Brake Pad Resurfacing?

[DEFYANT]

You heard correct.

Can that be done? The pads I took off the Marauder are in good shape material wise. They have the usual marks and groves from use, but clearly have alot of life left in them.

I am using new pads with the new rotors, but this question came up when I thought about keeping them as spares. Can they be resurfaced?

[BK_GrandMarquis]

Would you even need to? They'll wear down eventually and it shouldn't take too long either.

I've never heard of anyone resurfacing a brake pad before. They are made of a softer material than rotors and are meant to wear down first. It doesn't take much to wear one down. Just do some 100-0 stabs. LOL. I've done it at Poconos. ;)

I have heard of performing a break-in procedure again if you get squealing.

[DEFYANT]

Would you even need to? They'll wear down eventually and it shouldn't take too long either.

I was thinking that also - especially when used (eventually) on used rotors. Probably a moot point.

Thanks

[crouse]

I've never had good luck installing used pads on new or re-surfaced rotors. Seems like they never really seat-in. What if you took some 80 or 100 grit sandpaper on a flat surface then lapped them to just scuff the surface?

[DEFYANT]

I've never had good luck installing used pads on new or re-surfaced rotors. Seems like they never really seat-in. What if you took some 80 or 100 grit sandpaper on a flat surface then lapped them to just scuff the surface?

.....or with a beltsander :hmmm:

Might clog up the paper...

[Power Surge]

When I was still doing regular service work, I would resurface brake pads if we cut the rotors because of warpage and the pads were still plenty good. I used some emery cloth on a flat surface and did a figure 8 motion for about 30 seconds. It basically just cuts the glaze off the pad and gives it a fresh surface.

[mtnh]

I tried to do an edge taper on some new pads once, to reduce the chances of squealing. It took the teeth off a #1 file! I still have the file, and it's like the teeth were polished smooth. So you may be able to re-surface to remove a glaze, but it will take some serious abrasives to actually remove all artifacts of a past wear pattern. I would also consider the likelyhood of transferring that wear pattern to the new rotors. If there is noticable grooving, then that would also slightly cut down on your available friction surface area, until the high spots have worn into the rotors enough to allow the low spots on the pads to make contact.

Incidently, the pads I use now come from the factory with the leading and trailing edges pre-tapered, so there is no longer any need to do that job manually.

I would think that a carbide or harder milling tool would be the only way to true a pad's surface these days, but it's also possible and perhaps likely, that the correct tool to use would be an industrial grinder table, where the pads would be clamped into a horizontal jig and the grinding wheel would be drawn over the up-facing brake pads in a repeated fashion until all pad material was trued to a new face.

[Todd TCE]

The hand sanding on flat surface will help. Belt sanders will be very dusty...caution!

You can send them out to a shop like Porterfield Enterprises who make custom pads I suppose. I believe they are diamond ground to spec. Seems kinda like a waste of money.

[RR|Suki]

You heard correct.

Can that be done? The pads I took off the Marauder are in good shape material wise. They have the usual marks and groves from use, but clearly have alot of life left in them.

I am using new pads with the new rotors, but this question came up when I thought about keeping them as spares. Can they be resurfaced?

Hey defyant how about pics of the new rotors?

[Vortech347]

If they're glazed you can use some sand paper and "rough" em up a little bit. But other than that its usually best to replace them if they are glazed or worn down. The only time I've done this was when I glazed a set of pads after I'd had them for 1 week.

[DEFYANT]

Waste of money.... I'm thinking +1

Pics of new rotors..... coming soon to a thread near you

Glazed rotors? I doubt I'll have that problem ;)

[LILALLEYKATT]

The best way to do it is on a cement sidewalk or driveway just scuff it till the glaze disappears. Use common sense in selecting what surface you use. Plus you wont be breathing the particulates like you would if you were to sand it on a machine. Just hose away the mess...Did it this way for years when I was a heavy line tech works great...Make sure you moly the backing plates