Brake rotor grooves

[slotard]

I've been hearing a very minor squeal recently. I haven't ever really looked at my brakes, they work well enough, but looking through the wheel I see two grooves. The inner appears to be fairly square bottomed, the other less so.

Is the inner groove an indicator for how far you can turn it?

Any suggestions for what rotors I should go with? It looks like everyone wants to sell a hub and rotor, so not cheap. I'd rather not go with cheap crap, just don't wanna buy parts I don't need. Depending on how the calipers look I might pick up a rebuilt set too. Is AC Delco the way to go for all of it?





It's a '73 C20. Thanks for any help.

[Shady Rascal]

The inner groove is factory and shows that your truck has the original GM rotors. Aftermarket rotors did not have the center groove. The outer one is from wear. Have the rotors machined to remove the damage. The going rate is about ten bucks per rotor at the parts store.

If the damage winds up being too deep to be machined off and you are forced to buy new rotors, be advised that your rotor and hub are a 1 piece unit. This isn't like a late model vehicle where they are separate. They're not trying to sell you stuff that you don't need.

[slotard]

The outer groove is shallower than the inner groove so I imagine it can be machined off. I'll call around and see if anyone can machine a rotor with a quick turnaround, don't wanna leave the truck up on stands more than a few hours.

How hard is it to pull the hub/rotor?

Should I go AC Delco for any parts I need?

[Shady Rascal]

You'll need to be proficient with servicing old style wheel bearings with grease and then adjusting them properly when you go to reinstall the rotors. All it really takes is a tub of bearing grease and two new cotter pins. Same type of bearings as used on all cars up until modern times when they went to sealed bearings. I'm sure there are countless Youtube videos out there if you need a good visual explanation of the process. Basically you just force grease through the bearings with your hands.

I wouldn't buy Delco parts. For the last few years all of the Delco parts I've bought have just been Chinese parts in a more expensive box. For me, I prefer Bendix or Wagner brands. Their quality has seemed to remain pretty constant as time has gone on whereas other brands have slipped a lot.

[slotard]

I've packed bearings before. Don't think I've done wheel bearings, but I've done a fair amount on bikes (steering head bearings, swingarm, etc).

Do I need any special tools? Powerbuilt 648475 Spindle Nut Socket, Six Outer -... it appears I need those.

Is there anything I should replace while I'm in there? Depending on how calipers look I might replace them, I'm considering doing some other suspension stuff too. All the ball joints are caked in greasy dirt, so I might do them as well. I don't have a press, but I do have a BIG vise (Reed 106) which I suspect will be adequate. Of course, at that point I might put in the springs I have sitting around, and at that point I should do new shocks too, and at that point... so I might just stick to the brakes.

[Shady Rascal]

You don't need any spindle socket. They are not torqued. In 25 years I've never seen one tighter than grabbing it with a pair of channellocks and spinning it right off. The torque is basically finger tight.

[slotard]

That makes it easier.

The outer groove is shallower than the inner groove (.060 vs .080... ish). If there isn't anything worse than that I'm considering just throwing pads in it for now, and replacing everything when I get around to rebuilding the front end. I'm planning on doing ball joints, shocks, springs, TREs, probably rebuilt calipers and fresh rotors too, just need to find the time...

[Shady Rascal]

Absolutely. The new pads will wear into the surface quickly and you'll be good to go.