Modern Brake Lathes Offer Speed, Ease of Use, Plus Added Features
If you haven’t shopped for a new brake lathe lately, you’ll be surprised by the fact that they are probably faster than the model you’re replacing. These new-age machines are also more accurate and can handle a wider array of vehicle applications. You’ll also be pleased to note that they are more durable than ever, and still quite easy to use.
Tech Tip: Taking Advantage of an On-Car Lathe
Well-maintained bench and on-car lathes can both do an excellent job of machining rotors. However, according to advice from the new Bendix Answerman, Chuck Kennedy, knowing when and how to use an on-car lathe can help eliminate wasted hours and extra work while also providing more accuracy and a better finish ….
Tech Tip: To Avoid Brake Comebacks, is it Better to Resurface or Replace?
Thanks to rising raw materials costs, there has been a steady increase in rotor prices, causing every link in the supply chain to adjust prices. Also, the cost to manufacture and ship rotors to your bay has increased dramatically. With that in mind, resurfacing can restore the friction surface on worn rotors to like-new condition, unless a rotor is worn down too far to be safely resurfaced or has cracks, deep grooves, severe rusting, hard spots or other structural defects ….
Brake Job: 2002-2008 Ford Explorer
The Ford Explorer’s brake system is a relatively robust and trouble-free system. But, that doesn’t mean something can’t go wrong.
Electronic Brake Distribution: Emerging Technology Offers Service Opportunities
Say goodbye to mechanical brake proportioning valves, and say hello to Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD). This new technology is yet another electronic enhancement that’s being added to many late-model vehicles. With conventional hydraulic brakes, a mechanical proportioning valve is used to reduce pressure to the rear wheels when the brakes are applied. Inside the proportioning
Kia: Brake Service Essentials
Arm Yourself With the Proper Tools, Equipment & Service Information to Facilitate Diagnosis and Repair
Tech Tip: Brake Lathes Continue to be a Profit Center for Busy Shops
A brake lathe has long been an indispensable piece of equipment for shops that do brake work. A bench lathe is necessary to resurface rotors and drums. An on-car lathe is also a great tool for turning troublesome rotors on vehicles that are sensitive to rotor runout issues, and those with captured rotors. But with cheap offshore rotors flooding the aftermarket, and some new cars now being equipped with lightweight rotors that are too thin to turn, you may be questioning the need for a brake lathe ….
Porsche: Maintenance Essentials
Boost System Performance & Customer Satisfaction
Tech Tip: What Should a Technician Know When Ordering Rotors?
It is tough for a technician to know what they are getting when they buy a rotor. According to a recent U.S. International Trade Commission report, 80% of the rotors sold today are made in a country other than the United States. If the technician or counterman is only going on the price on the screen, it is difficult to pick the best rotor ….
Tech Tip: Rotor Runout Checklist
The vehicle owner may say that under light braking the vehicle pulses to a stop, or under heavy braking the vehicle shudders. Technical service bulletins (TSBs) often describe these symptoms as a "judder." There are only two causes for judder – lateral runout and disc thickness variation on the rotor’s friction surface. What could have caused the lateral runout? The causes of the condition range from ….
Rotor Runout Check List
The vehicle owner may say that under light braking the vehicle pulses to a stop, or under heavy braking the vehicle shudders. Technical service bulletins (TSBs) often describe these symptoms as a “judder.” There are only two causes for judder — lateral runout and disc thickness variation on the rotor’s friction surface. What could have
Tech Tip: Brake Burnishing Procedures for New Brake Pads or Shoes
After every brake job the technician should first confirm that he has a good brake pedal by gently stroking the pedal to move the wheel cylinders and caliper pistons back out to the normal position. After confirming a good pedal, the follow burnish procedure should be used during the test drive ….