Warped Rotors

[MacAttack7]

I have a very obvious vibration in the steering wheel when braking, so I'm assuming I have warped rotors.

Could I just follow the typical instructions you find on the internet if I wanted to put new rotors on myself, or is there anything
special I need to know for the Mazda?

I've changed rotors on a Jeep Liberty before & it was pretty simple even though I have about zero mechanical experience.

Also any recommendations for rotors (and should I change the pads also while I'm at it?).

Thanks.

 

[CorkSport]

There are pretty easy to change on the Mazda 2. I think the last time I changed a set out it was around an hour and I was taking my time working on it.

Change the pads and rotors both. For brands there are plenty out there, choose something that matches your driving style.

Last note, make sure you torque the wheels to the correct tightness.

-Derrick

 

[Racebrewer]

I'll second Derrick on the replacement process.

However, you possibly (probably?) don't have warped rotors. Most likely there are deposits on the rotors from the brake pads rather than warped rotors.

This has been the subject of another recent thread. Might be worth searching for under: warped

I ran into this last month on a friend's Scion. Car felt like it was going to jump off the road it shook so much when braking. I pulled the worst side apart and found no problems except a blotchy coloration on the surface of the rotor. Fixed it with a series of heavy duty brake applications at speed. Each application resulted in a lessened shaking when braking. After 20 minutes it was pretty much gone. Obviously, don't do this when cars are behind or around you. Use common sense or you may get rear ended.

YMMV

And, I'm sure that your dealer would be happy to replace $$$$$$$

John

 

[eyeballs]

^ What John said. You'll know the pads are getting hot enough to remove the deposits when your brakes are starting to fade. And obviously make sure you are on a closed course with a professional driver.

 

[colonelangus]

im going to disagree i have warped rotors to and its obvious..ive never seen deposits cause the same feeling as warped rotors ever ..im 47 have had well over a hundred cars/trucks etc..imo deposits at best cause squeeling ..just my .02 and its only worth .01 due to inflation

buy a decent set of aftermarket rotors/pads ..the factory puts the thinnest cheapest rotors they can to save money and weight..

 

[Racebrewer]

But they won't save money if they have to replace them all the time.

Try mounting a dial indicator and rotate the rotors to check run-out.

John

 

[eyeballs]

I'll see if I can find it, but stoptech had a good article illustrating the warped rotor vs pad deposits. Those guys know what they're doing.

edit: here it is

http://www.stoptech.com/technical-support/technical-white-papers/-warped-brake-disc-and-other-myths

 

[Joker2]

I'll see if I can find it, but stoptech had a good article illustrating the warped rotor vs pad deposits. Those guys know what they're doing.

edit: here it is

http://www.stoptech.com/technical-support/technical-white-papers/-warped-brake-disc-and-other-myths

Stop, I used to work in a shop and we made good money replacing pads and rotors.

 

[eyeballs]

Lol. Don't worry...very few people actually seem to understand the concept. Personally, I typically only replace rotors when they get too thin, which is the nice thing about slotted rotors. If they're made correctly, when the slots start to dissapear its time for new rotors. No need to measure.