Noticing grooves on brake rotors can be a worrying experience for any driver. Will the grooved rotors reduce your car’s braking performance and make driving less safe? And more importantly, what causes grooves in brake rotors, and what can you do about them?
Brake rotors (brake disks) get grooved over time due to several issues. The possible causes of groovy rotors are worn brake pads, hard braking, excessive heat, and road debris. If your rotors are grooved, identify and resolve the root cause before replacing the rotors.
Here are the causes of grooves in brake rotors and effective solutions. You’ll also learn the symptoms of grooved brake rotors.
Question: How Do Brake Rotors Work?
Brake rotors are essential parts of your vehicle’s braking system. They’re attached to the axles behind each wheel. The rotors work in tandem with the brake pads to allow proper braking.
When you step on the brake pedal, the caliper pistons push the pads towards the rotors. As a result, the brake pads and rotors create friction needed to slow down or stop the vehicle. The rotors are also responsible for dissipating heat generated while braking. This prevents overheating that may decrease brake efficiency.
Brake rotors are made of durable material meant to withstand excessive heat and pressure generated during braking. However, like other braking system components, the rotors can wear out or develop grooves over time. Let’s see what causes grooves in rotor brakes.
Question: What Causes Grooves in Brake Rotors?
Grooves in brake rotors appear for several reasons. You should not worry about poor braking performance if your rotors have tiny grooves. The tiny grooves result from regular wear and tear as the rotors rub against the brake pads.
However, it’s time to take action if the grooves appear more profound and the braking efficiency decreases. So, why are your brake rotors grooved, and what can you do?
Worn Brake Pads
One of the leading reasons your rotors are grooved is worn brake pads. Brake pads push the rotors when you apply brakes, creating friction to slow or stop the vehicle. Over time, brake pads wear out due to day-to-day use, braking habits, mileage incurred, and the surrounding environment.
When brake pads wear down, they lose effectiveness at slowing or stopping the car. If not replaced on time, the metal backing plate on the pads can come into contact with the rotors, causing grooves to develop.
Inspecting and replacing the brake pads is part of your vehicle’s routine maintenance. So, don’t wait for the brake pads to wear down excessively to expose the metal backing plate. Replace the worn brake pads as soon as you notice the following symptoms:
- Squeaking or squealing noise from the brakes.
- Grinding sound when braking.
- Your car is taking longer to stop.
- Vibrations when braking.
- The brake pad indicator light is turning on.
Hard Braking
Poor braking habits can cause several problems, including grooves in rotors brakes. A typical poor braking habit with inexperienced drivers is hard braking.
Hard braking occurs when you hit the brake pedal harshly or use sudden, excessive force to stop the vehicle. This happens when you want to reduce your speed instantly, especially when accelerating. Hard braking is dangerous because you’ll be unable to steer the car to avoid obstacles.
Besides, hard braking causes damage to various brake-connected components. Parts may wear out quickly or become loose, reducing braking efficiency. This braking habit can quickly wear down the brake pads, leading to grooved rotors.
Luckily, there are various ways to avoid hard braking. If you’re an inexperienced driver, start braking early to avoid slamming down the brake pedal. Then, ensure your legs are closer to the brake pedal. Lastly, squeeze the pedal gradually until there’s enough resistance to stop your vehicle.
Excessive Heat
Excessive heat is a common reason your car has grooves in brake rotors. When you apply brakes, the pads clamp/grip on the rotors to slow or stop the car. When this happens, the pads and rotors create friction and produce heat.
The heat increases when you apply brakes too often, causing grooves in the rotors. It’s worth noting that brake rotors will dissipate much heat while braking. But if you brake more often, the excessive friction will create too much heat, creating score marks or grooves on the rotors.
You can prevent this problem by adopting smooth braking habits. Also, you can install brake rotors that allow better heat dissipation and direct cold air inside.
Road Debris
Grooves in rotors brakes may also result from accumulated road debris between the brake pads and rotors. Any hard particles such as grit, metal chips, or other debris trapped between the rotors and pads could be to blame. When you apply brakes, these particles grind against the rotors, causing grooves to develop.
Road debris gets trapped between the pads and rotors when you drive the car through mud, deep puddles, or dusty roads.
When inspecting the brake system, remove any stuck particles causing grooves in the rotors. You can spray brake cleaner or use soapy water to clean the calipers and rotors. A brake caliper brush can also help scrub any stuck particles or gunk.
If the rotors keep collecting road debris, you can replace them with slotted rotors. The slots on these rotors will remove particles trapped between the rotors and pads.
Answer: Symptoms of Grooved Rotors
If your vehicle has grooved brake rotors, you’ll notice some of the following symptoms:
- Noisy brakes: Grooves in rotors brakes cause uneven contact between the rotors and pads. When this happens, you may hear a grinding or squealing noise when braking.
- Reduced braking performance: Grooves in brake rotors minimize friction between the pads and rotors. The reduced friction makes your brakes less effective when slowing or stopping your vehicle.
- Increased vibrations: The uneven contact between the rotors and pads can cause the vehicle to vibrate when braking.
- Brake warning light: Any malfunction in the braking system, including grooved brake rotors, can trigger the dashboard brake lights to turn on.
- Brake pedal pulsation: A wobbly pedal pulsation is a common sign of grooved or warped brake rotors. The pulsation occurs due to an improper contact between the rotors and the pads.
Question: Can I Drive With Grooves in Brake Rotors?
Driving with grooved rotors depends on how shallow or deep the grooves are. If tiny grooves exist, you can drive without compromising the braking performance. Tiny grooves result from regular wear and don’t reduce braking performance.
However, it’s unsafe to drive with deep grooves in brake rotors. Profound grooves cause the pads to wear out unevenly, reducing braking performance. In this case, it’s best to hire a technician to inspect and replace the grooved brake rotors.
Another issue is whether to install new brake pads on grooved brake rotors. If you’re in a hurry or on a budget, you can install new pads on grooved brake rotors. However, the grooves will affect braking performance and cause uneven pad wear. Smooth rotors ensure optimal contact between pads and rotors during braking.
Wrapping Up
Grooves in brake rotors may result from worn brake pads, excessive heat, hard braking, and road debris. They can reduce braking performance and compromise the smooth driving experience. If you have grooved rotors, addressing the root cause is vital before replacing the defective rotors.
Take your vehicle to a technician when you notice signs of grooved brake rotors. Your mechanic will replace the grooved brake rotors and fix issues causing grooves to develop on the rotors.