Rick's Free Auto Repair Advice

Is rust on brake rotors serious?

Surface rust on brake rotors is not serious, but deep pitting is

Brake rotors are made from cast iron and they all rust if you leave a vehicle unused for long periods. But the surface  rust shown in the images below is not serious. That orange rust will wipe off the first time you brake. The pads will clean it all off.

surface-rust-on-brake-rotor

Is rust on brake rotors a problem?

Surface rust isn’t a big problem because it will wipe right off as soon as you drive the vehicle and use the brakes. But surface rust can turn into a big problem if you leave the car or truck unused for long periods. Then the surface rust beings to pit the rotor and no amount of driving can fix that.

Pitting on brake rotors IS serious

When left unused for long periods, the rust will begin to pit the rotor and that’s a serious problem. The brake pads can wipe away surface rust, but it can’t wear down the rotor enough to get rid of the pitted areas. The pitted areas reduce your stopping power (increased braking distances) because they’re not contacting the brake pads.

These pitted brake rotors must be replaced

rust-pitting-on-brake-rotor
How to prevent rusted rotors

It’s really simple; you have to drive the vehicle. Braking heats up the rotors and that drives off the moisture. If you don’t drive the vehicle for long periods, it’s going to rust. If you have to leave your vehicle unused for weeks on end, take it for a drive and perform some hard braking to wipe the rotor face clean and heat up the rotor enough to drive off the moisture.
©, 2023 Rick Muscoplat

Posted on by Rick Muscoplat

Categories




Custom Wordpress Website created by Wizzy Wig Web Design, Minneapolis MN