C5 & 6 Corvette Brakes (How to 100% Diagnose Warped Rotors!)

[@edgardovigo147]

Thank you for this useful information. My C5 didn't pulse the brake pedal, but when braking at high speed the steering wheel started shaking like crazy, I replaced the rotors, pads and cleaned the hubs and now it's like a new car.

[@bat5917]

Good content! Also, thanks for the tip on the dial indicator kit. I have bought tools that you recommended and have not been disappointed 👍

[@rapid13]

Gotta jump in and agree! When he first mentioned it I thought “who has one of those in their garage?” But for $50? Yeah, I’m getting one!

[@nowayjose596]

@@rapid13 Just be aware that the vise grip style with the articulating arm can be difficult to get to stay in place where you want them (kinda hard to describe why until you try to set one in place, then you'll quickly see what I mean lol). The magnetic base style is easier but sometimes can be more difficult to find a place to mount it to and you have to be careful about not introducing extra play into your measurements when what you're measuring can move independently of what the base is mounted to (such as the steering knuckle turning slightly as you're spinning the rotor).

[@troy8940]

I truly appreciate your videos they've been such a great help. I kinda live through The content you display. Thanks I truly listen and learn a lot 🤔

[@Toys4Life]

I appreciate that!

[@NikeGess]

Great video, the todo list just keeps growing :)

[@Toys4Life]

Hopefully this makes the job quicker!

[@rapid13]

You have the best tshirts lol!

[@mlc7boosted]

Great vid. You even mentioned a reason why brake rotors warp; from coming to a complete stop after braking hard and holding the brakes on a hot rotor. For years I rarely have a warped brake rotor. How? From letting off the brake pedal at stop lights for instance, to lessen the hard clamp from the brake pads on the rotors. Because while braking, of course the brake rotor is going to heat up quickly and expand. If the brake pads are squeezed against the hot rotor, while sitting still it can begin to warp. So to lessen the hard clamp, I just let off the brake pedal for a split second and then press it again softer. If I have to brake very hard and come to a stop, I will even hold the brake pedal and let the car slowly roll forward. I started doing this as a teen because my high school car was an '83 Camaro, and I drove that car hard and fast. I remember the brake rotors being turned at a local auto parts store, and the man telling me to let OFF the brake pedal for a split second after coming to a stop; which greatly reduces the hard clamp on the brake rotor from the pads. I am 47 years old now, my daily driver is an '04 Corvette with over 400hp, and I STILL practice that advice given to me years ago by the man that turned the brake rotors.

[@Toys4Life]

Excellent excellent advice, my wife gets upset with me when I tell her this, I think she thinks I'm making s*** up.

[@mlc7boosted]

@@Toys4Life Thanks. It has worked so far on a few different cars. From the Camaro, to my '86 Plymouth Conquest TSI that I drove for over 15 years, to two different Volvo 850's, a turbo and an "R", and now the C5. I remember your Fiero which reminded me of the Conquest TSI/Starion ESIR.

[@davidsolorzano8190]

What wheels are those, they are fire 🔥

[@nowayjose596]

What's the reasoning behind not having your original rotors turned if there's sufficient material to do so? Granted, new ACDelco's are like $50 each so it often doesn't make sense to deal with the hassle+cost of taking them somewhere to be resurfaced (if you can even find a convenient place that will), but it sounds like you have a more fundamental objection than that.

[@Toys4Life]

They're so thin to begin with, if they're warped and need turning you'll be right at or likely below the discard thickness anyway. Unless you own the machine, the money will spend to have someone turn them, if they even turn them correctly cuz it's a lost art, it ends up being a major pain in the ass for rotors that are more likely to warp well before new ones would. Just my opinion.

[@nowayjose596]

@@Toys4Life I figured that was your reasoning and I generally agree. In an ideal world if you did have them cut you'd do it with an on car lathe bc that trues it to that specific hub and everything, but considering those machines are ~$15k no shop is going to do that for less than the cost of just buying new ones. I would also add that it's probably best practice not to cut rotors to below minimum machining thickness, which is typically .030" over minimum discard thickness as this allows for the loss of material that happens during use so you don't start out above minimum discard thickness when you put them on then end up below minimum discard thickness after XXX miles of wear without realizing it.