Cleaning rusty brake discs

[Smokey]

Whats the best way to get these looking spanking again please?

http://premium1.uploadit.org/smokey//DSC00541.JPG

 

[Tom]

the face of them, thats easy.

Start engine drive off...

The centers, wire brush

 

[Smokey]

Also, does it matter if these are abs discs and my car not having abs?

 

[biglunn]

I use a bit of WD40 on them... come out sparkling

 

[Smokey]

can i wire brush/brillo the face of them Tom, I wont be driving untill i take it for its MOT as its not road legal at the moment and i dont want it to squeal or grind incase they fail it.

 

[Smokey]

Quote: Originally posted by biglunn on 10 August 2005

I use a bit of WD40 on them... come out sparkling

Slippery brakes lol

 

[Turkish]

Thatll do the pads a world of good, lol. Anyone local got a disc skimmer Smokey?

 

[KDF]

Ye, I dont think the wd40 is the best idea..

Just drive the car slowly and gently break build it up till your driving normally again then wire brush the centre of the disc as per Toms instrucitons.

 

[Matt@Stealthsport]

Quote: Originally posted by Smokey on 10 August 2005


Whats the best way to get these looking spanking again please?

http://premium1.uploadit.org/smokey//DSC00541.JPG





Drive the car more often.......

 

[Chris&Amber]

drive the car and they will clear up pretty quickly unless theres a braking problem.

centres as said wire brush/wire wool/scotchbrite pad.

 

[Fred@BTM]

just drive it, thatll clear off in 10min

 

[Fred@BTM]

btw youve put the strut bolts in the wrong way round, not that it matters, but the nuts get rusted on easily that way round

 

[Matbrown]

Quote: Originally posted by Smokey on 10 August 2005


Whats the best way to get these looking spanking again please?

http://premium1.uploadit.org/smokey//DSC00541.JPG

Also, does it matter if these are abs discs and my car not having abs?

The discs are exactly the same for both ABS and non-ABS, that is run by the driveshaft/hub.

Also looks to me like you have got those discs on the wrong way round as the grooves sweep to the middle whereas they should swoop to the out side to clear debris.



Mat.

 

[Smokey]

Got new Ferodo pads to go on anyway Loony so dont matter if i bugger the old ones.

Oh and its just surface dust/rust so no need for skimming.

I will change the strut bolts Fred, just to make life easier in future and its only a 2 min job. I have put copper Grease on them anyway to make sure they dont seize up.

Cheers Matt, The discs are on the workbench now waiting to be cleaned so will make sure i get them on the right way this time

 

[clio__chris]

what weve done before when some disks were badly corroded was:

jack the front up and start the engine and put it in gear - this will spin the disc at engine idle and u can hold some sand paper (fine-ish) against the disc to clear it

make sure it doesnt take ur hand off though

 

[Chris&Amber]

a file is better for that trick, on really bad ones a chisel first.

 

[Smokey]

so can you damage discs? Can i use a bit of wet & dry or scotchbrite on the face without damaging them?

I wount be driving it for a cpl of weeks so while i have them off the car i will clean em up.

 

[Matbrown]

Ive had an angle grinder on them before, you wont damage them as long as they are still flat.



Mat.

 

[Rich1.2]

just use a wire brush mate thats all i did

 

[Chris1.4RT]

I agree with matbrown there...

Looking at the disc, moving forward would mean the disc rotates anticlockwise.

The grooves are meant to run the other way. As the disc rotates, it forces the gases (gases from brake material vapourising) to be expelled to the edges. The way yours is set up, itll force it to the centre. The pad can actually end up sort of aqua planing on the gases under sustained braking.

Id swap the discs over.

The grooves work similar to the treads on a tyre. They force water from the centre of the tyre outwards. If you put the tyre on the wrong way, you force water to the middle and can seriously lose grip. (Im talking about the V tread style tyres mostly.)

 

[Smokey]

Cheers lads, discs and calipers are sat on the workbench waiting for me to make em new again lol

Will make sure i get them on the right way this time