Do these brake rotors need to be replaced? Other telltale signs that I may need a brake overhaul.

premedjeep

premedjeep

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Austin, TX
Got this '04 TJ last November with 173K on it, at 176K now and am pondering whether I need to replace the rotors. Nothing other than safety and the fact that it is a new to me Jeep is telling me to look into getting new components (it has no issues braking). I don't know when the previous owner changed them last. See pics for examples of what I think is rotor wear. I have not taken a wheel off to inspect the pad yet. Can anyone make a judgement by looking at my rotor pics? Also, are there any obvious signs that I can look for to know what else needs replacing? At this point, I'm thinking want to check multiple things off the list and start with one side and replace the axle bearing, hub, U joint, and ball joints (all original stock still), as well as replacing the rotors and pads. Should I just go ahead and replace drums and calipers when I'm there? Any advice would be appreciated. Last picture is the axle assembly. Any comments about glaring issues there would also be appreciated!

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Without measuring the rotor thickness there's no way for us to tell, although those are pretty well gouged up and the rust lip looks pretty pronounced (the implication being the shiny part of the rotor has been worn down significantly) but that's just eyeball guessing. You can see about getting them turned, but honestly I'd just buy new rotors regardless.
 
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These days I’m erring on the side of replacing because I’ve had brakes fail on 2 vehicles that “looked good enough for a while still” … or so I thought!
Especially on a new-to-you old vehicle; as I do with my Jeep you’ll find all kinds of things that’ll make you glad you got in there and refreshed stuff! Pads and rotors can be relatively cheap to swap. Black Magics could be a worthwhile upgrade.
On that note I highly recommend a brake fluid flush if you don’t know when that was done last.
 
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This is no disrespect to any previous post because I didn’t read them carefully, but if its really technical I’d call @mrblaine .

At the minimum he could look at those pictures and probably give you some insight. He has seen a few.
 
hear said:
Without measuring the rotor thickness there's no way for us to tell, although those are pretty well gouged up and the rust lip looks pretty pronounced (the implication being the shiny part of the rotor has been worn down significantly) but that's just eyeball guessing. You can see about getting them turned, but honestly I'd just buy new rotors regardless.
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Yeah, get new pads, disks and rotors. They're not terribly expensive and frankly not many people turn disks/rotors anymore.
 
If you can afford it, have the tools and time, I would replace the calipers too. Especially if they're originals. Keep in mind you'll be opening the lines to air and need to properly bleed all four corners. And, as was suggested flush the fluid with the right stuff.
 
Granite said:
Especially on a new-to-you old vehicle; as I do with my Jeep you’ll find all kinds of things that’ll make you glad you got in there and refreshed stuff! Pads and rotors can be relatively cheap to swap.
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The day after I brought my TJ home, I took it to my buddy's shop and we replaced calipers, rotors, pads, shoes, drums, and all of the drum hardware and wheel cylinders. The Jeep only had 103k on it, and was in good shape, but i wanted to know I had nothing to worry about and it was cheap insurance. Also replaced some other seals and miscellaneous parts for the same reason. I prefer preventative maintenance to reactive repairs.
 
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WVJeep304 said:
The day after I brought my TJ home, I took it to my buddy's shop and we replaced calipers, rotors, pads, shoes, drums, and all of the drum hardware and wheel cylinders. The Jeep only had 103k on it, and was in good shape, but i wanted to know I had nothing to worry about and it was cheap insurance. Also replaced some other seals and miscellaneous parts for the same reason. I prefer preventative maintenance to reactive repairs.
Click to expand...

Absolutely agree! I personally wouldn't buy ANY used car without at least thoroughly inspecting the brake parts and if in doubt replacing the pads, rotors, etc. My life, my loved ones and passengers are too precious. Especially mine! 🤣
 
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