Rust Free Rotors

[Ntrepid]

So I am getting ready to upgrade all 4 corners with larger (E500 iron vs. 500E iron), rebuilt and painted calipers. I'm now faced with a choice of putting on new rotors or keeping the OEMs that I have. My primary focus is minimizing rust on the rotors. In my mind, I see it as three options:

1. Electrolysize the existing rotors and apply a finish which is a rust inhibitor
2. Buy new OEM rotors and apply a rust inhibitor
3. Buy rotors (like the Bosch QuietCast) which are already treated/painted to resist rotor rusting

My goal is to have a clean looking rotor/caliper assembly as viewed through the EVO IIs.

Thoughts/Recommendations?


Robert

 

[captruff]

So I am getting ready to upgrade all 4 corners with larger (E500 iron vs. 500E iron), rebuilt and painted calipers. I'm now faced with a choice of putting on new rotors or keeping the OEMs that I have. My primary focus is minimizing rust on the rotors. In my mind, I see it as three options:

1. Electrolysize the existing rotors and apply a finish which is a rust inhibitor
2. Buy new OEM rotors and apply a rust inhibitor
3. Buy rotors (like the Bosch QuietCast) which are already treated/painted to resist rotor rusting

My goal is to have a clean looking rotor/caliper assembly as viewed through the EVO IIs.

Thoughts/Recommendations?


Robert

Robert:

I have had good luck Nickel plating the rotors. You could have them turned slightly at the braking surface before installing.


Jeff

 

[gsxr]

You cannot use the E500 front brake caliper (designed for 320x30 rotor) with the older 500E rotor (which is 300x28). So up front, you must buy new rotors, and I'd lean towards OE/dealer which are fully coated with a gray anti-corrosive paint which also acts as a pad break-in/bed-in (not brake-in) compound.

Rear calipers are the same for all years of USA 036 (278x24 rotors) so you have options there, but if your current rotors are not at least 23mm thick, I'd consider shelling out for new ones so you have the same thing on all 4 corners.

Don't forget new brake pads while you're in there. Used pads don't play nice with new rotors.

 

[Ntrepid]

Thanks GSXR. I've got the 320mm front rotors with the calipers.


Robert

 

[Ntrepid]

Robert:

I have had good luck Nickel plating the rotors. You could have them turned slightly at the braking surface before installing.


Jeff

Jeff -

Is Nickel plating done my the same shops that do chrome plating?


Robert

 

[Melville]

I recommend slathering your rotors with a thick layer of grease before each drive. That will keep all the moisture off. Just make sure I'm not driving in front of you when you do this!

 

[gsxr]

Thanks GSXR. I've got the 320mm front rotors with the calipers.

Cool. I'd start by measuring all the rotors with a micrometer to determine the thickness, before you invest anything in the used rotors. Stock rotors are cheap...

 

[captruff]

Jeff -

Is Nickel plating done my the same shops that do chrome plating?


Robert

Robert:

It would not surprise me if there are shops that do both chrome and nickel plating. The shop I liked to use in CA is no longer in business, so I'm currently looking for another goto shop.


Jeff

 

[samiam44]

Nickel is part of the "chrome plating"
process.

You may have heard the terminology "triple chrome plated". It is not three layers of chrome. For steel, the first layer is copper, which is made perfectly smooth- can be sanded and buffed to fill in imperfections. Then you put down nickel. That is the metallic look you see. Last a thin coat of chromium which prevents oxidation of the nickel layer. It gives the silver look a blueish tint. Prior to that , a thick layer of nickel was used and you would polish it regularly aka like silver.

So absolutely any plating shop offering chrome, can do nickel and copper.
M

 

[jhodg5ck]

Check out walkers custom chrome. they do our concours level work for some of the craziest/most anal-retentive types on the planet.

Robert:

It would not surprise me if there are shops that do both chrome and nickel plating. The shop I liked to use in CA is no longer in business, so I'm currently looking for another goto shop.


Jeff

 

[modzona]

You can get zimmermann rotors with coat z. Suppose to work really well from what i have heard.

 

[Hollybrook]

Technically, you should replace or turn rotors if you change brake compounds. I have not always done this, but have occasionally had problems, especially on the track.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[need2speed]

Have you considered cryo-treating the rotors?

 

[jhodg5ck]

Have you considered cryo-treating the rotors?

They still rust.... But we love our cryo'd rotors non the less!

Mobile...pls excuse typos and other oddities outside my norm....

 

[gsxr]

Can you cryo first, then get them plated cad or nickel plated? Or vice-versa?