Home-Made Rotor Resurfacing (Read "Red-Neck Refurb!")

So, the new EBC pads I put on two years ago, started squealing during braking almost immediately after I changed them. Always assumed it was due to the wear pattern set into the rotor from the factory pads, so I decided while I have the bike up for a battery change in the off season, I would try to remedy the situation myself. See images below for how that went... (This is what happens when you have just enough machining knowledge and experience, and plenty of beer!) Used the little vise-grip clamp as a speed adjustment for the corded drill held in the vise, bolted the rotor between two straps of steel and gripped it in the drill chuck, ran it at low speed, and then used sanding disks in my cordless drill to polish out the wear marks on the rotor surfaces. Having both rotating, makes the polishing even and crosses the normal wear direction, and there are before and after shots of the actual rotor surface, so I hope this takes care of the loud squealing, but I won't be able to prove it for another six weeks or so, once all the salt is off the roads here, and I get it back together with a new battery when I get one. We'll see if I survive!   

A smear of 'Copper grease' on the back of the pads would have stopped the squealing (high pitched vibration) Barry, They look nice though   Just check for minimum thickness with a micrometer (it'll have it on the disc/rotor somewhere) to make sure they're still in spec? I like how the 'dog' is keeping his/her eye on things 

Thanks for the pointer Sim; I'll give that a shot, but I'll have to pull the caliper off; as I just put the wheel back together and on the bike about an hour ago. Wasn't sure what you meant by "copper grease" at first, so of course I Googled it, and luckily, we have plastic bottles of what we all call "anti-seize" everywhere in our machine shop, so I'll grab some from work tomorrow. We use it on anything that is regularly exposed to the machining coolant, to keep threads and such from becoming rusted or otherwise inseparable. And I checked the min. thickness of the rotor (4.5 mm it says), with my Mitutoyo calipers, before I did anything to it. I only took a few thousandths of an inch total off it in the process; went from .197 down to .194 inches, or from just over 5 mm down to 4.93 mm, so I still have near a half millimeter to go. Smoke, (he's a he! ha ha), watches my every move when I'm home; makes sure I don't do anything TOO stupid! Smart dog!

Excellent result Barry and yes definately copper grease

Yeh good job that man & dog! Yes to the copper slip grease though as your anti sieze fluid may not be up to the job?

Thanks guys; figured it was worth a shot, and not like it didn't need the resurfacing regardless; even if the grease works. The reason I said what we call "anti-seize" Peter, was because when I Googled it; that's what came up, (see link), which is what we use at work. I believe they are essentially one in the same? Although I also saw a few articles saying NOT to use it on brakes, (something about chemical reactions between two different types of metals, and probably using it as a hock for their own wares it seems), I figure a little bit can't hurt, as it's apparently been used by you experts for years. Besides; I've never seen any type of corrosion from it on the tools and bolts we use it on at work...

https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tnpla/77847275?cid=ppc-google-New+-+Lubricants%2C+Coolants+%26+Fluids+-+PLA_sE8893r6O___164110813911_c_S&mkwid=sE8893r6O|dc&pcrid=164110813911&rd=k&product_id=77847275&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlMujs_Xr2AIVUBuBCh1oTA1iEAYYASABEgL0VPD_BwE

We use a grease called Copper or coppa slip here, it's a copper/gold coloured grease that we use very sparingly on the back of pads & also use it on stainless nuts n bolts(+ others) so they don't seize up.

Yeah; sounds like the same stuff Peter. I will apply some "sparingly" as you noted, probably this weekend since it's warming up again then. That way when I get my new battery next week, it will be the only remaining project before spring; other than oil & filter change, plus a good wash with the kit my daughter got me for Christmas. I'm attaching a couple pictures of the LocTite anti-seize I got from work for reference...

Looks the same to me Barry    seems funny a company called 'loctite' making an 'anti seize' lubricant   well, it did to me anyway  

That will do Barry & I agree with Sim about glue makers making a slippery subject as well, strange!

Aye, I suppose there is just a bit of irony in that name? Damn corporate greed; they wanna' get ya' going on, and get ya' comin' off!

LocTite is mostly popular for their line of thread-locker compounds; thus the name. They come in different colors for different levels of locking strength, and we use them extensively in our lathe assembly area at the shop. I actually had to purchase a tube of the "blue", (which indicates it's "removeable" thread-locker), for the bolts that hold the rotor to the wheel itself, as I noticed when I took them out, that they had the blue compound on the threads, so I figured it would be fairly smart to reapply some when I reassembled the rotor to the wheel.

So I finally got the opportunity to get back to my project, after spending half the afternoon putting an O2 sensor in my son's 22 year old car, (what a pain in the dick THAT was!). Hopefully I've applied a proper amount, and snapped some pics for the record...







There's the bare pad, the copper-greased pad, and I wasn't sure, so I applied a small amount to the back-plates as well, but just where the caliper piston contacts them; just in case. It seems to have worked so far, but I only took the bike around the block to heat the oil before I changed it, and also because it was only about 42 degrees F here, and the rain was finally down to just a drizzle after coming down all day.

As with any good project, I also applied copious amounts of Guinness assembly lube to myself! And if I'd reached for a tool as often as I'd reached the Guinness, I'd probably have been done twice as quick, but only had half the fun!  

Nice work Barry   

Gave it wash today Sim, and took it for a spin to put some fresh gas, (and fuel stabilizer) in while I wait for true riding weather; have had no squeaking or other noise from the brakes at all since! 

So after only about 1k miles this spring so far, I started getting some squealing from the front brakes again during heavier braking. When I tool the caliper apart again, the copper backing of the pads was nearly clean of the copper grease I'd put on? I re-coated everything and reassembled; back to braking silence... Is this typical to have to reapply so frequently?

Copper Grease on brake parts! Sounds like something pre German Triumph, and we don't want to go there.
This is the proper stuff. Have not heard a chirp since I started using it.
CRC Disc Brake Quiet.

Thanks for the tip RAnst; will see if I can find it round here and pick some up. I've already had a few minor squeals under heavier braking; after the second application of the other grease...