For me, the worst spot is the rotors...

I've watched several videos online about how to get rid of rust, and one very good method (for tools) is to soak the tools or other items in Apple Cider Vinegar over night (submerged, in a 5 gal. bucket), and wipe the rust off the next day.

For rotors, I'm sure brake/carb cleaner and a wire brush would do just fine on the spots that do not have contact with the brake pad.

But primarily, I would like this thread to be about rust prevention.

I don't like the idea about painting the non-contact areas of rotors, because the rotors are designed to dissipate heat; so either the rotors won't perform as they should (because they wouldn't dissipate heat as well with a coat of paint on them), or the paint would be bad paint and would bubble and peel after being subjected to high temperatures.

Having said that, does anyone have any suggestions for non-paint rust treatments? I've heard Zinc coated rotors are the way to go, which I have some, but mine were subjected to an accident that cause them to heat dramatically, and now rust does indeed gather on the rotors, so I can't accurately know if Zinc coated rotors are the way to go.

Also, if brake dust is a problem setting on the rotors or wheel (which is very common), perhaps consider switching to ceramic brake pads. They may still produce dust, but not nearly as bad as a regular ol' brake pad.

Anyway, hope we get lots of tips in this thread, and hope it helps a lot of people to have specific tips in a localized area!

 

You're worried about the rotors getting rusty after sitting? As long as it hasn't been sitting for awhile, just take it out for a drive and normal braking will remove the rust.

 

I think I understand what you are looking for, I am not sure it exists. Well not for adding to used rotors. If you buy rotors that are dipped in zinc and then final ground it would close to what you want. They sell powder coated edges but like you mentioned it will work as an insulator even more then paint. With the zinc and powder coat you still get small spots of rust right at the edge of the pads

Yes ceramic brakes cause less dust. Spray brake cleaner will rinse brake dust off but you need to wax the rims right after. If you keep your rims waxed the brake dust should rinse off with soap and water. Due to how fast air is passing the rim the wax wears off very quickly.

 

The heat retention from a micro thin film of paint would be minimal on a street driven car. What kind of heat buildup are you expecting to have where that's even an issue, unless you're racing the car on a road course where you're constantly using the brakes at high speed.

 

He is referring to the rust that builds up on the rotors outer edge, not the fire path, or where the pads touch.

 

With stop and go traffic in the city, with about 50 meters between lights, my rotors take some pretty good heat damage - I really don't recommend painting them. I've never tried rotors dipped in zinc and also with a powder coat, but it sounds like it would make sense that it would cause a great deal of heat retention as well.

With drilled and slotted rotors, painting could be a different story, I'm not sure. Even though they're not really designed with everyday-driving envisioned, that would certainly seem to mitigate any heat issue. But, I prefer to not turn this into a heat issue thread...rust prevention.

Drilled and slotted with a zinc coat...wonder if that would work? They certainly look pretty.

A far as the outer edge goes (not the inner part contacting the wheel), I'm not sure how rust there could be prevented. Well, short of taking a brush to it, anyway.

 

Zinc is not an insulator, If anything it will transfer heat faster the the cast iron it on but it so thin its not going to help but sure should not hurt.

I have the Zinc washed rotors on mine. It greatly reduces the rust but does not eliminate it.

New


2 years almost 70k driven year round


If you really want nice look rotors that hold up over time then stainless is it.

 

I live in a hilly "city" and have mine painted in the non-contact areas and haven't had any trouble with heat. Brakes still stop on a dime if I need them too. As long as you're not racing stop light to stop light and then slamming on the brakes 10 feet from the red light I don't think the paint will have an effect on your braking.

 

Thanks for the pics Gorn - I'll take some pics of mine as well when it gets out of the shop. I don't have pics of when my rotors were new, but they pretty much looked like yours did.

I'll look into stainless rotors, though. I hadn't thought about that. It does seem to be the only one that really makes sense as a rotor and being rust resistant. Thanks for the suggestion.

Otherwise, there are some chemicals that can be applied on an annual basis to the underside of the car that prevents rust (also inside doors). I'll do more research on where/how to obtain them...I know they're used in Canada, so they should be used here as well. But I don't know why they couldn't be applied to non-contact areas of rotors. I'll see what I come up with.

Edit: Found one that's very interesting; how can I mention this without advertising the product?

 

I do not consider posting links to a product as advertisement. We do it all the time. If you have any association with the product sales or manufacture then we would have an issue.

Example: I like evaporust, I post the link for it a lot because I like and use it.

Most coating products cannot handle the heat or the expansion a rotor sees. You are at the limits of “normal” paints. If you run the car hard enough you can even burn off the paint. I have seen rotors glowing after a racing on a road course.

The Zinc “washed” (not plated) rotor you see above stayed nice for about a year, maybe a little more. When the rust started it was just specs. It still does not look like what a normal rotor would look like after 4 PA winters. I am sure if it was a garage kept baby they would look better. They are the junker Ebay ones, if I was serious about stopping on a budget I would get the Duralast gold from Autozone. They rust but it is a better casting. Anytime you want to know more about good braking just go check out an autocross forum and find guys running Camaros, You can bet they have tried everything, course they are not much into looks as they are stopping.