brake question!!!!

[kideuro]

hey guys just wondering if you can machine mk5 discs?
got told that you cant buy the VW dealer so just susing out if they are just trying to milk me for cash..


cheers ned

[THELTD]

A good mechanic will recommend that the discs be changed when the pads are changed [for MKIV and MKV in my experience], regardless if you want to go the cheap route, then yes, you can machine them. I doubt the VW dealer workshop even has a machining tool.

[thezoneR32]

hey guys just wondering if you can machine mk5 discs?
got told that you cant buy the VW dealer so just susing out if they are just trying to milk me for cash..


cheers ned

My understanding is they wear each other out so both need replacing. I wouldnt bother machining, makes for a thinner rotor, less heat displacement and less braking ability imo. But im no expert!

[kideuro]

Thanks guys it was the fact the guy said it cannot be done.. But I'll just replace them

[Stevie1]

hey ned, how many kilometres have done and what were the typical driving conditions? Thanks.

[benough]

Well there is a minimum legal thickness for machining, so sounds like it.

[kideuro]

hey ned, how many kilometres have done and what were the typical driving conditions? Thanks.

Hey I'm the car has done 92000 and the car is used as a daly drive, and the conditions were well Melbourne conditions haha

[blutopless2]

I think these days the discs are made a smidge over the allowable thickness so that they are now a consumable part rather than machinable.

[Diesel_vert]

For the Mk5 Golf, the front discs have a working thickness of 3 mm, and for the rear discs it's 2 mm.

The minimum thickness will vary depending on which disc is fitted to each model variant.


EDIT - I would've thought that would be more than enough material to work with, provided you don't go below the minimum thickness.

[kideuro]

yeah see thats what it has come down to, they make parts that are not meant to last long and cost an arm and a leg to pay for.
But hey thats how people make money true??

[THELTD]

Hey I'm the car has done 92000 and the car is used as a daly drive, and the conditions were well Melbourne conditions haha

If you have done 92k on the brakes then you have done well, or at least within the norm and then some!

[sawdan]

Yeah I got told at my last service that the rear disc rotors and pads will need doing at the next one, which did surprise me too.

Anyhow I managed to get some discs posted from UK alongwith Brembo pads for less than half the quoted price here.

[Transporter]

yeah see thats what it has come down to, they make parts that are not meant to last long and cost an arm and a leg to pay for.
But hey thats how people make money true??

The standard Mk5 Golf's brake discs don't cost arm and leg.
When you can feel the ridge with your finger at the edge of the disc and it feels like it would be 1mm on one side, then after the machining they would be on scrap limit.
At 92,000 km they're most likely well over that.

---------- Post added at 09:27 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:17 AM ----------

Yeah I got told at my last service that the rear disc rotors and pads will need doing at the next one, which did surprise me too.

Anyhow I managed to get some discs posted from UK alongwith Brembo pads for less than half the quoted price here.

It's OK when you're on the tight budget but, how long warranty did you get on these brake discs?
The last time I checked the warranty on these cheap brake discs from OS, they warranted them for 3 months 5,000miles.

So, for a peace of mind, I use ATE brake discs which are the OEM (any good workshop in AU would), they cost a little bit more, I don't have to worry about the warranty (locally supplied) and they don't rust.

[kryten2001]

I'd say it would come down to why they need machining.

If they've done a lot of hard miles (90,000 is getting up there), then I wouldn't machine them, I'd replace them.

On the other hand if it's something else that's caused it (pulsating rotors due to warping because of heat whilst racing), you might get away with machining.

For something like brakes I wouldn't take the risk. Use the opportunity to get some better aftermarket rotors - they'll probably be cheaper than genuine ones anyway.

I had my extremely expensive brembos lightly machined 6 months ago, because I very slightly warped them (tiny pulsation). All good now.

[jessv3]

Its not a cost making exercise, VW or any other car manufacturer has no interest in driving up the servicing costs of their cars as it would just have a negative effect on repeat customers, in fact its quite the opposite. I have noticed VW tend to stretch out their parts to make it cheaper for the owner (i.e the 15k/1 yr service internal).

The reason why discs don't last past the pads anymore is because of the compound of the pad, which results in much better braking performance albeit at a cost to the disc wear which is a small price to pay for having great brakes.