How do you check disc rotors?
If you have an open-spoke wheel design, you can run your finger vertically down the brake rotor friction surface. If you can feel and see noticeable grooves, then it’s time for new brake rotors. For cars with hub caps that don’t expose the rotor, you will need to remove your wheel to inspect your brake rotors.
Can You Leave your brake rotors out in the rain?
Even so, brakes can work quite well according to my experience with some reduction in swept area but don’t let this go too long. You can leave brake rotors out in the rain for years and they will never “rust out”.
Is it normal for disc rotors to rust?
For a car driven only one day a week here is no good way to prevent disc rotor rusting (unless you can move to Phoenix). Rotors rust quickly – that’s what they do. Generally this is normal and harmless. A few applications of the brakes will remove this light surface rust.
Why do disc brakes work better than rim brakes?
Disk brakes work by having a very high mechanical advantage. This means that for a given amount of cable travel, the pad travel is very low. The result is that a given hand effort creates an enormous force at the rotor. In order for the rotor to sustain this force, it must be a solid piece of metal.
How often should I replace my disc rotors?
For the second time in 16 months/10K miles I just had to replace my front disc rotors (as well as the pads) because they were too rusty (’98 Saturn SL2, 120K miles). The car is now typically driven 1 day a week and sits outside. How can I keep this from happening again?
Are there disc brake rotors that are interchangeable?
Generally, disk brake rotors of same diameter are thought of as cross-compatible, but there are some edge cases when this might not be true: Rotor thickness might not be the same across manufacturers and disk brake calipers might be designed with thicker/thinner rotor in mind.
What’s the real truth about Warped brake rotors?
The REAL truth about warped brake rotors… The typical situation: New pads are fitted to a new pair of brake discs. A week later there’s a vibration or “judder” when the brakes are applied. A call to a mechanically inclined friend and an online search offers the diagnosis—the brake rotors are warped.
What’s the thickness of a disk brake rotor?
Rotor thickness might not be the same across manufacturers and disk brake calipers might be designed with thicker/thinner rotor in mind. Examples: Tektro TR180-16 / TR203-16 has thickness of 1.85mm and TR180-17 / TR203-17 is 2.3mm thick; also, see Lennard Zinn’s piece on the subject.
Are there any brake rotors that don’t rust?
Nearly all rotors are stainless steel and shouldn’t rust. The bolts might though, and pad backings can be steel that rusts, so the rotors might be getting stained with rust rather than rusting themselves. Thanks for contributing an answer to Bicycles Stack Exchange!