Finding a warped rotor with basic tools

Today we are looking at finding a sound from a wheel but do not have a proper dial indicator. This is the simple method I came up with. You need vice grips and a screw driver.

[@bobybobbison]

Listening to this and was getting a lot out of it then at the end while I'm sitting next to my daughter I hear your filthy mouth say the F word.

[@ykmalachi]

Thank god you did not hear me when I called all the viewers "bitches". That would have really melted your sweet babies ears. Being as I am not monitized as a video maker, I can fucking say what ever the fuck I want!

[@Thunderbird2935]

How dare you be exposing your daughter to the dirty, disgusting reality of car mechanics!

[@ykmalachi]

Pinned to the top!

[@Zondaa]

Loool it's not that deep bro

[@allanbrogdon7453]

@@ykmalachi Dude i am normally laid back but when i work on a car people i have known 30 years freak and say they have never seen me cuss like that .

[@ogclassicjones332]

7 years later....and this was what i needed to see...thank you!!

[@chuckHart70]

When in doubt change them, but being able to diagnose it and KNOW the problem is the RIGHT way...nice work.

[@killer147896325]

That's where I'm at I only shake when I brake. I'm assuming it's bad rotor even tho the shop replaced them last year. So im just going to save the money and change them myself

[@solidcobalt]

Good explanation for those learning brake system diagnostics and showing how to think smarter, not harder. Covered pretty much all the basics to eliminate other variables as well. A+ we need more videos like this because of all the other idiots showing bad methods on here.

[@nicolastremblay7527]

I just found why my brake were dragging. You just probably saved my life somehow. Thanks !

[@rpallen58]

Despite the other negative comments, what you say makes a lot of plain common sense. Good thinking. Thanks for the video.

[@qballer2405]

pretty cool trick I'm about to change my rotors and pads today and figure out what side is Warped thanks bro

[@shanemccormick5859]

holy shit.... never ever thought of doing this!! cool video man... thankyou👍

[@bikermike]

Sometimes you just have to use your own ingenuity to improvise and get the job done! Same way I just checked mine! 👍

[@mojorizn72]

Although 7 years old, thanks for the upload.

[@andrewsorosiak]

Great idea. going to try it today.

[@jeremiahjohnson7329]

Great method thank you for sharing

[@BentSpokesMTB]

Great idea 👍

[@jdtown6585]

Freaking awesome work around !! I just replaced my front rotors bc of this but next time I'll try this first and if they are warped, I'll try to shave them down myself.

[@mattlonproctor7221]

Thanks bro. i believe my rotors , well maybe one are bad because when i hit my brakes at about 50 mph i feel a skipping or pulsating feeling. in the front. I will try your method!

[@deepswimer11]

its the same on bike wheels good vid man

[@GeorgeVassalloJr]

Brilliant!

[@67NewEngland]

Good idea.

[@mguini1]

Thank you!!!

[@tolmuaff]

Thanks!

[@hootinouts]

I just replaced one of my mother-in-law's front rotors which was warped by about .030". Checked the runout with a dial indicator.

[@sleepings4596]

Good stuff kid.

[@theduder2617]

First, excellent name. Second, when a method works and does not damage the item in question, to heck with scientific method. After all, this is a car, not a laboratory. lol The only thing this method will leave out are the actual specs of how warped it is. But it located a clear and definite warp, therefore it is a valid DIY method for determining a warped rotor. By the way, I jumped the gun after watching this and went out to find out which rotor on my car is warped. Front wheels are the source of the braking shudder. Problem.... front wheel drive. lmao!! Replacing both anyway, just wanted to show a friend that I didn't need his fancy tool. lol

[@matthewhumcke3182]

youd want to put at least 3 bolts back on the wheel hub threads. preferably all to simulate a reassembled wheel. just 2 is uneven distributed pressure of the rotor against the hub for a 5 point ot or 6 point hub. also however you tighten the bolts, you want to make sure theyre evenly tight, or it will show "warp". uneven torque is a cause of lateral runout (or warp) detecting a gap with your screwdriver doesnt necessarily show enough runout (warp) to replace a rotor. is the biggest gap between the rotor and screwdriver more than 2 thousandths of an inch? if yes, replace. if no, keep. rotors are gonna have runout (warp), but more than .002" means replace. get a feeler gauge, pop a .002" feeler blade between the rotor/screwdriver. tighten that screwdriver up. remeasure the gap and make sure the gap is still accurate. then spin. experiment with a .003" then .004". or a .001. i know you said this is unscientific. and its with everyday tools. but make sure youre not just using your ears, and youre actually measuring a gap. add a feeler gauge and its a cheap method for doing this you can get answers with.

[@1000raulm]

Genius!!

[@tankdog03ify]

Milwaukee vise grips are the best, because you can stick a screw driver through the end of them to get it extra tight on certain things and there pretty reasonably priced

[@mattmgarza]

Harbor Freight has some like that

[@chuck4abuck1]

Brilliant

[@DarrenChen]

thanks!

[@williamreynolds8210]

I was just wondering how I could check the rotors without using a dial indicator. You presented an excellent, quick solution. Thank you! Who doesn't cuss when working on cars? I don't give a sh!# as long as I get useful information.

[@bilbobaggins5962]

if this was "informative" to you..you shouldn't be working on your own car ..youre a mechanical moron

[@scottstrangman7309]

Impressive

[@caulkwater]

Would this make a thumping noise with no steering vibration and barely break pedal vibration

[@timjohle8876]

Those two rabbits chased two raccoons on top of your head. Anyway good tip.

[@mattlonproctor7221]

thanks

[@tomjones4318]

Your Vise Grips must be the old American made. Big difference.

[@johnbarto4611]

is this Sean penns younger brother??

[@zulamy3472]

Easy and good method. Any idea what's causing the rotors to be warped?

[@ykmalachi]

20 year old part maybe?

[@Xbox4life90]

Half of the time I cussing at the nuts n bolts lol

[@David-yh5po]

Cheep pads rust on back side and front side now letting it sit right.

[@ncrdisabled]

I have been a mechanic for over 50 years and my pop was one to. he left me his 6k worth of tools . And as he taught me buy good tools and they will not let you down. I have tools from craftsman snap on mac a nd cummins . But most are craftsman plus I have a some no name ones.I have some that go back to the 1940 and still work great . I hated it when I went to sears and found them made in china and now they sold there tool line to stanley and they closed the only store in 60 miles . But they just opened a harbor freight and am going to give them a try. Oh and keep up the great videos!!! By the way my pop showed me that back when I worked with him when I was 9 years old

[@valdesadam]

ncrdisabled Submarine vet Harbor Freights has decent tools but not great for long term use or tough jobs.

[@cunumicito12]

believe me i dont need science to convince me. thank you you save me $40 was just about to buy a indicator

[@freedom1439]

Get trick thanks

[@jasonmomo4973]

How about checking the easiest thing first which would be checking for anything loose around the tire area, including for worn bearing and/or, warped rotor. Dude went through a lot of trouble taking that shock out first to then find out the problem was a warped rotor. 😂

[@ykmalachi]

Because it didn't sound or feel like a warped rotor.

[@sulkmahidonkeydek3424]

Would of been nice to hear the problem before disassembly. Would’ve it been ok to just resurface the rotor?

[@viscioushattermaid4410]

I have a whistling from front wheel and the rotor is wobbly when on jack stands with the wheel on and off, like it’s not seating properly on the hub and lugs any ideas?

[@ykmalachi]

aftermarket rotor or hub?

[@kennyt8730]

I might add that it's not always the rotor, it could be crap stuck between rotor and hub, or even a warped hub.

[@ykmalachi]

I covered that in video

[@aftech7268]

I use a similar method but I use a marker instead of a screwdriver

[@alexc.7449]

Genius:)

[@tankdog03ify]

return them under warranty lol, I just use my parts warranties ss much as possible.. last time I returned my pads and rotors for new ones the same exact ones and I made $49.99 doing it because they must have forgotten to charge me for the pads lmfao

[@berniebass3575]

It looks like that rotor has hot spots,l could be wrong,(But) that's a common problem, good luck.

[@MTKGaming-PH]

so i have question, I have a 2006 BMW z4 3.0si and Ive been having a weird noise on my rear left wheel I got 3 of my friends checked already and none of them found out what causing the noise. the sound is like a "tak tak tak tak (like 2 metals scratching to each other)and sometimes a high pitch noise" then I got it checked on a repair shop they said its a warped rotor. so before I buy a rotor I just wanna make sure its the rotor, ive experienced some wiggles while driving, breaking, and slowing down. and theres also a helicopter sound at the back that im pretty sure its caused by the warped rotor and too much wiggle that's why. I need your help please. ive been having this problem for past 3months now. thanks.!!

[@ykmalachi]

Bad bearing or warped rotor. You can attempt to swap the rotor to the opposite side. then if the sound moves from one side to the other, you know you found your issue. Also the inner parking brake drum parts may have failed and is loose inside and not noticeable from a casual inspection.

[@martyc4993]

MTk good lord 3 months? Have the rotor cleaned. They very rarely actually warp. Its usuall rust or material buildup/transfer.

[@papabits5721]

Disk runout, variable disk thickness, anything but a warped rotors.

[@rogerpizarro8128]

Could this happened with the rear rotors too? I just changes the front pads and rotors and it's still pulsing when I slow down or hit the brakes.

[@ykmalachi]

Yes. This was actually rear rotors on this car. It is more rare for the rears to warp though

[@rogerpizarro8128]

@@ykmalachi thanks man. I'm gonna change the rear ones this weekend. I hope this solves it. Otherwise, I don't know what it could be. It's frustrating. Thanks again!

[@nono9343]

YES

[@artbykeenan]

Can you drive with a warped rotor or do you have to replace it

[@bigmu69]

You can still drive with it if you can bare the noise and or vibration associated with it.

[@adamplimmer9838]

Just use eine brush on dril, take off the rust, it, finr,

[@john21031]

Have a jack stand for safety, and mention its importance when making these videos. You don't want newbies getting crushed, I hope. I agree with others, cleaning up the verbiage would really improve your video. Also that compressed spring laying like that seems dangerous. Hope I am wrong about the spring. Thanks for the video! great method of finding warped rotors..

[@bobsbarnworkshop]

Just watched the video by Raybestos company about warped rotors....see those black spots on the disc in different areas? that's what causing the pulse, cast iron will not "warp", it just wears unevenly (AKA cheap rotors)... clean the face of the hub and the back of the rotor where rust and crud may build up, DO NOT apply anti seize! return or replace the rotor, only real cure.

[@ninemilliondollars]

You mentioned cheap rotors. Couldn't using hard pads also be a cause of the problem. They will wear out the rotors faster. So it's like a choice and if you want to not deal with replacing rotors often, use the softer pads.

[@bobsbarnworkshop]

​@@ninemilliondollars My mechanic / son in law, says cheap rotors have low grade metals and cast iron and therefore wear unevenly... Chinese iron may be sub standard? He said there's nothing wrong with using ceramic pads, so everyone's experience may be different. Hard driving will also destroy brakes faster too.

[@bobsbarnworkshop]

Also I had a similar experience with my Astro van, I bought generic (but still expensive) rotors and ceramic brake pads (both Wearever brand) about 2,000 miles ago and started getting a bad brake shudder. I replaced the pads with OEM ACDelco semi-metallic and sanded the rotors (to supposedly remove ceramic glazing) and it did not cure the problem. So I replaced the rotors with OEM ACDelco and now she's smooth as silk... Why did those first rotors fail so quickly? I don't know, I don't drive it hard or haul anything heavy or tow. And 1,500 of those miles were driving at freeway speeds to NC and back! So OEM all the way from now on!

[@ninemilliondollars]

@@bobsbarnworkshop I think you hit it on the nail. OEM is the way to go, don't mix and match. Thanks.

[@RossCanpolat]

hey man, if it's not the rotor and not the bearing is it possible for the flange to be warped? if you look in my videos I just uploaded 2 of the back end of my BMW.

[@ykmalachi]

if rust builds up between the rotor and hub flange it can cause it. I also ended up replacing the right rear caliper.

[@RossCanpolat]

+ykmalachi the flange is spotless I'll clean the back of the rotor and see if that fixes it. I don't think it's the caliper because a few months back I completely slacked off the brakes on the caliper and the wheel still ran off center. thanks mate

[@adonis1752]

Ross Canpolat o

[@RossCanpolat]

Adonis Martin i actually managed to warp the casted hub assembly 😂😂😂 replaced that and it's perfect now 😁😁😁

[@39knights]

It's lateral run-out; rotors don't warp. It's an alignment issue between the inside of the rotor and where it mates with the spindle. Clean the two mating surfaces extremely well then re-do that test. If there is still a high spot; mark it, re-afix the rotor 180 degrees from the marked position and test again. This usually takes care of most of it.

[@ykmalachi]

Nope. Surface was cleaned. You are wrong and a new rotor solved the issue. This is Tennessee and we rarely ever have rust issues that cause this type of thing. As a machinist I've seen many warped cast iron rotors. Clean surface and using a proper dial indicator.

[@johnwright4768]

39knights at last someone who is not talking bull sh1t

[@666miguel99]

Very good reply.

[@itruck96]

Semi trucks warp drums by burning your brakes going down steep grades. Followed by setting your brakes before they cool off.

[@TheApatheticGuy]

So THIS is what John McAfee has been up to.

[@ykmalachi]

It isn't all guns, blow and hookers

[@pancakepunch1011]

lets get this out of the way -fuck-...lol thank you for the video. poor guy here, it helped so much

[@vstrom9586]

rotors don't warp, it takes a lot of heat to distort metal-red hot. Build-up from ceramic pads or improper torquing are the main culprits

[@871jamie]

False, they do warp. 20 year master tech here.

[@asapkeyz1401]

This guy is a fuckin genius🤣

[@gfriedman99]

Yeah a regular fuckin Einstein.

[@jeffmclearen229]

OH MY LORD THE F WORDDDDD😂😂😂 good video👌🏽

[@V12BigBlock]

Ok so my question is: how can you tell it's the actual brake rotor that's warped and not the hub bearing surface itself, that's causing the rotor not to spin in a perfect plane?

[@ykmalachi]

Did you even watch the whole video? Also..... this is Tennessee....we don't have rust here.

[@carlosvillalobos8431]

My car is making a noise on the left driver side. Dealership says is a warped rotor. Doesn't sound anywhere close to the sound in this vid.. 🤔

[@waydmah9561]

In-confident people always swear !

[@ykmalachi]

wayd mah In-Confident????? Fuck yeah!

[@lisapostl8191]

great way w/out indicator! fk the ones who say mouth ! part of the job

[@javiervasquez8539]

Just check of the pad is wearing out evenly......

[@ykmalachi]

Did you even watch the video?

[@artbykeenan]

Its not that bad

[@ykmalachi]

You can. Annoying and you will go through pads a bit faster.

[@ddurrett519]

I always cuss when working on cars...

[@john21031]

I hope you are not an automechanic. :) I get your joke though. Even a priest will cuss when undoing rusty bolts with cheap pliers :D

[@johnbarto4611]

yes brake work especially...... Swearing like a sailer always helps.

[@kennethdandurand3472]

5 minutes for a 30 second video.

[@randybeard6040]

Most all Mechanics cuss sometimes, anyone who has worked on these newer cars knows what I am saying is True...

[@jotu173]

Thank you for the effort you put into making this video but PLEASE consider getting to the point faster. This is a 5 minute video and you never get to anything useful until roughly 4:15. Please at least edit in the future.

[@ykmalachi]

I dont edit nor modify videos. I make them free and for fun.

[@TheForeverchanges]

Rotors don't warp! You have disc thickness variation caused by the pads not seating correctly and creating build up on the rotors. The pad condition, as you pointed out, was tell tale. BTW, my friggin 40 year old vise grips still work great too. Thanks for the video

[@ncrdisabled]

I have been a mechanic for over 50 years and can not tell you how many warped rotors. The weird part is when they over tighten the lug nuts . I have had to break out my earth quake 1000 ft lb of torque to get them off

[@gfriedman99]

That's the first plausible explanation I have heard. I replaced rotors and pads 4 months ago and it was great for a while. Now its shuddering again. I used genuine honda pads and applied molykote grease to all points the manual calls for. I didn't replace those copper pad retainers - just got them clean. Any clues how to make sure they seat correctly?

[@GrimReaper-ly8zk]

So when I was offroading and had the brakes really hot and then went through a creek it couldn't have warped my rotors , would the persistent pulsating when braking be caused by a buildup if water possibly?

[@GrimReaper-ly8zk]

What is it that builds up on the rotors? Mine look pretty clean

[@JohnDoe-uq3mx]

The only way to tell of a warped rotor, is a warped rotor.

[@JohnDoe-uq3mx]

What the fuck is wrong with these people.

[@JohnDoe-uq3mx]

:-"

[@theduder2617]

I take it there was some sewage you had to clean out from your comment. lol Been there way too often. My blocked list has got to be insanely long by now. I don't mind discussions. And I actually enjoy being proven wrong about a topic. It drives me to then learn about it. But I despise keyboard bullies who would never say what they said if we were forced to divulge real identities and addresses in order to comment. Keep weeding out the garbage. It makes for a more peaceful online visit. lol

[@jamesgrisham2478]

Mechanics, truck drivers and construction workers all cuss so yall quit getting your panties in a bunch. Great video though. "Ingenious"

[@sydbell8508]

Can we hold camera still please sends us nuts ???

[@ykmalachi]

I am 1 fucking dude on a driveway making videos that are not monetized you ungrateful shit. I dont have budget for cameramen.

[@Skywood91]

Thanks for the helpful video, but this could’ve been a 1 minute video instead of a 5 minute one

[@kenoyangg]

Peace out a good simple easy way b*ches :D

[@David-yh5po]

Rotors don't Warp. They takes 2300ﾟ To move or Warp.

[@bilbobaggins5962]

obviously the idiot that did the brakes last warped the rotor by not torqueing the lug nuts to spec

[@bobmorris9687]

No such thing as a warped rotor..

[@ykmalachi]

As a machinist for many years...... I'd love to hear your reasoning.

[@peteropperman7982]

Very interesting, but you must work now on your language and self-respect for yourself and others.

[@ykmalachi]

Thats not likely going to happen though. Most bitches on my channel identify with me.

[@marcosaguilar4679]

Lost me at hey kids

[@ykmalachi]

Usually I call people bitches....... so there is that.

[@gfriedman99]

Why?

[@OzzyThaKing]

Good info, but wasted so much time saying a bunch of nothing.

[@ykmalachi]

They have a scrollable slider. Or watch in double time like I do.

[@robertowens164]

You might need to stick with cooking meth and not mechanizing

[@ykmalachi]

You holding?

[@alansession5783]

Perhaps he's has not met My native friend Sackajaweea...the smoke she brings calms many souls

[@ethand.7801]

Just because you use it doesn't mean you cook it

[@infernolt7622]

Did you check the surface where the rotor contacts the hub? If there's rust and debris there, it will cause the rotor to wobble. DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS GUY!!! HE DOESN'T HAVE A CLUE!!!

[@ykmalachi]

While that was possible, it was not the cause. Warped rotor was the cause. I changed both sides and the car still runs great to this day. Although the owner gave the car to his daughter.

[@theduder2617]

Inferno LT You misunderstood something I think. This video is about rotor warp, which causes a distinct shudder when applying the brakes and usually only when applying the brakes. The wobble you are referring to would cause a shudder while driving period, not just when braking. This guy does in fact have a clue. If not, he would have been checking the brake fluid trying to find a warped rotor. He showed exactly where the warp was using this method. How is it even possible that he is incorrect? **Just because you had a build up on your rotor, does not mean that another shudder is not due to a warped rotor.**

[@audreynicoletti7329]

I enjoyed your video until you ruined by swearing too much!

[@ykmalachi]

Audrey Nicoletti Well fuck. I'm sorry won't let that happen again.

[@bigmu69]

Well DAMMIT!, Don't let your kids watch. WTF!!!!

[@kaferere]

This is just too painful to watch. This Disc is not "Warped", it has an uneven surface yes, but if you look at the edge of the disc as you rotate it, it's as straight as a die. Discs CANNOT "Warp". Let me say that again - DISCS CANNOT WARP it's an urban myth that has become epidemic. You actually identified the problem when you looked at the pad, you have classic transference of pad material to the Disc causing high spots on the surface, hence the "Runout" shown on your gauge (good idea BTW) Another problem can be "Blueing" of the Disc due to higher temperatures which creates uneven hardness. As the Disc wears, the "Blued" areas don't wear at the same rate as the rest of the Disc. This creates an uneven surface that can cause brake pulsation. In NO WAY is the Disc "Warped". It has an uneven surface yes, but it is not warped. This idea of Discs warping has become an urban legend all because of the misunderstanding of what the word "Warped" actually means. This is one of those occasions when a dictionary would really help more than a workshop manual. Some people are so hypnotised by this idea that they truly believe their Discs can Warp and Unwarp as the temperature of their brakes change. It's scary that grown men actually discuss this ! A "Blue Spot" in a Disc can even be caused by faulty manufacture which may not reveal itself for 5.000 miles because it may take that long to wear the rest of the surface around the Blue Spot leaving it as a high point. The owner then thinks the disc has "Warped" due to high braking temperatures. Discs cannot warp, they would crack under pressure even when glowing red hot, because they are cast steel, not mild steel. Are people starting to understand the fakery yet ?

[@ykmalachi]

This guy is a riot at parties.

[@kaferere]

Way to duck the rubbish you spout genius.@@ykmalachi

[@phalleang4987]

smart trick, but you look drunk dude and swearing lol..

[@christopher2399]

5 mins of talking to perform a 10 second test...lol. Just kidding. Good job.

[@waydmah9561]

In-confident people always swear !