How to Repair Rear Brake Rotors

Pushing on a vehicle's the brake pedal with your foot causes brake fluid from the master cylinder to run through the brake lines and pushes a piston out of the brake caliper. The piston causes the brake pads to squeeze the rotors between them and friction slows and stops your car. Regardless of whether you are talking about the front or rear rotors, it works the same way. If the brake rotors are in bad shape, they will not work properly. Since you cannot repair brake rotors, you will have to take them to a machine shop for resurfacing. If they are too thin, you will have to replace them with new rotors.

• 1

  Park your car on a level surface and turn off its ignition. Place a set of wheel chocks in front of the front tires. Loosen the front wheels' lug nuts with the lug wrench, turning counterclockwise. Raise the car up with the automobile jack. Place a jack stand under the vehicle near the jacking point and raise it to the frame. Lower the automobile jack and pull it from under the car. Move it to the other side of the car and raise that side up. Place the other jack stand under it near the jacking point and raise it to the frame. Lower the automobile jack and pull it from under the car. Your automobile should now be resting on the jack stands.

• 2

  Remove the lug nuts and both wheels using the lug wrench. Pull the wheels off the car. Working on one side at a time, remove the brake calipers using a socket and ratchet to loosen the bolts, turning counterclockwise. Secure the calipers to the shock absorbers with wire ties. Pull the wheel rotors off the wheel assemblies and take them to a machine shop for resurfacing. If the machine shop cannot resurface them because they are too thin, you will need to buy new rotors.

• 3

  Place the new rotors on the wheel assemblies. Working on one wheel at a time, cut the wire ties holding the calipers to the shocks using the pliers. Place the caliper on the mounting bracket and tighten the bolts with the socket and ratchet. Place the wheels back on the car and tighten the lug nuts with the lug wrench.

• 4

  Jack one side of the car up with the automobile jack high enough so that you can remove the jack stand. Lower the car to the ground and then jack the other side up. Remove that jack stand and lower the car to the ground.