Turning brake rotors?

I had BMW replace my rear pads, but they didn't replace the rotors, as they said it was still .5 above the minimum. They also did not turn the rotors as well. My service tech said that BMW does not turn their rotors.

My question, isn't this bad? Shouldn't you turn the rotors with new brake pads? Plus the old stock pads were pretty abrasive, and left the rotors with a nice lip, so the rotor is definitely not smooth.

Need some advice, as I plan on changing the rear pads to a dustless pad.

Thanks

Good practice is to have rotors turned when changing brake pads.

BMW does not do this because the tolerances are so close that there is not enough "meat" on the rotors to turn them.

Originally posted by Clem
Good practice is to have rotors turned when changing brake pads.

BMW does not do this because the tolerances are so close that there is not enough "meat" on the rotors to turn them.

The lip on your rotor shouldn't be a big issue but you need to keep an eye on them to make sure your rotors are not warped.

I hate it when my dealer gives me the line, "Well, it's still within BMW spec..." Grrrr....

In theory, you should not have to turn the rotors when just changing pads as long as the rotors are not warped. The new pads will quickly conform to any lip at the outer edge of the rotor.

In reality, factory BMW rotors are so cheap, I usually pitch them if they are more than half worn or are warped. Of course, at dealer parts prices, turning is probably an economical alternative. Once my car is outside the free maintenance period, I will do all brake work myself. At $32 each for rear rotors, I'll gladly pitch them in the trash if there is any question about wear limits or straightness.


Ed