I'm in the process of replacing my rear brakes on my audi and the dealer is telling me that every time you replace brakes, rotors need to replace as well. Is this true? Or are they just trying to charge me more. Is this the case for the rear or for the front brakes as well? thank you.

 

You mean everytime you replace PADS you're supposed to do rotors?
I dont know how true that is... a visual inspection of your rotor, and then a measurement of how thick it is should tell you if the rotor needs to be replaced. Sometimes they just need to be turned, if they were gouged up badly. It is definitely not a rule, though... new pads do not neccessitate new rotors.

 

I don't know what they are talking about. Rotors can sometimes live through several sets of pads, depending on what type of compound you run.

I don't recommend you ever turn rotors. The price difference between turned and new is not that much and once the rotor is turned, it is more likely to warp than a new one because it has less material (ie will heat up faster / not dissipate heat as fast).

Did you really take it to a dealer to get the brakes done? You are going to get a big bill and just about any shop could have done them for you. Don't run in there and tell them you don't want the rotors replaced. You do need to do them if they are scored or warped, but not just because you are getting new pads. So you need to check out the condition of the rotors first.

This goes for both front and rear brakes.

 

Not trying to put words into your mouth, but did they say, "need" to be replaced or "should" be replaced?

If they told you that they need to be replaced, they're pulling your leg and tugging at your wallet. As mentioned, rotors can live thru many sets of pads before "needing" replaced; depending upon your driving style. It is not necessary unless your rotors are severely grooved or warped.

"Should" they be replaced everytime? I would say yes, but only for the fact that this is a "brake system" that works in tandem, and the system is only as good as its weakest component. The reason most of us do not do this is obviously the amount of money involved. It's quite costly to do this at every brake pad change. If i had the money to throw around, yes, i would get them changed; but i don't - so i just do the pads; and rotors "as needed".

Look at it this way. Most, if not all, of us change the oil filter everytime we change our oil. Is this needed? No - we all know in the automotive world we can change the filter every other oil change, but we do it anyways. Why? It's a cheap filter and part of an overall expensive engine system. So we toss a filter into our Autozone basket because we know we "should" change it every oil change, but know that it's not "needed"

Sorry for the emphasison those two words. I hope i'm not misunderstood with what i'm trying to say.

 

well i need to replace my fronts brake and i had to replace both rotors and pads