Brakes

Brake Rotor Deglaze

10steps
~60min
3/5difficulty
Done 0 of 10
Caution: Whenever brake rotor has been separated from wheel bearing flange, clean any rust or foreign material from mating surface of rotor and flange with a suitable hub cleaning kit. Failure to do this may result in increased lateral runout of rotor and brake pulsation. Caution: Improperly tightened wheel bolts or nuts can lead to brake pulsation and rotor damage. In order to avoid expensive brake repairs, evenly tighten wheel bolts or nuts to proper torque specification.
  1. Remove tire and wheel assembly.
  2. Remove brake rotor.
  3. Refinish brake rotors if one or more of following conditions exist:
a. Brake rotor thickness variation in excess of .001 inch.
b. Corrosion or pitting that is deeper than rotor braking surface.
c. Scoring of rotor braking surface with a groove depth in excess of .060 inch.
  1. Use a micrometer in order to measure thinnest point of brake rotor. If thinnest point of brake rotor exceeds brake rotor minimum thickness, do NOT refinish brake rotor. Replace brake rotor.
  2. Deglaze rotor with a 120 grit aluminum oxide sandpaper and a non-directional rotor finisher, if available, to create a non-directional braking surface.
  3. Clean braking surfaces with denatured alcohol or with a suitable brake cleaner.
  4. Thoroughly clean rust from brake rotor flange.
  5. Install brake rotor.
  6. Install tire and wheel assembly.
  7. Burnish pads and rotors as follows:
a. Select a smooth road with little or no traffic.
b. Accelerate vehicle to 30 mph.
c. Apply brakes to bring vehicle to a stop, using moderate to firm pressure. Do not allow brakes to lock.
d. Repeat steps two and three until approximately 20 stops have been completed. Allow sufficient cooling periods between stops in order to properly deglaze brake pads and rotors.

Test yourself

A quick Chevrolet Captiva quiz: every answer comes with an explanation and a link to the manual page.