Pennsylvania State Inspection

I have a quick question from the collective minds of our Pennsylvania members; Will my less than smooth front rotors pass an inspection? The brake pads are only a few thousand miles old.

They aren't horribly warped (incorrect, I read an article linked on here the other night..) but I do notice a small pulsation coming to a stop. The car doesn't shake violently like a teenage smashing the brake pedal in a cavalier.

I ask because Summit has brembo blanks on clearance @ $50 a pop.

If they are badly grooved.. they will fail. Most places will pull a front and rear rim to check rotor thickness and pad thickness.. but do not check how well the car brakes

Like Mad Machine said. If the rotors aren't too thin (measure at low spots in the grooves) and the pads have enough meat they will pass.

The idiot monkey at my local inspection place (I'm in PA) refused to pass my Land Rover because of rust on the rotors. Yea. I know. They are cast Iron. They said "we can replace the rear brakes for $385". I said, "please give me my keys".

Then it became a pissing match. I just picked it up and left. It still isn't inspected because I haven't cared enough, as I don't drive it all that much. Idiots, trying to scam a brake job out of me, thinking I don't know any better.

depends it they really look or not. depends where you go, pep boys and such places usually do a visual inspection more then anything, they leave wheel on and if they can just visually look to make sure there is enough material on the brake pads and rotor.

If you have the rotors cut you run the risk of the rotor thickness ending up under the minimum and they'll be throwaways anyway... if the shop goes by the book. Can you mic the rotors to get an idea of how much meat will be left after cutting?

Or, find a shop that just gives the vehicle the ol' once over... there's usually one in every town, ask around.

Or just throw a cheap set of rotors on to get thru the winter till you get those Brembos.

fasted58 wrote: Or, find a shop that just gives the vehicle the ol' once over... there's usually one in every town, ask around.

This. That's how I get my Spec E30 inspected every year. They check the lights, look at my street tires, ask me what thickness the brake pads are and give me an emissions exemption for mileage.

Some places do a road test, and if they feel particularly annoying that day, won't pass a car if the car shakes badly when stopping. But from the sound of it, your car isn't that bad. New brake rotors are never a bad idea, though. It certainly won't hurt your chances.

Shops by me (Poconos), including dealers have never once commented on rotors, only pads. Last summer, while driving to a cruise in my Shelby Dakota, my brakes began to pulsate and fade. When I got home I discovered my left front rotor was warped and thin. The truck was inspected three months and 150 miles prior to this. No one ever check the rotors.

In Pa, the mechanic is required to pull one front and one rear, in order to measure the pad and/or shoe thickness, and to record if it is bonded or rivited. That info must be recorded as part of the paperwork process. They may try to push to cut, then thickness comes into play.

They are required to take a road test to make sure they work. The pulsation may raise an eyebrow, but does not constitute a failure unless they believe it will cause an unsafe condition when roads are poor. They have a lot of latitude in this "decision". I think it read "deemed".

I have always gotten the pad thickness on the report, but never the rotor thickness. I have had rotor issues folloeing inspections. No shop yet has notices that the air pump is missing from my Charger 2.2

Thanks for the insight guys.

It looks like I'll be able to pass next month when I bring it home for spring break and get it inspected. But I will keep it on my list of things to replace when more expendable cash crops up.