Having a hard time finding someone to turn rotors.

[Ryan H]

Delphos, Ohio! I have a bunch of family there. You have to be the only 911.

[Tippy]

Originally Posted by Catorce

There is a reason why no one turns rotors anymore - they are CHEAP.

You mustn't own Big Red brakes...

Or, you're so rich, money is no object. Take a gander at the prices...

[911pcars]

Many manufacturers are more concerned with customer complaints of brake squeal than rotor or pad life. Thus, they install softer pads to mitigate any potential noise. Who knows, perhaps softer cast iron rotors as well (?). I"m sure you've seen the spent pad material end up covering wheels and wheel covers.

And comparing rotor life on another vehicle isn't a good comparison with Porsche rotors. Most cars are underbraked with thin, small diameter rotors and small, single piston calipers. In addition, many/most car dealers typically replace rotors along with pad replacement. Preventative measures or to "pad" the repair bill. Installing new rotors is more profitable than time spent turning good rotors. You decide.

As described, brake pedal pulsations can be due to a transfer of brake pad material onto the rotor surface. If that's the case, try a surface conditioning disc to remove.
https://www.aaabrasives.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=surface%20conditioning#q=surface%20conditioning&idx=production_default_products&p=0&nR%5Bvisibility_search%5D%5B%3D%5D%5B0%5D=1&is_v=1

As for cheap rotors; yes, they're out there:
NEW Porsche 930 3.3l 78-79 Pair Set of 2 Front Vented Disc Brake Rotors Genuine | eBay

Sherwood

[Charles Freeborn]

Originally Posted by cabmando

I ended up getting the rotors turned by a local I mentioned in a previous post. $25 for the pair. Lowest cost for new that I saw was $104 for the pair. Savings: $79
The funny thing is, I had no idea I was starting such a controversial thread.

If saving less than a hundred bucks on a system as critical as brakes is important, perhaps owning a german car isn't for you. I really don't mean to be flip about it, but these cars aren't necessarily cheap to run..

[Driven97]

Originally Posted by Tippy

You mustn't own Big Red brakes...

Or, you're so rich, money is no object. Take a gander at the prices...

Oh yeah? Try a set of PCCB rotors for a modern Porsche. #CaptainOneUp

[Catorce]

Originally Posted by Tippy

You mustn't own Big Red brakes...

Or, you're so rich, money is no object. Take a gander at the prices...

The guy never said anything about big reds, and yes, I have two cars with them.

The phrase "false economy" comes to mind when describing an antiquated process to rehab a safety item that should probably be replaced.

Oh, and the fact that the OP can't find anyone to do it pretty much confirms that the industry has rejected this process out of hand. If someone could make money at it, they would be doing it.

[Tippy]

Originally Posted by Driven97

Oh yeah? Try a set of PCCB rotors for a modern Porsche. #CaptainOneUp

Let's be honest, 95%+ of us don't own a modern 911. I wasn't one upping, simply stating replacing standard brake rotors vs Big Reds is about a 6-8X difference...

[Tippy]

Originally Posted by Catorce

The guy never said anything about big reds, and yes, I have two cars with them.

The phrase "false economy" comes to mind when describing an antiquated process to rehab a safety item that should probably be replaced.

Oh, and the fact that the OP can't find anyone to do it pretty much confirms that the industry has rejected this process out of hand. If someone could make money at it, they would be doing it.

Doubt phasing out rotor turning was due to safety, rather another cash grab the higher ups figured out, no?

Sure, you had Bubba who'd take your rotors below minimum in the past, but I don't think a passenger car would stress rotors enough to be a real concern. I've seen dozens of rotors ground down to the cooling fins that didn't explode. Maybe this why the industry stopped? Dunno.

On a racing car, sure, R & R. But on a street driven 911, can't see truing up the face of a rotor a bad thing. People sometimes skip refacing and throw another set of pads on a worn rotor without a hitch.

We've become such a throw away society...

[911pcars]

Originally Posted by Catorce

The guy never said anything about big reds, and yes, I have two cars with them.

The phrase "false economy" comes to mind when describing an antiquated process to rehab a safety item that should probably be replaced.

Oh, and the fact that the OP can't find anyone to do it pretty much confirms that the industry has rejected this process out of hand. If someone could make money at it, they would be doing it.

If manufacturers thought resurfacing rotors was an antiquated process, they wouldn't have spec'd a wear limit for it. But they do, and service depts./some repair shops still routinely replace rotors that are still serviceable. What does that tell you about that industry?

Should one replace rather than resurface flywheels too? How about automatically replacing tires after 5 years, regardless of condition, because the manufacturer suggests it? Paying more than the item or service is worth or deserves is wasteful. Again, it's your money and up to you.

Sherwood

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by Ryan H

Delphos, Ohio! I have a bunch of family there. You have to be the only 911.

Get outta here! That's too funny. Yeah, I'm the only 911 cruising around town.

[Catorce]

Originally Posted by 911pcars

If manufacturers thought resurfacing rotors was an antiquated process, they wouldn't have spec'd a wear limit for it. But they do, and service depts./some repair shops still routinely replace rotors that are still serviceable. What does that tell you about that industry?

Should one replace rather than resurface flywheels too? How about automatically replacing tires after 5 years, regardless of condition, because the manufacturer suggests it? Paying more than the item or service is worth or deserves is wasteful. Again, it's your money and up to you.

Sherwood

I see you threw flywheels and tires into the mix - kind of apples vs. alfa romeos there. Check pelican's rotor selection; the vast majority of rotors are under $150 each. So ask yourself if the time it takes to remove both wheels, both wheel hubs, the rotors, then measuring the rotors is worth all of the effort just to put the old ones on ESPECIALLY since most people on this thread have lost sight of the fact that the OP was complaining about the performance of the old rotors in the first place.

Sounds tight to me, tight as a crab's azz that doesn't leak underwater.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by Charles Freeborn

If saving less than a hundred bucks on a system as critical as brakes is important, perhaps owning a german car isn't for you. I really don't mean to be flip about it, but these cars aren't necessarily cheap to run..

So because I own a classic German car I'm just supposed to piss away money? Is that what you're saying?
I looked at it from a standpoint that one rotor was only worn by .25mm from new. The other was only worn .50mm from new. So rather than piss away the money on rotors, I spent $25 to have the rotors turned and spent $60 on a low dust performance brake pad. All told, I'm still $19 to the better and should have brakes that function like new.

[911pcars]

Warped rotors are one thing. BTW, the labor involved to R&R a rotor (to turn or replace) is the same. The difference is between the cost of two rotors (e.g. $300 + shipping vs turning both for $30.). Would you be against DIY or have your tech to R&R for +$200 labor? Again, your choice (better to have choices). I pick and choose parts and processes depending on the parts and process. Hey, it must be great to have a bunch of cars as well as a big checkbook. Best wishes.

Sherwood

[gtc]

Have you measured the runout on the rotors? How do you know they're warped?

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by gtc

Have you measured the runout on the rotors? How do you know they're warped?

The shop where I had them turned checked them for run out.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by Catorce

The guy never said anything about big reds, and yes, I have two cars with them.

The phrase "false economy" comes to mind when describing an antiquated process to rehab a safety item that should probably be replaced.

Oh, and the fact that the OP can't find anyone to do it pretty much confirms that the industry has rejected this process out of hand. If someone could make money at it, they would be doing it.

I'd like to point out that I could find plenty of places that resurface rotors. My problem was that the machines they were using were too NEW or they didn't have the flared adapter to mount the rotor to the machine. Once I took it to my local parts place that has been resurfacing rotors for as long as I can remember, there was no problem. They had multiple "cones" for the different diameter of the center hole in the rotor. They are a carquest (now owned by Advance Auto) store and sell new rotors. They only suggest new rotors when the original are too worn to turn.

[Ryan H]

Originally Posted by cabmando

Get outta here! That's too funny. Yeah, I'm the only 911 cruising around town.

There's a senior living center down the street from Taco Bell that my grandmother is at. She's 105 and the oldest person in Delphos at this point. Small world!

[911pcars]

To muddy the rotor-turning waters, the process to resurface brake rotors is similar to resurfacing flywheels and brake drums. Typically, a lathe tool is used to true the friction surfaces. However, the process doesn't account for hard spots that develop in the surface due to heat. In that case, the lathe tool will merely skip over the hardened work surface and result in an uneven cut. In addition, the lathe tool could also create a fine spiral pattern, much like cutting grooves in vinyl records (vintage playback medium for you young grasshoppers).

The result is that the friction material (brake shoes, brake pads) wants to act like a phonograph stylus and traverse the grooves until the mechanism restrains further movement. A clicking noise is symptomatic of such a phenomenon as a result of this. For that reason, resurfacing "connoisseurs" recommend using a motor-driven rotary stone, not a lathe tool, to grind a new frictional surface or if a lathe-tool is used, to break up the spiral pattern by working the finished area with a flap disc.

Tell that to your new car dealer service manager.

Sherwood

[Nick Triesch]

The thing is there are a lot of rich guys on pelican. But most of us are not. Many of us have had old Porsche cars for years and we are not millionaires. There is no safety problem if rotors are within spec. The rotors you are driving on now are within spec. The bottom line is all the Porsche dealers and Porsche independents will not turn rotors because they make a lot more selling new ones. It is kind of like cheating the customer.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by Ryan H

There's a senior living center down the street from Taco Bell that my grandmother is at. She's 105 and the oldest person in Delphos at this point. Small world!

I know exactly where you're talking about. A friend of mine does the event planning there. If you have other family around, tell them to come vote for my car at Canal Days! I never win! A good friend that runs the car show even created a foreign sports car category just for me and I STILL can't win. "No respect... No respect I tell ya"