What to do with used brake rotors ???

[Mike14k]

Gents,

I searched around and never saw this topic....

So you can see by my avitar I have a fair amount of vehicles I work on and maintain including brakes.

In my storage area, I've got a stack of all sizes of used brake rotors around 4-5 feet high, and sure would like to find a use for them. I somehow think there should be some application I could find.

Anyone have suggestions on what to weld up, build or make out of them ??? Grinder stands ??? short jackstands ??? stepping stones in the garden ???

I can't be the only guy around with a stack of rotors like this. Or do you just toss them ????

Mike14k

 

[Stuart in MN]

I suppose they're worth a buck or two in scrap, but that's about it.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Sell them for scrap, tool stands, or yard art.

 

[d.mcfarland]

Could always recycle for some cash, although it might not be much.

Same question asked in this thread:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=90877&page=2

 

[danieldd]

I've got a stack as well, although not as large as yours. I've threatened for the past couple of years to take them to the scrap yard (not the land fill), but I haven't done it so far. I don't have a welder, if I did, I'd probably do something with them...

 

[Mike.ASC]

Lots of guys with garden & small tractors use them for wheel weights....

 

[Jonboy1974]

Scrap 'em. At least get a couple bucks for them.

 

[GRN96WS6]

I take em to the dump and toss them in the scrap metal bin which I assume gets recycled.

 

[Shootingblanks]

I scrap all the rotors I collect from working on people's cars.

 

[casetractorfarmer]

Scrap them there about 240 a ton here

 

[NUTTSGT]

I'd be taking them to the scrapper. . . . that's free money, why give it away ? Especially 4-5' tall stack.

 

[Gary S]

Scrap them. I've never had to replace a brake rotor in 45 years of driving, but as soon as I buy a vehicle, I junk the metallic pads and replace them with organic pads. After that, the rotors will easily outlast the vehicle without ever having to be replaced.
If you choose to run the damaging pads, then be prepared to junk a lot of rotors.

 

[str8axle55]

Scrap them, my junk guy at work will buy them for $2 ea.

 

[EricJ@AMS]

Same here. I get $2 each for most decent sized rotors at work.

 

[where2]

My wife tosses them in the forge and pounds them into something else.

 

[RECox286]

I either scrap or throw them out. But if you have a fishing boat, they

do make good mud anchors. I s'pose you could turn them into fancy

flower pots, if'n y'all had a mind to.

Uncle Bob

 

[Fastbird]

Scrap them. Round here right now it's $14 per 100lbs. Metal collectors come by the shop and offer a buck a rotor, so you KNOW they're worth at least $1 each in scrap.

 

[914wilhelm]

Make them flat and parallel and sell them as plates to tram mills on eBay.

 

[Spam16v]

I take them to the curb, last about 2 minutes... I'm obviously lazy, and don't handle enough to justify the trip for scrap.

 

[brownbagg]

put them out by the road and they be gone within a hour

 

[BigGMC]

Couldn't make a decent stand with just one - not heavy enough..... but put four of 'em down in a square shape with "hats" up, then set the 5th one on top of all four and weld 'em up. Bet that would be stable enough.
I was always gonna snag a big truck brake drum from work to make a grinder stand.
Or, make a garage windchime!!!... well that might be a bit :supergay:

 

[Dustin Echoes]

I've seen them used to edge a garden, stuck in vertically.

 

[BlackLead]

My wife tosses them in the forge and pounds them into something else.

That would be awesome. I wish someone near me had such a forge; I'd give them all my scrap and ask them to make me a machete or something. I don't think you can ever have too many edged items.

 

[VatorMan]

I give them away at Halloween. Kids love them !!

 

[BigGMC]

I give them away at Halloween. Kids love them !!

That's f'in funny right there......... TRICK OR TREAT! thud!!

 

[ImportTuner]

I usually get $4~$5 for two rotors at the local scrap/recycling place ..

 

[Greatbear]

As long as they aren't rusted to hell, large ones make decent grinder stands. Smaller ones can be used as floor lamp bases.

 

[zulu226]

Recycle them. Take em to the scrap yard and get some $$

 

[bczygan]

Better than cement blocks for weighing down bodies.

 

[ryan t]

Make an axe:

 

[skipskip]

Very big wind chime?

 

[SuitorsGarage]

I usually like to trip over them for a while in the garage. Then I move them around in the shop from place to place thinking they are out of the way. Then I move them outside until I donate them to my buddy's scrap pile.

Seriously though they are good scrap. I have a scrapper that comes to my shop for scrap but I feel obligated to send the good stuff like rotors up to my buddy's shop. He waits until he has a huge amount of good stuff and cashes in. Me, I just want it out of my way.

 

[admranger]

Make clocks out of them?

I either toss mine in the recycle bin unless I have a bunch of them at once; then I take them to the recycler since it is near where I work.

 

[WQ59B]

Depending on the dimensions involved, the vented front rotors can work as a tubing 'die', IE: clamp it in a vise and use the recessed channel around the edge where the vents are to make a uniform sweeping radius in brake, fuel or other lines. When the line fits snugly in the recess, it keeps the line from kinking. Limited use, yes.

 

[e-tek]

Tool stand bases - for anvils, a vice, bench grinder, hammer tree....

 

[Tucko]

Gents,

I searched around and never saw this topic....

So you can see by my avitar I have a fair amount of vehicles I work on and maintain including brakes.

In my storage area, I've got a stack of all sizes of used brake rotors around 4-5 feet high, and sure would like to find a use for them. I somehow think there should be some application I could find.

Anyone have suggestions on what to weld up, build or make out of them ??? Grinder stands ??? short jackstands ??? stepping stones in the garden ???

I can't be the only guy around with a stack of rotors like this. Or do you just toss them ????

Mike14k

I've been thinking the same thing, but I've only got 2 rotors....

 

[SGKent]

thank the Lord I never collected mine and tossed them into the scrap as they came in. Think of the hours saved not having to debate what to do with them. I need to count my blessings more

 

[Lotek]

Scrap them. I've never had to replace a brake rotor in 45 years of driving, but as soon as I buy a vehicle, I junk the metallic pads and replace them with organic pads. After that, the rotors will easily outlast the vehicle without ever having to be replaced.
If you choose to run the damaging pads, then be prepared to junk a lot of rotors.

??? I want the best possible performance out of my brakes, degrading the performance to preserve the rotors doesn't make any sense at all. Do you run steel tires as well? I hear they last much longer than those newfangled pneumatic tires.

 

[ndnchf]

Mount a vise to it and use it on the welding table. This one's not mine, but I plan to make one like it. It has enough weight to hold things while welding, yet is easy to move around.

 

[Burtonrider10022]

Make an axe:

This is the only answer that should be considered so far.

After you've made a few (hundred) axes you may scrap the rest for cash, and then defend your cash with your new ax.