Brake Discs

Have you noticed your brakes juddering recently?

It might be worth checking with us to see if they’ve become warped or, more typically, corroded.

Excessive corrosion on the braking surface of a disc is a common reason for MOT failure or advisory.

Catching it early with a “brake service” and professional clean, also known as brake disc skimming, will save you the full cost of replacements.

To arrange a professional inspection and service of your brakes, call us now on 01386 840297.

Why use us to inspect your brakes?

Established in 1937, we combine a proud heritage with an honest, friendly, and professional approach.

We are experts in braking and will always look at the whole picture when stripping brakes/wheel hubs, to make sure all defects are rectified.

Brake disc skimming is the practice of removing small amounts of material from the surface of a brake disc to improve its performance.

To do this properly a highly specialist, precision lathe must be used.

Our machine is the Bendpak RL8500-XLT which differs from normal lathes, as it removes material from both sides of the disc at the same time.

This ensures that the disc faces are perfectly parallel or “true” with minimal runout.

On modern hybrids, disc brake corrosion is a side effect of efficiency. Through regenerative braking, the electric motor handles most deceleration to recharge the battery, leaving the brake discs and pads largely unused.

Without the regular friction needed to "scrub" away surface moisture and debris, oxidation quickly builds up, leading to pitted surfaces, reduced stopping power, and potential MOT failure.

The symptoms can vary but are usually one, or more, of the following:

• Grinding or Rasping Noises: A harsh, metallic scraping sound when you first apply the brakes. This is the sound of the brake pads trying to "scrub" through a layer of oxidation on the disc surface.
• Judder or Vibrations: If you feel a pulsing sensation through the brake pedal or steering wheel during deceleration, it often indicates that corrosion has created an uneven surface (warpage) on the discs.
• Reduced Stopping Power: Pitted or rusted discs provide less surface area for the pads to grip. You may notice the car takes longer to stop or feels "wooden" under heavy braking.

When a brake disc is no longer running straight or “true” this will commonly present itself as a judder when braking. This is called runout.

Runout can either be from disc warpage (where the disc has physical deformation), or the buildup of corrosion on the disc (more common in low mileage usage, or longer periods of standing).

In the case of warping, more often than not, there is an underlying cause. This needs to be rectified to prevent recurrence.

We are experts in braking and will always look at the whole picture when stripping brakes/wheel hubs, to make sure all defects are rectified.

At Station Road Garage, we always begin with a transparent cost-benefit analysis. We compare the price of replacing your discs and pads, which varies by vehicle, against the advantages of skimming.

Whenever possible, we prefer retaining and skimming your car’s original OE (Original Equipment) discs. These high-quality factory parts are often superior to budget aftermarket replacements, making a precision skim both a cost-effective and performance-focused choice.

Once we determine that skimming is the right path, we move through a meticulous inspection:

• Tolerance Check: We measure the current disc thickness. Every disc has a minimum safety limit; if the disc is already at or near this tolerance, skimming isn't viable as the process requires removing a small amount of material.
• System Strip-down: If the discs are healthy, we strip the brakes and remove the discs. We inspect all related components for "runout" (wobble) and rectify any underlying issues immediately.
• Precision Cleaning: The disc centres are thoroughly cleaned to ensure they mount perfectly true on our lathe.

The brake disc skimming process

Precision is everything. Once the disc is mounted on the lathe, we check it twice for total accuracy.

• Initial Prep: We remove any obvious high spots, such as heavy corrosion on the inner or outer lips.
• The Cut: We perform the first precision cut. Our goal is to remove the absolute minimum amount of material required to achieve a perfectly straight, "as-new" finish while remaining safely within thickness tolerances.
• Component Refacing: While the discs are being perfected, we clean all peripheral parts. If your existing pads are in good condition, we use a dedicated resurfacing tool to deglaze them; otherwise, we fit new pads as required.
• Reassembly & Testing: The system is reassembled and subjected to an extensive road test. We use gentle braking to begin the "bedding-in" process, ensuring all vibrations or judders have been completely eliminated.

The result is a smooth, safe, and revitalised braking system. Job done.

To arrange a professional inspection of your brakes, call us now on 01386 840297.