Brakes sticking on after washing.
- Thread starter Sylvian
- Start date
ORIGINAL: tscaptain
Yep. Don't wash it.[]
Despite being the subject of much derision on our register I cover the wheels to stop soaking the discs. The alternative is to give it a good blast with some firm braking. If I did that down my way the car would need washing again...[
I'm the same, a quick blast down my way in the winter would make the car look like it had not been washed in the first place.
kasspa
Member
Yeah, it's the norm I'm afraid..... the car really needs to be driven after washing to dry the brakes out & if garaged leave handbrake off with 'chocs' under a wheel (not the cadburys kind before someone comments[])
Alternative as tscaptain says is to cover wheels but then you dont get alloys cleaned inside & out.......
hth
])Alternative as tscaptain says is to cover wheels but then you dont get alloys cleaned inside & out.......
hth
Yep, the all too familiar circle:
Wash car and wheels
Take car out for a drive to dry brakes
(Get carried away enjoying driving lovely clean car)
Come home with horrible dirty wheel innards from all the crap that came off the wet brakes, fresh brake dust on the wheels, blackened exhaust tips, various bits of grime all over the car etc.
Repeat.
Half seriously, it is worth being OCD about fully drying the brakes before you put the car away and leave it parked without the handbrake on, the brake discs are made of instant rust and corrode quickly, the inner surfaces are particularly prone and you can't see them.
If you get some decent wheel wax protecting the wheels you can dry off the brakes with a quick drive after cleaning the car then just give the wheels a wipe with a microfibre cloth.
Wash car and wheels
Take car out for a drive to dry brakes
(Get carried away enjoying driving lovely clean car)
Come home with horrible dirty wheel innards from all the crap that came off the wet brakes, fresh brake dust on the wheels, blackened exhaust tips, various bits of grime all over the car etc.
Repeat.
Half seriously, it is worth being OCD about fully drying the brakes before you put the car away and leave it parked without the handbrake on, the brake discs are made of instant rust and corrode quickly, the inner surfaces are particularly prone and you can't see them.
If you get some decent wheel wax protecting the wheels you can dry off the brakes with a quick drive after cleaning the car then just give the wheels a wipe with a microfibre cloth.
I tried a leaf blower rather than a drying run as usual last time. Didn't work as i wanted, so will go back to taking it out and drying the brakes properly and accept the fact the car is a little dirty.
I had a Boxster and didn't go for the drying run, come 3 years needed new brakes. Lesson learnt
I had a Boxster and didn't go for the drying run, come 3 years needed new brakes. Lesson learnt
kasspa
Member
[/quote]
I take them off every other wash to do that bit - sadly....[&:]
[]
[/quote]
It's not that sad..... as I have taken mine off a couple of times for a thorough clean....
But as Rob says it's a vicious circle as you come back with brake dust all over your now not so shiny wheels[]
I take them off every other wash to do that bit - sadly....[&:]
[
][/quote]
It's not that sad..... as I have taken mine off a couple of times for a thorough clean....
But as Rob says it's a vicious circle as you come back with brake dust all over your now not so shiny wheels[
]
BartyB
New member
It's the norm with Boxster brakes and also seems to happen after it's been raining in my experience. I never bother taking the car out for a drive after washing; it's completely pointless. Pad sticking and rusting of disc surfaces is a consequence of the materials used in high performance discs and pads. If you want brakes that stop you quickly and don't fade after sustained braking from over 100 mph then you need to accept that you'll need to replace brake components more often than on your average Honda Civic.
It's not completely pointless though is it?
Left overnight from yesterday, my Spyder discs are visibly rusty. In all likelihood it may well not turn a wheel for the next 2 weeks. The rust will continue to rust. If I dry the brakes before putting it away, I can leave the car as long as I have to without any signs of the discs rusting.
You will massively extend the life of the discs if you look after them, I learned the hard and expensive way with my 996.
Left overnight from yesterday, my Spyder discs are visibly rusty. In all likelihood it may well not turn a wheel for the next 2 weeks. The rust will continue to rust. If I dry the brakes before putting it away, I can leave the car as long as I have to without any signs of the discs rusting.
You will massively extend the life of the discs if you look after them, I learned the hard and expensive way with my 996.
vitesse
Active member
Alan,
Now don't go rubbishing posts by R18's venerable legal eagle-he'll get a cob(web) on-you must also realize that once upon a time BC(in this context-BA--before Arachnid ) he was virtually unknown-but now he's star of PCGB directors,Forum et alia(a bit of Latin since you seem to be familiar with it) -ney over 4500 hits-anyway starting the engine to move out of the garage,then again to replace after washing,surely a few more minutes to dry off the brakes helps on both counts-these old wife tales of enhanced bore wear are surely a thing of the past.[]
Now don't go rubbishing posts by R18's venerable legal eagle-he'll get a cob(web) on-you must also realize that once upon a time BC(in this context-BA--before Arachnid ) he was virtually unknown-but now he's star of PCGB directors,Forum et alia(a bit of Latin since you seem to be familiar with it) -ney over 4500 hits-anyway starting the engine to move out of the garage,then again to replace after washing,surely a few more minutes to dry off the brakes helps on both counts-these old wife tales of enhanced bore wear are surely a thing of the past.[
]
Steve Brookes
Moderator
I think Alan's right where those of us who leave our cars outside are concerned. Yes drying the brakes after washing will keep rust off them if you then have a garage to put it away in. However, if left outside the brakes get wet as soon as it rains (which is quite a lot at the moment []) so you're fighting a losing battle. I've never bothered with the drying the brakes thing and my discs on the boxster have still averaged about 40K miles. But it does get used every day so rust on the brakes doesn't stay on them long.
]) so you're fighting a losing battle. I've never bothered with the drying the brakes thing and my discs on the boxster have still averaged about 40K miles. But it does get used every day so rust on the brakes doesn't stay on them long.
vitesse
Active member
Steve,
I agree generally with that approach--perhaps you can clarify something for me because I've never bothered to find out or research the matter--in my experience brake drums & discs have always been made from cast iron for the basic reasons of effectiveness/cost & of course because of the high carbon content,rust resistance compared to steel.
So,whilst being wet does produce a little surface rusting -FeO2-iron oxide,it doesn't generally lead to any significant corrosion,even when left wet.except salt plays havic setting up electrochemical cells.
However,I keep reading bits on here & in mags about steel discs & this is why more modern Porsches get the (particularly) inside disc corrosion talked about--is this the real reason?
I agree generally with that approach--perhaps you can clarify something for me because I've never bothered to find out or research the matter--in my experience brake drums & discs have always been made from cast iron for the basic reasons of effectiveness/cost & of course because of the high carbon content,rust resistance compared to steel.
So,whilst being wet does produce a little surface rusting -FeO2-iron oxide,it doesn't generally lead to any significant corrosion,even when left wet.except salt plays havic setting up electrochemical cells.
However,I keep reading bits on here & in mags about steel discs & this is why more modern Porsches get the (particularly) inside disc corrosion talked about--is this the real reason?
Don't sit on the fence, tell us what you really think [
][][]I agree it's different for a daily driver. Putting a wet car away in the garage and then not using it will accelerate disc corrosion though.
Colin I've used google translate but I'm still struggling [
] The legendary Spyder thread is now on its way to 6000 hits never mind 4500!
Steve Brookes
Moderator
I'm no wiser about the reasons than the next man. Why they corrode so badly on the inside faces and yet the outsides remain almost perfect is hard to understand. My best guess is that (despite the shields) the insides get pebble dashed constantly by road grit, pit and become more prone to corrosion where as the outsides are protected by the wheel spokes. [&:]
Steve, I have a theory that the the brake discs are actually made from compressed iron oxide..! Well, PCCB are made from carbon (fibre) aren't they?
But seriously, I think that using the car every day - as you do - is the best way to minimise the dreaded disc corrosion problem. Then they only wear out.
Jeff
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