How long can I drive with warped rotors? What other damage can I incur?
Thread Starter
Member

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
From: little rock, arkansas
Vehicle: 2000 tibby
I have one or 2 warped rotors. Money is tight (stupid holidays), but I want to get them fixed. How long can I drive with them warped? One week? Two weeks? I don't want to drive on them like this for months, but I am strapped for cash until close to the first of the month. Can I go that long?
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 10,795
Likes: 5
From: Pflugerville, TX
Vehicle: 2000 Elantra
You can drive with warped rotors until your fillings rattle loose in their teeth, until you crash into the car in front of you (or a tree, pedestrian, etc.) due to reduced braking power, or until you come up with the cash to replace or machine the rotors. The increased vibration will theoretically wear stuff out faster but probably not so's you would notice.
Unless stopping distances are notably worse, I'd be willing to go rolling around on warped rotors for quite a while if money were tight.
Unless stopping distances are notably worse, I'd be willing to go rolling around on warped rotors for quite a while if money were tight.
Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,021
Likes: 1
From: Illinois
Vehicle: 2010 Genesis Coupe 2L track
Most warped rotors I've seen are really rotors with pad deposits on them. You can try to go out somewhere where you can slam on the brakes (60-5) as hard as you can a few times. This will clean them up. But it's usually cheap pads that leave the deposits so that may be what needs changed.


