Noticed today while braking what sounded like a grinding noise coming from the front. Assuming I just need to do a brake job, but should I just replace the pads, or should i look at replacing the rotors too?

 

If its grinding the rotors should be turned or replaced.

 

Plan on new rotors. By this time, they may be too worn to turn. There is a minimum thickness.

 

The previous time I had my brakes fixed the shop just replaced the pads and didn't turn the rotors. This time I noticed the brakes start to squeal so I tried to change them myself. After I got the pads off I noticed they were about half worn and the rotors had a raised ring around the outer surface. Had the rotors turned and replaced the pads and the noise is gone.
However the clerks at O'Reilly's told me one of the rotors was warped some and will definitely have to replace them next time. BTW doing it myself saved me $125 plus (depending on the shop) and it wasn't that hard to do. You'll just need an alum type wrench (forget the size) and C clamp(s) to do it. There is a You Tube video on how to do it. The Haynes manual made it appear to be a little more to it than there was.

 

Not what I wanted to hear, but oh well. Guess I'll b making a trip to the parts store and going into work to use a lift today.

 

Rotors are actually pretty cheap..... if the ones on the truck are still original, just replace them.

Also note: Around where I am, it costs about 20 bucks to have the rotors turned, rotors for a half ton are less than 20 bucks each...... I would rather spend a bit more, and have new.

Of course, Mine is a 3/4 ton, which REALLY complicates matters.

 

I never turn rotors. It's a waste of money and removes meat from the rotor. Any gouges aren't going to affect braking at all.

 

If your rotors are warped, the ONLY way to address that, is to have them turned, or replace them..... Otherwise, you still get the pulsing pedal when you step on the brakes. Trouble is, I have had more rotors than I care to count be slightly warped right out of the box..... and the customers didn't care for it, so, I scrape a couple tenths off of NEW rotors as well.

The gouges and other nastyness on rotors will also eat up your pads MUCH quicker.

 

+1... Back in the day at the old mans auto parts store, new rotors were put on the machine when a customer bought them. No more call backs from DIY'rs or from the numerous repair shops we did biz with, on pulsating pedals.

 

i think you just have to price out new parts. i was looking at parts on rock auto and it looks like 4x4 rotors are way cheaper than the 2wd rotors. i know on my trucks it is about $120 per rotor so i would sooner pay $20 per rotor to have them turned if i could.