rotor surface rust: sand off or machined (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Aug 15, 2005
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Location
Lemoore, CA (south of Fresno) / Cortes Island, B.C
I have sureface rust on a set of disk brakes. Can I lightly sand it off with a really fine grit or do I need to take them in to have them machined?

This is just an FYI question that I was thinking about. I need to take mine in and have them cleaned up at a shop.
 
im guessing this is from the truck sitting after a rain or u live in a moist area?

if so just drive it around the block it will all be gone, even been to a new car lot after a rain and looked at the brake rotors on the cars? u can tell which one were driven after the rain and which were not.

i dont drive my rig much anymore and they usually have some surface rust between me driving it and its no big deal after a quick spin its all gone.
 
If it is deep and pitted, resurface. If it is just surface rust, like "CrusinFJ60" says, take it for a spin. It may even work a little better due to greater friction!?!
 
I'm gonna guess the discs are not installed. Therefore, hit em with a phosphoric acid wash, and if needed use 400 grit in a circular motion. Otherwise, if it is indeed surface rust, you could leave it and it'll burn off quickly once installed and put to use.
 
Only caveat that I'll add is if there is enough rust to stain your finger when dragged across the surface. If that it the case take some Scotch-Brite to the surfaces before driving. You don't want the rust to embed in the pads as that will degrade their performance. A little surface rust I wouldn't worry about, but a lot calls for quick scrub with Scotch-Brite.
 
dan is installing a donor fj60 axle in his 40. it's been sitting in a buddies' yard for a couple of months.

if it were me, i'd grab a shop rag and some break clean and remove as much of the rust with it as possible. i would then take it for a spin. if that cleans up the rust, then good. not much invested. if there is pitting, then the rotors should be resurfaced. i would replace the brake pads after the "clean-up" either way. it's cheap insurrance........
 
dan is installing a donor fj60 axle in his 40. it's been sitting in a buddies' yard for a couple of months.

if it were me, i'd grab a shop rag and some break clean and remove as much of the rust with it as possible. i would then take it for a spin. if that cleans up the rust, then good. not much invested. if there is pitting, then the rotors should be resurfaced. i would replace the brake pads after the "clean-up" either way. it's cheap insurrance........


orangefj45 is correct if the rust, even if surface can clog up the pads and make them glaze over and that is not good.

cam
 
dan is installing a donor fj60 axle in his 40. it's been sitting in a buddies' yard for a couple of months.

if it were me, i'd grab a shop rag and some break clean and remove as much of the rust with it as possible. i would then take it for a spin. if that cleans up the rust, then good. not much invested. if there is pitting, then the rotors should be resurfaced. i would replace the brake pads after the "clean-up" either way. it's cheap insurrance........

THanks for the post Georg. I really need to take these in and have them surfaced. My question came up after cleaning up the axle and wanted to know what people did if they had a little rust. I have a bit more than little and since I'm pulling everything off to swap my 3rd, new brake shoes and a good machining are in order for my rotors (plus a full seal kit for the axle).
 
Is it a MUD thing? BRAKE/BREAK

I've only been lurking on this forum for a few months, but I was wondering if it is a MUD thing to spell BRAKE (mechanical device used to stop the vehicle) as BREAK (something that happens when your front axel departs the vehicle). There are a couple of other common misspellings, but the BRAKE/BREAK thing seems the most common. Not trying to be a jerk, just curious.:confused:
 
They're are people all over hear and their who have trouble with there using the right version of the multitudes of homophones. Like Break/Brake or to/two/too or......
:cool:
 
I've only been lurking on this forum for a few months, but I was wondering if it is a MUD thing to spell BRAKE (mechanical device used to stop the vehicle) as BREAK (something that happens when your front axel departs the vehicle). There are a couple of other common misspellings, but the BRAKE/BREAK thing seems the most common. Not trying to be a jerk, just curious.:confused:

:doh:
If I made the mistake of spelling brake as break, on my part at least, it is due to a bit of mild dyslexia. If I am not paying total attention to what I am typing, I don’t see the mistake(s). As for other people typing it incorrectly, this isn’t a spelling bee contest and people do make mistakes. It happens.

Or maybe you’r making fun of my disability? Are you? Are you MAKING FUN OF MY DYSAUBIELITEE? :bounce::bounce2::D
 
A friend of mine is fond of saying that he has "Lexdysia".......
 
Come on guys, you're starting to sound like the pansies on Bimmer Forums. Surface rust will happen each and every time it rains. Unless you threw them in salt water for a month JUST DRIVE IT! Do you think that the rust is going to contaminate your pads more than dirt and mud will?
 
Which is why I said if it's light surface rust, like you'd get overnight parked in the rain, to just drive it.

If it's thicker & 'dusty' to knock it down with a Scotch-Brite pad first, then drive it.

If it's deeper than that the pads are in jeopardy of being contaminated.
 
:doh:

Or maybe you’r making fun of my disability? Are you? Are you MAKING FUN OF MY DYSAUBIELITEE? :bounce::bounce2::D

No no. I am seriously not making fun of anyone! I think it is a little quaint actually and wondered if it was a MUD thing or just typos as people scribble out a quick post. So apparently just typos. OK, back to the regularly scheduled programming.
 
the little bouncy guys mean I am joking.
 
i can plead "english as a second language" so i'll keep calling it break clean. LOL :rasta:
 
no it is breyk klean.
 

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