New Rotors are already rusted

[Dyno247365]

I'm a new motorhead so I don't know much about maintenance shops but I brought my 240sx in to get the brakes fixed a couple months ago, and they had to install new rotors. I took the wheel off and noticed a lot of rust and I'm wondering just how new the rotors are. It wasn't cheap either so i'm very dissatisfied. I'm looking to upgrade to bigger brakes all around but I always thought that brakes are always supposed to look nice. How are they supposed to if they rust two months in? My dad said aftermarket rotors don't rust because of a special coating...why don't shops use coated rotors when they replace the old ones?? Doesn't rust kill the brake's performance? I'm too confused about all of this, thanks.

[Black Lotus]

If you wash the car or let them sit for any length of time they will rust.
One or two brake applications will clear the working surface nicely. the rest of the rotor will still be rusty (unless they have been cad plated).
Don't worry about it.

[Dyno247365]

Originally Posted by Black Lotus

If you wash the car or let them sit for any length of time they will rust.
One or two brake applications will clear the working surface nicely. the rest of the rotor will still be rusty (unless they have been cad plated).
Don't worry about it.

what do you mean by the working surface?

[zagrot]

that would be the area where the pads make contact with the disk.

[beyondloadedSE]

OEM brakes will rust, unless they come with a zinc coating which is probably only on high performance cars.

I would guess a 240SX doesnt come with zinc washed rotors.

[curtis73]

Significant rust occurs on the bare iron casting in very short order. Even if they are zinc washed or painted, the intense heat they get will cause the zinc to flake off and delaminate from the rotor, even in places other than the places affected by pad friction.

[Dyno247365]

Originally Posted by curtis73

Significant rust occurs on the bare iron casting in very short order. Even if they are zinc washed or painted, the intense heat they get will cause the zinc to flake off and delaminate from the rotor, even in places other than the places affected by pad friction.

This will be a general question instead of specific, If I bought a vented fender, do you think that would help cool the brakes at all? The wheels I use rightnow need hubcaps, or else they look like they took a bath in motor oil. Eventually i'll buy nice rims with wide open spaces for more air.

Wow this thread has helped a lot, more than I thought it would.

[TheSilentChamber]

^^ No.

[Black Lotus]

Originally Posted by curtis73

the intense heat they get will cause the zinc to flake off and delaminate from the rotor, even in places other than the places affected by pad friction.

Which may be one of the reasons why NONE of the truly upscale (racing) iron brakes have any sort of coating on them at all. Cad or zinc coatings are for poseurs or semi-poseurs ;P ...apparently.
Real men let their brakes rust.

[curtis73]

Originally Posted by Quicksilver_28

This will be a general question instead of specific, If I bought a vented fender, do you think that would help cool the brakes at all?

If it truly vents the rotors it will help cool them when the brakes aren't applied, but it won't reduce peak temps while under braking.

Swapping to aluminum wheels can help wick heat away from the rotors, but unless you're racing its really a non-issue.

[Dyno247365]

Originally Posted by Black Lotus

Which may be one of the reasons why NONE of the truly upscale (racing) iron brakes have any sort of coating on them at all. Cad or zinc coatings are for poseurs or semi-poseurs ;P ...apparently.
Real men let their brakes rust.

Then I just have two questions for you...

Do you have the budget to afford new rotors every day you drive to work? like an F1 garage?

Or can you just not afford zinc/cad rotors?

how do prices vary between rotors and coated rotors? Is everyone with nice brakes a poser? lol the answer is maybe since we're mostly not race car drivers, but doesn't mean we DON'T drive like real ones do. we just don't have the added insurance that it will work on our car.

There's different types of posers...in any case

[TheSilentChamber]

Originally Posted by Quicksilver_28

Then I just have two questions for you...

Do you have the budget to afford new rotors every day you drive to work? like an F1 garage?

Or can you just not afford zinc/cad rotors?

how do prices vary between rotors and coated rotors? Is everyone with nice brakes a poser? lol the answer is maybe since we're mostly not race car drivers, but doesn't mean we DON'T drive like real ones do. we just don't have the added insurance that it will work on our car.

There's different types of posers...in any case

Lay off the crack, thats the stupidest post I'v read in a long time.

[alphalanos]

I have Brembo Slotted rotors and they rust sometimes. its normal.

i shouldnt say they rust, but they get a layer of oxidation on the surface that goes away as soon as you drive the car.

[beyondloadedSE]

Originally Posted by alphalanos

I have Brembo Slotted rotors and they rust sometimes. its normal.

i shouldnt say they rust, but they get a layer of oxidation on the surface that goes away as soon as you drive the car.

Yeah, thats how my Baer's are. It only rusts where the pad meets the rotor since the zinc coating has been worn off. Everywhere else looks brand new.

[Dyno247365]

Originally Posted by TheSilentChamber

Lay off the crack, thats the stupidest post I'v read in a long time.

I WAS BORN WITH THIS NATURAL HIGH!!!!!

You can tell, i'm leaning toward aftermarket rotors and now my front end needs new brakes. I'll leave the back ones on for now, since i don't have time/money to replace all 4 at once, and from what everyone's said, they work. Brembo sound nice but it's not like they'll be porsche quality..then again i've been researching chevy parts for 2 months so I forgot what they offer for imports .