ClintUK

97 R-Reg

Anyone ever skimmed their rears rather than buying new ones. Have a freindly lathe and not adverse to doing this sort ot thing, but no idea on safety margins for thickness.

The problem is rust round the ouside (previous owner didn't use the car much) but I don't think I need to take much off.

Any advice would be welcome
Cheers
Clint

Apple

Are you replacing the pads as well as skimming so that you get two "flat" mating surfaces rather than old, potentially grooved pads on a "new" disc?

I would have thought you could go down as a last resort to the disc wear indicator (if they have them - sometimes a scallop on the outside edge or the minimum size cast into the edge) or at least get hold of the minimum allowable thickness - a light skim to just clean up is the most you should need.

The thing to watch is keeping the runout to a mimimum - clean up the bell surface first and then clock up the disc on the lathe to get it as true as possible - you don't want an out of true disc puttting back on the car as this can cause Disc thickness variation, vibration etc...

For the outside lip, how about filing this off rather than turning?

Obviously for the turning, you don't want to use coolant oils - machine cast iron dry anyway.

If the previous owner didn't use the car much, are the rear calipers moving freely or seized? Are they drum-in-hat handbrakes on a '97 or can you lightly pull on the handbrake at low speed to see if things are free?

A couple of things off the top of my head if they help...

Andy