Looking for suggestions...

[jprastrullo]

Recently had my car's oil changed + inspected..

They say I need to get my rotors resurfaced -- and I'd like to get new pads at the same time.

Car is an 87 325is

Keeping budget in mind -- what would you do?

Cheapest option:
The shop is charging $15 a rotor for resurfacing -- I'd likely provide my own pads here, and have them swap them in.

What else do you recommend for cost effective upgrades? Should I use the same rotors? Any pads you recommend?

Open to your suggestions!

[jprastrullo]

Oh -- also car is a DD, not used for track or auto-x at the moment

Wouldn't mind having extra stopping power though!

[ELVA164]

Stock (ATE) pads, combined with a brake fluid change and new brake hoses, should be more than enough. Cutting the rotors should work fine but why do they need cutting? Glazing? Warping?

[jprastrullo]

Stock (ATE) pads, combined with a brake fluid change and new brake hoses, should be more than enough. Cutting the rotors should work fine but why do they need cutting? Glazing? Warping?

Not sure.

Haven't looked at them myself, but I'd like to think warping/glazing is a possibility.

When I'm cruising at low speeds (5-10mph) I hear a whining/deep-whistling noise coming from my brakes which is then alleviated by the tap of the brake pedal.

I'm assuming that it is a warped or even glazed rotor rubbing up against the pads to make the noise.

Any other thoughts to what this might be?

[ELVA164]

Sounds like a sticking caliper piston to me. Calipers and caliper pistons are probably a bit rusty and the pistons don't move freely anymore. You may want to look into a caliper rebuild or new caliper(s). It should be pretty obvious which brake is dragging by looking at the rotor and/or pads, so that would narrow it down.

Could also be the pads aren't sliding freely due to chunky rust on the sliding surface on the caliper, which is obviously a much simpler problem to remedy. Probably should have started with that one, heh.

[jprastrullo]

Sounds like a sticking caliper piston to me. Calipers and caliper pistons are probably a bit rusty and the pistons don't move freely anymore. You may want to look into a caliper rebuild or new caliper(s). It should be pretty obvious which brake is dragging by looking at the rotor and/or pads, so that would narrow it down.

Could also be the pads aren't sliding freely due to chunky rust on the sliding surface on the caliper, which is obviously a much simpler problem to remedy. Probably should have started with that one, heh.

Do you mean the rotor here? And the sound is the chunky rust is between the rotor and the pads?

I do feel like this one is more of the issue, hopefully. Will order pads and report back when finished.

[ELVA164]

No, the pads slide back and forth on the caliper as they're pushed against the rotor and then released by the piston. This is the surface I'm talking about:


At the top and the bottom of the pad, where it "locates" itself in the caliper. If the pad can't slide away from the rotor when the brake caliper piston releases it, it'll drag and heat up. That will glaze the pad and the rotor, as well as cause a squeal.