Rust on rotor hats?

[GinNBoost]

I just recently had my brakes done...I bought brand new rotors and brake pads all around and already after a few weeks of driving, I'm noticing excessive amounts of rust on the rotor hats...the rears in particular. My car still brakes fine but it just looks ugly. It's embarrassing having nice clean wheels and then right behind them is all this orange crap around the entire rotor hats. Is there anyway to prevent this and eliminate the rust for good (maybe by painting them?) or am I just stuck with them like that until it's time to change the rotors again? The rears are Brembo blanks so it's not like they're no name brand rotors either...Anyway any help would be great. Thanks.

 

[prostreetdsmx1]

this is one of reasons we went to the Centric HP rotor over the Brembo. Not only does the rust look bad but it can also make changing wheels and rotors at the track a pain in the ass and that just was no longer an option for us.

You can see here that our Centric HP rotors have what's called and "e-coat" on the hat that eliminates such an issue and just flat out looks good.

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[drivemusicnow]

If you take the rotors off, take a wire wheel to clean off all of the rust, and paint them with a paint specific to high temperatures (rotors can easily get up past 700* which is why I would recommend black BBQ paint. Cheap, and 1500* safe) that should help. It won't keep the rust at bay forever, but for a year or to it will be fine. Then do it again later. Obviously be careful not to get any paint on the friction surface.

 

[jtmcinder]

Do not paint the part of the rotor that contacts the wheel. Anodizing is OK, but not paint. Think about it.

- Jtoby

 

[drivemusicnow]

Perhaps you could go into more depth? I haven't done it on any of my own cars, but I've got friends who have done it that haven't had any problems.

 

[prostreetdsmx1]

we tried the paint trick before too. We found that it gets hot and tends to stick even more. Even more so on cars that would hit the track. Brakes get real hot and it would damn near create a glue between the wheel and the hat. When you have to HAMMER ( rubber mallet ) the rim to get it off it's not too good.

some people may have different experiences but i am telling you guys what we have seen on cars we have experimented all of this with.

 

[jtmcinder]

The problem with painting the interface isn't just the sticking after the rotor and wheel cool down. The main problem is how the paint acts as a lubricant when hot (and melted). That takes away the ability of the interface to support any part of the weight of the car, leaving it all on the centering rings (if they exist) and the studs.

Which would you prefer: a little rust on the non-functional part of the rotor or a wheel coming off at speed when you snap your lugs?

(That was rhetorical.)

- Jtoby