I gave my GS-R for 60K mile service today and learnt that the front and rear brake rotors need to be replaced because they are rusted. The dealer says it'll cost me about $600. Is he ripping me off? Is there a way I can get them done for cheap?

Thanks for any/all advice.

 

Rusted?? hmm just use the brakes and the rust should go away, of you can do it your slef, rotors run in the 20-40 a pair price and pads are around 30-100 dollars depending what pads you get, it is not a hard thing to do.

 

$600!?

yes they are ripping you off. http://importrp.com/ has brembo replacement rotors for $30 for fronts, $22 for rears. and ~$15 shipping. then pads should run you ~$100. and if you cant do it yourself, labor at a shop should be no more than another $100.

 

The tech. said the rotor is warped. Why does that happen? And how do I know what the OEM rotors are?

Thanks again for your replies.

 

First off, welcome to HAN. :thumbup: Enjoy your stay.

Second. $600 for new rotors front and rear is a complete and utter rip-off. Surface rust on the rotors is a non-issue in terms of performance, simply use your brakes and it'll shear right off. The major reasons I can see that would truly warrant replacing the rotors would be severe warpage or cracking - both of which are rare for a daily driver given proper maintance.

Are there any abnormal symptoms that would indicate warped rotors (i.e. vibration through the pedal or steering wheel under braking) ? I don't want to see you get ripped off, but I also want to be somewhat sure that your brakes are in good shape.

At any rate, welcome to the board. :cheers:

 

Thank you very much!

I didnt notice any vibrations but the tech. called me and said that he noticed some vibrations while braking. He said that the rotors have warped and hence need replacement.

Sorry for saying earlier that he's charging me $600 for the rotors. Well he said that the price includes the rear brake pads too.

 

Well, since the technician is advising you to replace the rotors - as opposed to having them "turned" [basically milled true again] - then I'd be inclined to replace them as well.

That said, I'd go to Summit Racing and order a set of Brembo™ OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) replacement rotors for your car, in addition to some performance brake pads. There' no reason for you to spend an insane amount of money at the dealer when you can get OEM quality parts elsewhere for probably half the price.

As others have alluded to above, replacing the rotors isn't difficult, but it does require renting a few specialized tools to get the stock rotors off. If you have an independent shop install the rotors, it'll probably be about $100 in labor - so that call is up to you.

OTOH, replacing the brake pads is so simple and basic, IMO it'd be worth your time to learn how to do it yourself and save a fair bit of money. A Haynes manual from your local bookstore would be a great place to start learning about the basic car maintenance and servicing procedures.

So there's my 2 yen. h:

 

Thanks. Can you suggest some perf. brake pads?
I should definitely try that. I've been thinking of repairing/fixing simple things myself. I guess now is the time

Oh! I forgot to ask. Whats the difference between slotted and cross-drilled rotors?

Thanks again for your time.

 

Well, we had a discussion thread on that about a week ago. I'd run a quick search for it. I somehow recall Axxis Ultimates being a brand with a lot of fans. I've run Raybestos HP+ pads, which are decent, but they generate a LOT of dust. h:

Definitely. If you've got a place to do basic maintenance, it really does pay to be able to not only do the work you can, but also to gauge whether a mechanic knows his shit or is trying to blow smoke up your..

Cross drilled and slotted rotors both increase performance by giving hot brake pad gasses somewhere to go during hard braking. Cross drilled rotors are - somewhat obviously - drilled right through the swept surface of the rotors, while slotted rotors have radial slots milled into the surface of the rotor.

In my experience with both types of rotors, I'm more inclined to recommend slotted rotors. I've had cross-drilled rotors crack as a result of getting too hot [and not radiating the heat away fast enough].

Slotted rotors, IMO, are better suited for a mild street application, because they retain more heat-absorbing mass than a cross-drilled rotor of the same diameter. When I swapped over to slotted rotors on my GTi, I could unleash the fury of hell upon them with impunity. :chuckles:

And of course, you're quite welcome. :thumbup:

 

Call 1-800-823-6945, i priced out 4 cross drilled bremo rotors, and pads for only $300cdn which is like 210us.