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Has anyone seen this? It's happened the last two times I've washed the car. I thoroughly cleaned the wheels with Sonax followed by soapy water, then washed the rest of the car. After washing, my usual routine is an initial towel dry, then I take the car for a short drive to shake the excess water out of crevices & the wheels, followed by the final towel dry & detailing.
This is happening on all four wheels. I know my front rotors are nearing their end of life, but the rears should have plenty of life in them (45K miles).
Yes, rotors are made of cast iron, and they rust when exposed to water. After you wash your car or after your out in inclement weather, a layer of rust will form on the rotors when the car is parked. This will quickly be removed the next time you drive as the pads contact the rotors and is nothing to worry about.
I notice by the pict you enclosed, that your front rotors are cracking around the drilled holes. This has proven common on ISFs, and is the reason I have gone with slotted rotors on the front. And Lexus has also now gone with slotted rotors on the RCF and the GSF.
Your washing procedure is the opposite of mine. After washing, I dry the car and then not drive it for at least the next 12 to 15 hours.
Yes, rotors are made of cast iron, and they rust when exposed to water. After you wash your car or after your out in inclement weather, a layer of rust will form on the rotors when the car is parked. This will quickly be removed the next time you drive as the pads contact the rotors and is nothing to worry about.
I notice by the pict you enclosed, that your front rotors are cracking around the drilled holes. This has proven common on ISFs, and is the reason I have gone with slotted rotors on the front. And Lexus has also now gone with slotted rotors on the RCF and the GSF.
Your washing procedure is the opposite of mine. After washing, I dry the car and then not drive it for at least the next 12 to 15 hours.
Lou
Wow, good eye to see that crack...!
I wonder what causes that and how often does that happen? What are the potential negative side effects?
My rotors are cracked around just about every hole from track use. Hasn't effected performance, and as long as it doesn't connect between holes there's no issue. There is a manufacturer tolerance I read once about the cracks, maybe 2mm, but I don't recall exactly. Cam (torxuvin) cracked his completely through and drove a couple hundred miles home on them without issue.
Remember we have a specific Club Lexus Detailing Forum where all of this type of stuff has been discussed
Rusty rotors are common on nearly every vehicle after washing, or even just driving in the rain and parking your vehicle when wet. No big deal. However, if it bothers you, there are products which help to prevent the rust from forming.
Yes, rotors are made of cast iron, and they rust when exposed to water. After you wash your car or after your out in inclement weather, a layer of rust will form on the rotors when the car is parked. This will quickly be removed the next time you drive as the pads contact the rotors and is nothing to worry about.
I notice by the pict you enclosed, that your front rotors are cracking around the drilled holes. This has proven common on ISFs, and is the reason I have gone with slotted rotors on the front. And Lexus has also now gone with slotted rotors on the RCF and the GSF.
Your washing procedure is the opposite of mine. After washing, I dry the car and then not drive it for at least the next 12 to 15 hours.
My car is almost two and a half years old and has been washed 2 times. Between in living in AZ and the fact that I wipe my car down every 24-48 hours with, she never gets wet. LOL If I even get rained on I rinse the car in distilled water as soon as I get home and wipe her down.
Noticed the crack too. 15 Track days and have never seen any cracks. But I top out at 132 mph. Not sure if Big Willow did that.
Thanks for the feedback.. To be clear, I'm aware that rotors are made of cast iron and will rust.. I'm also aware that the shiny pad surface area is most susceptible to new rust forming when washed or exposed to rain.. That's one reason why I usually take a short drive after washing; to remove that new layer of rust & dry the excess water in all the cracks & crevices.
The new issue I'm seeing is the rusty water dripping out from between the two disks and leaving a trail of brown spots all over the inside of the wheel.. The wheel I just thoroughly cleaned It's kind of a PITA to clean up too. This has never been an issue in the past. Perhaps the Sonax is contributing to this (thanks, Vervish). I've only recently began using it regularly.
Originally Posted by Joe Z
Trick I use, after finally rinse I move the car 10 to 20 feet.. The pads swipe the rotor surfaces.
Then I quickly rinse off the wheel barrels only to get the rusty water off.. (With out rewetting the rotors)
Joe Z
Thanks for tip. As these rotors near their end-of-life, I guess I'll just have to be more vigilant when washing wheels.
I'm not worried about the cracks.. That's not unusual for drilled rotors that are worked hard at the track.. They started forming after my first track day with the Project Mu HC+800 pads, which I got pretty hot. I measured my front rotors yesterday, and they're still in the upper 28.xx mm range, so they've got plenty of life in the them (and at least one more track day).
06-17-16, 06:24 PM
Rusty drippings from brake rotors after wash
It's kind of a PITA to clean up too. This has never been an issue in the past. Perhaps the Sonax is contributing to this (thanks, Vervish). I've only recently began using it regularly. 