Do non-oem rotors require machining to fit?

My local Toyota specialist mechanic claims none of the aftermarket rotors fit properly that he works on. ALL need to be machined to fit.

Is he full of it or.....?

 

He’s no specialist

 

He's full of it. They just want your money to buy through them.

 

The answer is NO. A brand new rotor can be installed without machining. They should be thoroughly cleaned and the new pads properly "bedded", for best new braking performance.

 

I have heard of instances where aftermarket rotors are just slightly thicker which has caused them to rub against the backing plate. That backing plate cuts it VERY close to the rotors. I used OEM rotors and they even rubbed (caused a very nasty grinding noise). The fix was to bang out that backing plate with a screwdriver and hammer.

In my case, It turns out that I had bent the backing plate a bit-I hit the plate as I was mounting the tires. I think this might be one reason the Toyota mechanic mentioned this to you. I’ve heard time and again from my local Toyota specialist shop and from YouTuber Carcarenut that OEM parts are your best bet.

For me, OEM parts aren’t that much more expensive and take the guesswork out of it. I’ve never been disappointed with OEM Toyota stuff.

 

OEM parts = Original Equipment Manufacture, which is generally, not a part actually manufactured by, in this case by Toyota. Most of the parts on a Tacoma are manufactured by "suppliers", and many of those suppliers have own equivalent aftermarket part, which is the same part. For example, a Denso aftermarket part is exactly the same as the Toyota part. The difference is the price point. It's your dough, buy what you like. Or do a little research and save some dough.

 

Agreed-I do the same thing when possible (and if the price difference is significant). Denso Spark plugs, Aisin timing belt kits come to mind.

For someone that doesn’t want to spend time thinking about it, buying from the dealer, or better yet a dealer that sells cheaper online takes the research out of it, and you know you’re getting a good part. I like that every part I get for my Toyota/Lexus (except oil filters) are made in Japan or USA. As opposed to my ‘American’ Camaro SS that has some OEM parts made in China or Mexico.

 

At our shop the Autozone rotors had to be modified to fit the rear of a Tundra.

 

Chinese rotors use to regularly be out of round and have excessive runout. Fix would be to keep taking em back until you found an acceptable one or machine it.
These days, not as big of an issue. But, you may still get one that is out of spec.

 

I've definitely read posts where rotors did not have correct clearances and were not able to be installed without modification.

Rotors pads and hardware purchased thru my local dealership in 2021 had zero fitment issues. Which the installer (myself) really appreciates.

OE are a reliable option. Only aftermarket rotors I have confidence in would be Brembo blanks, but I was not able to source any at the time.

 

Ive used OEM, Autozone, Stoptechs, Centrics…cryo, non-cryo.

All have worked. Never noticed a difference.