My car sat for a month and during that time, the rotors rusted up really badly on the surface. I finally got it back on the road yesterday and took it for a drive and when I would brake, the brake pedal would vibrate like crazy due to all the rust.

It's starting to come off but then I noticed that my front driver side rotor still has rust on the outter edge of the rotor and also on the inside (like up against the hub). It's almost as if my brake pad isn't hitting those spots. The passenger side is clearing away nice and evenly though. Is there something wrong with my driver side brake pads? And is there a way to get that rust off? I don't want to warp the rotors by braking too hard...

 

I think you are worrying about nothing. If you want it all shiny, turn the rotors and get new pads.

 

This

 

hit the brakes harder

 

Rotors are made of iron for all street intents and purposes. Iron rusts. Pads aren't supposed to touch every single square mm of the rotor, and the friction of braking is all that wears off the rust. Highly doubtful the shakinf you described is from the rust haha, and highly doubtful you will warp rotors by driving and braking on the street. Get over it. If you want to get rid of the rust, drive it off.

 

Well I'm pretty sure that the vibration in my brake pedal is in fact from the rust that was on the rotors. I mean the vibration seemed to become fainter as I braked more and more and I didn't have any problems with my brakes before I put my car out of action. But I'll give the car a good braking and hopefully that'll clear things up. Thanks for the replies!

 

It's probably your ABS. Are you sure your rotors are in good shape, besides the rust I mean? How many miles are on them? Have you turned them? How hard have you used them? Measured thickness lately?

 

CLR it

 

I actually had them cut last summer. They're the stock rotors and my car has 26k miles on it...I have never tracked my car either...

 

not random at all^

 

I get the same vibrations after my car sits for a while and everything rusts up. It seems that the pads actually rust and weld themselves to the rotors and when you finally move the car, it makes a distinct noise when it breaks free. After this, you will notice where the pad has left deposits, or it's mark where it has rusted to the rotor. This spot is now at a different height in reference to the rust accumulated on the rest of the rotor and when you brake this gives you the shudder or vibration. When applying the brakes, the brake pads ride higher over the rust and then drops down lower when hitting the spot that the pads welded themselves to the rotor. The only way to get rid of it without cutting your rotors is to drive the car and make very hard stops to level out the rotor so to speak. If you take it easy on it and just glaze over it, then it sometimes makes it harder to wear the rotors back in. I usually make repeated low speed stops and brake very hard, almost to the point of activating the ABS....good luck.

 

^There you go! Thanks for clearing that up MirageEvo.

 

^ Basically you're bedding the brakes. Read from your brake pad manufacturer their process for bedding. Redo it (cause you did it to begin with, right? )

 

Thanks for the info guys. I would've tried to go out there and do this if it wasn't for the rain....

 

Watch out! Rain is the essence of moisture... and moisture is the essence of...


...RUST!