pads. Assuming you don't have a chilton or haynes manual you can download the procedures from the web or get a printout from advance/autozone. Most difficult part of that job is getting bearings properly packed with grease. If/when you go for new rotors you should plan on new wheel bearings and oil seal as well.

 

[bluestream1]

Replacing the pads alone is a false economy. New econmy rotors are around $30. That's about the price of a tank of gas. I would wait till you can do both at once.

 

[dannyces]

hey dont know if it helps but i just got new pads and rotors as a combo deal on ebay for about 60 bucks with free shipping
Danny

 

[nitro71]

In eastern WA you can pull rotors yourself at the local pull n save. Think they are about $10 a side.

 

[4X50 Exploder]

I know all too well what the view is like from between the rock and hard spot... Where are you located? If you are close enough I would be happy to help with free labor! If you are too far away, maybe someone else is close enough to help you out...

Check around for assistance in your community! Do not be too proud or afraid to ask for help! There are lots of resources; Churches, local colleges, even try state assistance like the DSHS programs...