i was just rotating my tires and noticed my pads were getting on the thin side. my rotors for the most part seem fine, but there are some small ridges in them. here's the question...

would i be okay with changing the pads, or should i let someone with any brake experience check the condition of the rotors and other parts of the system? thanks, taro

I know some places do free brake inspections. They are hard to find though as most places do have a fee. If you give us more info, it might help with understanding your situation. Year, make, mileage, and driving conditions to start.

Odds are you don't need to turn your rotors is they aren't warped (and you can tell if they are) You will feel them as you brake, if it shakes then its a good sign they are uneven.

I personally like to have my rotors turned. I got 60k miles out of the original factory brake pads. I could have left the rotors, but I figured what the hell, just do it all. The rotor can be purchased for $25 and I can atleast get three turns out of them. This is more of a personal preference.

Ashby

it's really quite easy to change the pads on disc brakes. normally there is only one nut/bolt you have to remove and then the caliper swings up so you can access the pads.

if you have done any minor maintenence(plugs, oil change, etc) then this is in your realm. you should have a manual, Haynes is good for this, just to check out pics and get familiar with it. only special tools you would need is a somewhat large c-clamp and a turkey baster to pull some of the fluid out of resevoir as to not have it spill out when you use the clamp.



unless you allow the pads to wear to the point that the backings grind into the rotor, I wouldn't worry about that nor would I have them turned. tho you should deglaze them with a very fine grit sandpaper and clean the surface with denatured alcohol.

I think you'll be pleasantly suprised how simple the procedure can be. when you compare how much you pay for a set of pads vs how much the bill from a shop would be, its a small amount of work for a significant savings.
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good luck.

thanks for the feedback. if its just a matter of replacing the pads, i'm okay with that. what i'm worried about is unless its really obvious, not knowing if anything else needs to be serviced. for instance if the pads are on the thin side, could the calipers have been pushed out too far and need to be rebuilt, etc.? is there anything to be done for pads that are wearing unevenly (outer vs. inner)? i guess the rotors are fine as i don't get any shudder when braking. anything else i need to worry about? thanks, taro

Here's my school of thought. Rebuilding calipers and replacing rotors are the expensive part of a brake job. Pads, disposable in a sense, are the cheap parts. I change my pads before they even get close to the wear indicators as these tabs can leave gouges in the rotors if they are allowed to rub for any time. I use ceramic pads (can get them at NAPA or online at one of the isuzu parts sites). They cost about $50 bucks a set + shipping. With 60K on my Rodeo after changing the pads at about 40K, the rotors look like new and are not warped. Bottom line, be proactive when changing the brake linings and you can avoid replacing or resurfacing rotors for a long time. I think I've bought 2 rotors in all my life owning vehicles. Also, heat causes rotors to warp, so if you brake gradually and earlier, your rotors will not heat up as quickly thereby reducing the chance of warping. IIRC there are two bolts that hold the calipers on and once you lift them out, you just drop in new pads (and shims if necessary), compress the caliper just enough to fit around the new linings, and then reinstall. Piece of cake. About 45 mins a side. Good luck.

thanks for your input. i think what i'll do is have a shop check the condition of the brakes to rule out any problems and then change the pads myself. taro