How to remove rust from rotors?

Daryl

Well-Known Member
SN95 Supporter
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Messages
2,815
Reaction score
1,294
Location
SoCal
My rotors are all rusty looking since my car’s been sitting for a couple of months.
Will the rust simply come off once I start driving it again? If so, will that rust collect on the pads and affect them? Or should I remove each tire/wheel and clean off the rust? If so, what’s the best way to clean them??

Thank you everyone!!
 

cobrajeff96

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2022
Messages
1,607
Reaction score
1,479
Location
Germany
Don't use anything too abrasive on the firepath. Start small with a scotchbrite or some finer steel wool pads and use elbow grease. If it's not enough, start with 400 grit sand paper and see how that works. Probably the most abrasive you should go is 200 grit in my opinion. Blow off the residue after a few minutes of scrubbing and don't breath it in. Can of acetone and clean rags once all of it is gone.

Light film of antiseize on the rotor hat where it makes wheel contact is always a time saver for later jobs, as well as where the rotor contacts the hub. Basically put a light film anywhere but the firepath. Or a spray can of Zinc will do the same.
 
OP
OP
Daryl

Daryl

Well-Known Member
SN95 Supporter
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Messages
2,815
Reaction score
1,294
Location
SoCal
So leaving it on there and doing nothing, letting the brake pads do the cleaning isn’t good or even ok?
 

joemomma

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2020
Messages
1,225
Reaction score
733
You're just talking about like minor surface rust on the rotor from where it sat for a few days and got wet, right? If so, nothing to worry about - just drive it. Mine will get rusty in the time it takes to get it cleaned and detailed after washing. Just drive it, no worries there. If you're talking about something more sinister, like the inner part (not where the pads make contact), then much more work is involved as mentioned above.
 
OP
OP
Daryl

Daryl

Well-Known Member
SN95 Supporter
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Messages
2,815
Reaction score
1,294
Location
SoCal
You're just talking about like minor surface rust on the rotor from where it sat for a few days and got wet, right? If so, nothing to worry about - just drive it. Mine will get rusty in the time it takes to get it cleaned and detailed after washing. Just drive it, no worries there. If you're talking about something more sinister, like the inner part (not where the pads make contact), then much more work is involved as mentioned above.
Yeah, just surface rust like you described
 

lwarrior1016

Mr. Secondary Timing Chain
Staff
Joined
Sep 22, 2014
Messages
8,481
Reaction score
4,227
Location
South Mississippi
I don’t know if it’s the right way, but I just drive mine. After they sit, I’ll take them around the block and use varying brake pedal pressure. The rotors come clean after a few stops.
 
OP
OP
Daryl

Daryl

Well-Known Member
SN95 Supporter
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Messages
2,815
Reaction score
1,294
Location
SoCal
I’m sure it’s the result of all the rain we’ve had recently in SoCal

Sidebar: are there rotors in existence that DON’T rust? Does such a thing exist?!
 

lwarrior1016

Mr. Secondary Timing Chain
Staff
Joined
Sep 22, 2014
Messages
8,481
Reaction score
4,227
Location
South Mississippi
I’m not sure if such a thing exists. That’s bare metal that gets ground down every time you hit the brakes. I’d just drive it. Just a couple months ago I got a car that had been sitting since 2019. I went straight to driving it. The brakes work fine, after the first few stops, all the rust was cleaned off.
 

cobrajeff96

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2022
Messages
1,607
Reaction score
1,479
Location
Germany
Yea, that's nothing. You can even see that the rotor hat is still uncorroded. Just drive it normally.

Thought maybe you had the car sitting for a good while.
 

badass98svt

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Messages
4,114
Reaction score
1,798
Just drive it. You'll hear the squealing brakes for about 5 seconds when you first apply them, and then you'll be back to normal.
 

cobrajeff96

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2022
Messages
1,607
Reaction score
1,479
Location
Germany
well just cause ya asked, I don't think carbon fiber ceramic discs will rust.
I wouldn't run those kind of rotors unless it's a track-only car and you have deep pockets. In a race, they're pure gold, but on the street you first have to warm them up for them to be effective.
 

cobrajeff96

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2022
Messages
1,607
Reaction score
1,479
Location
Germany
It's not something you want on a daily, which is the more important point. Planting that seed in someone's head and all. Better to leave it alone.
 

ttocs

Post Whore
Joined
Oct 9, 2009
Messages
32,383
Reaction score
5,557
Location
Evansville Indiana
I am reasonable sure that IF someone found a pair that even fit a mustang that the price would scare any mustang owner off.
 

cobrajeff96

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2022
Messages
1,607
Reaction score
1,479
Location
Germany
Yea, Wilwood does make them in our bolt patterns. They are pricey. But if it's for a track car, they'll probably last a lot longer than traditional iron. Probably go through a few sets of pads before it comes time to change one of those rotors.
 
OP
OP
Daryl

Daryl

Well-Known Member
SN95 Supporter
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Messages
2,815
Reaction score
1,294
Location
SoCal
Joemomma was right: drove it; rust came off!
Cheers!
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
77,435
Messages
1,502,106
Members
14,917
Latest member
virocanah

Members online

Top