When your car has disc brakes, the system works when the pads are pressed against the slotted rotors after you step on the brake pedal. To ensure maximum grip and enough friction to slow and stop your car, the surfaces of the rotors must be smooth and even.

If there are scratches or indentations on the surface, your car will vibrate and make screeching noises whenever you apply the brakes. While these signs can mean that the rotors need replacing, they could be resurfaced by a professional using a lathe if the slotted brake rotors meet a couple of requirements.

1. No Cracks, Deep Chips, or Other Signs of Catastrophic Failure Are Present on the Rotors

One thing that the brake technician will look for when trying to decide whether your car's rotors can be resurfaced is signs of catastrophic failure. The rotors should not have any cracks, deep chips, or breaks in the metal.

If these signs are present, the rotors will not last much longer until they break apart, making it necessary to replace them. However, if there is no irreversible damage present on the rotors, they may be able to resurface them.

2. Any Scratches or Indentations on the Surface of the Rotors Are Not Deep into the Metal

Along with looking for signs of impending failure, the technician will also look at any scratches or indentations in the surface metal of the rotors. When these are present, they are the causes of the noises and vibrations that you notice when you step on the brakes.

If these scratches or indentations are too deep, they will not be able to resurface the rotors because too much of the metal will have to be lathed off. However, as long as the damage is superficial, the technician will most likely opt to go ahead and resurface the slotted rotors while changing the brake pads.

If your car's brake rotors are causing odd noises and vibrations, you may be able to have them resurfaced instead of replaced when the brake pads are changed. As long as there are no signs of catastrophic failure such as cracks or chips and any surface scratches are not deep into the metal, the process can be done. For more information or to see if your car's brakes meet the requirements, take your vehicle to an automotive shop that offers slotted brake rotor resurfacing services to have them examine the rotors.