Okay, so the other day, my car’s brakes started feeling kinda funny. You know, when you hit the pedal and the steering wheel does a little shimmy? Yeah, that pulsating feeling. Super annoying and frankly, a bit worrying. I figured the rotors were warped or something. Didn’t want to shell out for brand new ones just yet, so I thought, let’s try getting these things resurfaced.
Getting Started
First thing first, gotta get the car up. Found a level spot in my driveway, chocked the back wheels just to be safe. Then out came the jack and the jack stands. Safety first, right? Lifted the front end up, slid the stands under the proper points, and lowered the car onto them. Felt solid enough.
Next up, lug nuts. Loosened them a bit while the tire was still touching the ground – makes it way easier than fighting a spinning wheel in the air. Then jacked it up just a tad more, spun off the nuts, and pulled the wheel off. Set it aside.
Taking Things Apart
Alright, now I could see the brake assembly clearly. The caliper is held on by a couple of bolts, usually on the back side. Had to find the right size socket. Mine were pretty tight, needed a bit of muscle, maybe a grunt or two. Once those bolts were out, I carefully slid the caliper off the rotor. Important bit here: don’t just let the caliper hang by the brake hose! That’s bad news. I used a bungee cord, hooked it onto the caliper and then onto the suspension spring up top to hold it out of the way without stressing the hose.
With the caliper chilling out, the rotor was just sitting there on the hub studs. Sometimes they just slide right off. Mine? Nope. A bit stuck. Gave it a few taps with a rubber mallet around the center part. Still stuck. Okay, plan B. Most rotors have a couple of small threaded holes. Found a couple of bolts that fit (M8, I think?), threaded them into those holes, and gently tightened them down, alternating between the bolts. Pop! The rotor broke free from the hub. Success!
Did the same song and dance on the other side of the car.
The Resurfacing Bit
So now I had two rotors sitting on the ground. Wiped them down a bit. You could actually see some uneven wear, maybe feel slight grooves. Tossed them in the trunk and drove down to a local auto parts store that has one of those brake lathe machines. The guy behind the counter took a look, said “Yeah, we can probably clean these up.” Left them there, went to grab a coffee.
Came back maybe an hour later? And there they were. Looked almost new! Nice, smooth, cross-hatched surface on both sides. The machinist dude said they were still well within the minimum thickness limit, so that was good news. Paid the fee – way cheaper than new rotors, that’s for sure.
Putting It All Back Together
Back home, time for reassembly. Basically, just did everything in reverse.
- Slid the freshly machined rotor back onto the wheel studs. Made sure it sat flush against the hub face. I put one lug nut on finger-tight just to hold it in place while I worked.
- Unhooked the caliper from its bungee cord rest. Carefully slid it back over the rotor. Sometimes you gotta push the brake pistons back in a little to make room for the pads over the slightly thicker (because it’s now flat) rotor, but mine went on okay.
- Lined up the caliper bolts and tightened them down properly. Can’t have those coming loose.
- Repeated for the other side.
- Put the wheels back on. Spun the lug nuts on by hand until they were snug.
- Lowered the car off the jack stands.
- Once the car was on the ground, I torqued the lug nuts down in a star pattern. Gotta make sure the wheel is on evenly and tight.
The Result
Okay, moment of truth. Got in the car, pumped the brake pedal a few times before starting the engine. This is super important to get the caliper pistons pushed back out against the pads. Felt firm. Started it up, took it for a slow test drive around the block. Applied the brakes gently at first. Felt smooth! No more shimmy, no more pulsing. Went a bit faster, braked a bit harder. Yep, problem solved. Felt like new brakes again.
So yeah, resurfacing definitely worked for me this time. Saved some cash and got my brakes feeling right again. Good weekend project, all in all.
