Can Slotted/drilled rotors be turned? Yet?

CN Spots

Lieutenant Commander
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Oct 19, 2005
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1,612
Years ago I was told that they could not be turned. I was wondering if things had changed.

Thanks,
spots
 

4JawChuck

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Aug 7, 2009
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Re: Can Slotted/drilled rotors be turned? Yet?

They can be ground with an abrasive wheel.
 

puddle jumper

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Re: Can Slotted/drilled rotors be turned? Yet?

Why would they not be able to turn them? I cant see the problem with doing it.
 

bruceb58

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Mar 5, 2006
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30,588
Re: Can Slotted/drilled rotors be turned? Yet?

They can be done but most shops don't touch them because they damage their cutters. Another reason why I would never put those type on any car/truck I own unless I absolutely had to have them for some reason.

4JawChuck...how on earth can you true a rotor with an abrasive wheel?
 

Pascal

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Jul 9, 2002
Messages
252
Re: Can Slotted/drilled rotors be turned? Yet?

Years ago I was told that they could not be turned. I was wondering if things had changed.

Thanks,
spots

The rotors are slotted to vent the gasses produced by the heated pads and the drilling lightens them.

The drilling already reduces the heat absorbing mass sufficiently that removing more material will only degrade the performance more than what removing the same amount of material from a non-drilled rotor would.

Just bite the bullet and replace them. expensive I know!!!
 

CN Spots

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1,612
Re: Can Slotted/drilled rotors be turned? Yet?

I don't have them yet. Got a parts distributor buddy that can get a set direct from the manufacturer for a song but they're not worth it if I can't get them turned if necessary. There's a couple of brake shops in town that do turning, I'll check with them before I buy anything now that I know it's possible.

Thanks.

spots
 

CN Spots

Lieutenant Commander
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Messages
1,612
Re: Can Slotted/drilled rotors be turned? Yet?

I think I understand 4JawChuck's idea. (and where he got his handle) Mount the rotor on a lathe and use a lathe-mounted grinding wheel to knock off the high spots.

My Step-father just bought an old turn of the century Seneca lathe a few months ago and he made a grinding wheel attachment for it from scratch last month. Sadly, it's not large enough to turn truck rotors though.
 

windsors03cobra

Lieutenant Junior Grade
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Feb 22, 2009
Messages
1,191
Re: Can Slotted/drilled rotors be turned? Yet?

Or purpose built grinding machines like a Heald Id or Rotary Surface grinder you wont find anyone truing rotors with those items. I love the "on the car" brake lathes.
4 jaw Chuck seems like he could be a "machinst god" :D
 

4JawChuck

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 7, 2009
Messages
504
Re: Can Slotted/drilled rotors be turned? Yet?

I've literally done hundreds of them, cup wheel on a tool post grinder makes short work of them. I have even seen it done by hand with a 4 1/2" angle grinder equipped with a cup wheel on the lathe within a few tenths of runout. Thats how we did flywheels to get that blanchard ground look.

Any machine shop can do it, its no secret.
 
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