rust dripping off rotors/Z51 pkg.

[HotVetteHotBlonde-Wink]

I have a C6, and the upgrade to the Z51 pkg. My old mechanic that had been with our company for years before his retirement noticed something he thought was a problem with mainly the back rotors and calipers/pads. This guy is good and has seen and rebuilt from frame up muscle cars, to station wagons, etc. He rebuilds all of my fathers antique cars. I had mentioned to him that where the brake pad ends towards the inside portion of the rotors is rusting very bad and drips rust everytime on the inside of the rims. Its a big problem. Also there is a line of rust you can plainly see completely around the rotors. Two chevy dealers said its not rust but brake dust. Bull****, brake dust is black and rust is orange. This is orange. Bob the mechanic said that the back rotors and pads, calipers are half the size of the front ones and the brake pads do not cover the rotors as much as they should. This is causing the rust stripe all around the face of the rotors. He said hes never seen that setup before and hes been working on cars for 50 or more years. It didnt make sense to him. He said any brake cleaner is usually not good to use because it eventually gets gummy on your pads and will cause the brakes to grab. So is there a good reason the pads do not reach all the way to the black coating and leave around quarter inch rust circle and should the calipers and pads be same size as the front ones? I cannot wash my wheels and car without having large amounts of rust dripping all over the inside of my wheels. It is a real problem. The rotors are shiny where the pad and rotors hit though of course. This problem is really hard for me to describe to you in writing. A pic would have helped but still not good with transferring pics yet. Anyone have a solution or info on this? My front rotors have the same problem but the space of rust is not as wide as the back ones.
Thanks,
Teresa

 

[AintQik]

T,
The brake pads will not contact the whole face of the rotor. I think this is what you are saying. I'll check my car and let you know how much untouched space I have on the rears. Is that what you are trying to say?
"c"

 

[motorman]

I have a C6, and the upgrade to the Z51 pkg. My old mechanic that had been with our company for years before his retirement noticed something he thought was a problem with mainly the back rotors and calipers/pads. This guy is good and has seen and rebuilt from frame up muscle cars, to station wagons, etc. He rebuilds all of my fathers antique cars. I had mentioned to him that where the brake pad ends towards the inside portion of the rotors is rusting very bad and drips rust everytime on the inside of the rims. Its a big problem. Also there is a line of rust you can plainly see completely around the rotors. Two chevy dealers said its not rust but brake dust. Bull****, brake dust is black and rust is orange. This is orange. Bob the mechanic said that the back rotors and pads, calipers are half the size of the front ones and the brake pads do not cover the rotors as much as they should. This is causing the rust stripe all around the face of the rotors. He said hes never seen that setup before and hes been working on cars for 50 or more years. It didnt make sense to him. He said any brake cleaner is usually not good to use because it eventually gets gummy on your pads and will cause the brakes to grab. So is there a good reason the pads do not reach all the way to the black coating and leave around quarter inch rust circle and should the calipers and pads be same size as the front ones? I cannot wash my wheels and car without having large amounts of rust dripping all over the inside of my wheels. It is a real problem. The rotors are shiny where the pad and rotors hit though of course. This problem is really hard for me to describe to you in writing. A pic would have helped but still not good with transferring pics yet. Anyone have a solution or info on this? My front rotors have the same problem but the space of rust is not as wide as the back ones.
Thanks,
Teresa

the rotors are cast iron and will rust where subject to moisture BUT where the pads grip the rust will be wiped clean. the only solution to the rust is after market plated rotors

 

[HotVetteHotBlonde-Wink]

Aintqik,
Yes. Half of the untouched is painted black /protected, and the rest is rusted/orange. Same with the front but the rusted untouched space is not as wide as the back.

 

[HotVetteHotBlonde-Wink]

I see, so the ones that I paid quite a bit for , Z51 upgrade, were not very well thought out? Seems to be the same with my alluminum wheels, which I paid alot more for as well. So now I have to purchase new wheels and new brake rotors/calipers/pads that Ive allready paid alot extra for, to have my wheels shine/not be dull, and to not have rust dripping all over the dull alluminum. Chevy knows corvette owners, and how very obsessed they are with them being clean and looking there best. They should have known in my opinion, that it would **** off alot of people that paid thousands for additional options that arent up to the standards they say they were. After market is 100% better than what they sold. I could have bought better looking wheels and brakes from a junk yard. I shouldnt be paying extra for "better" equipment and options if what they sell me isnt better at all, and I have to pay to replace the upgrade as soon as I buy the car. Should I have known better? Well I would have if they would have shown the pic of the option, before I bought it, with rust dripping and foggy wheels. Not the pics I saw. Misrepresentation.
Or is Gm kinda like Burger King. The picture isnt what you get. If I paid 65,000. for a burger it better look like the dam picture, and description!
I could have spent it on getting an "actual" upgrade. Im proud of my car but very much not so of my wheels and brakes, which are an important look on the vehicle. There embarressing when I enter it into a car show. I have looked at the 12,000 dollar cars in my lot and they dont have the rust problem myn have.
Sorry for sharing my frustration, I think Ill share alittle more with GM. They ignore my problems and Ill pin up over and over a big picture of there crappy upgrades on the entrance of every chevy dealer in and around my area, plus be so obnoxious, (which Im very good at when ****ed off) untill they cant stand to listen to me anymore. I work to many hours a day to have time to deal with this ****.
Thank you for allowing me to vent.
Teresa

 

[AintQik]

I'm on your side on this one but one thing you have to keep in mind is that the Z51 deal is a performance package not really an apperance upgrade. Race brakes make a lot of noise and dust... but they stop very well. Under normal driving you and I will not see any big difference in these brakes from the standard brakes. But, get them wet and hot and they will still stop your car very well. Mine squeak and make bucket-fulls of dust but I expect that from race brakes. One option is to switch to a better pad like a Hawk that makes less dust.

I'm still not 100% sure I understand the rust deal. If you look at the rotor you will see an obvious path where the pads come in contact with the rotor. It will be shiny, or more shiney then the rest of the rotor. Where the pads do not contact the rotor will be subject to rust which when wet will drip crap off onto the wheel. There is not much you can do about this. The wheels are so big the stains are more obvious and the rotor material is such that it is very prone to corrosion.

If its really killing you I would not suggest buying new rotors, but taking off the rotor and cleaning up the area that is rusting and coating it with something. Paint or a clear coat would do. Now, be very careful not to get anything on or near the pad surface it will gunk it all up. Leave a very thin line and remember the pads have a slight bit of travel in them as they move on the rotor. I really like the brakes. If you were close by I could fix up dem things so they quit annoying you.

 

[TommyV]

I didn't want the rusty squeeling Z51 brakes either. I ordered my 2006 with the base suspension and I'm going to get the Wilwood 14" 6/4 piston brake kit, along with the Z51 sway bars and shocks. Here is a car with the Wilwoods:

 

[HotVetteHotBlonde-Wink]

I had to print this pic for my son. He'll love it.!

 

[korvettekarl]

I usually paint my rotors so that any area that is not contacted by the pad will not rust.Removing the rotors is the biggest pain. Measure the diameter of the non contacted area and make a mask with either masking paper or a paper shopping bag works well. Use a Protractor/compass and draw the circle a 1/16" bigger than your measurement, cut it out and tape it to your rotor and spray away. I like to use contrasting colors and the results are very nice for a little time and effort invested.

 

[C6er]

I removed my rotors and took them to a local plating shop and had them zinc plated for $50. No more rust.

 

[HotVetteHotBlonde-Wink]

I removed my rotors and took them to a local plating shop and had them zinc plated for $50. No more rust.

Fantastic idea and fix C6er. Thank you and I will do that. Thanks to all that gave ideas on how to fix the problem. Its appreciated.

 

[Bernievw]

Fantastic idea and fix C6er. Thank you and I will do that. Thanks to all that gave ideas on how to fix the problem. Its appreciated.

You actually have two problems with the rotors. The first is the brown/orange circle you see nearest the hub where the pads don't touch the rotor. That's surface rust, and while it looks unsightly, it doesn't spatter gunk on the rims. The second problem is that rust forms and brake dust collects on the inside, cooling areas of the rotors. When you wash the car (or have it washed), water gets sprayed down into the cooling vents around the perimeter of the rotor, and through the cross-drilled cooling holes. As the car sits, the water softens some of the brake dust and also rusts the inner, cooling, portion of the rotor. As soon as you drive off, centrifugal force spins the dirty, brake-dust-and-rust-laden water out of the rotors where it makes the dirty black line on the rims. Take a look at the perimeter of the rotors, and you'll see a series of "tunnels" which run between the inner and outer surfaces of the rotor - that's where the gunk collects. To avoid the black ring on the rims, have the car washed in late afternoon, or evening, and let it sit overnight until everything dries out.

The fix is to remove and paint (or plate - more expensive) the rotors. They'll need to be scrubbed well inside the cooling vents and blown out. Paint the insides with a small coffee pot cleaning brush - remember the old percolators?? Then paint the hub portion right up to the spot where the rotors begin. Don't worry about a small amount of overlap, because any (small) overlap of paint will be removed the first time you stop. Use high-temperature paint - Auto parts stores or Mid America. The rotors will have to dry for 24 hours before you can put them back and drive away.

Yeah, I know- a lot of work when GM could have fixed this problem by plating the original factory parts. But then, GM was thinking of saving a few nickels - which works if you're building a Ford Escort. But when we spend 50 or 60 grand on a C6, these problems are a real pain in the behind.

Best of luck.

 

[my1999C5vette]

I don't like black cars, but yours is the exception.


That thing looks like the BATMOBILE, WOW !

I didn't want the rusty squeeling Z51 brakes either. I ordered my 2006 with the base suspension and I'm going to get the Wilwood 14" 6/4 piston brake kit, along with the Z51 sway bars and shocks. Here is a car with the Wilwoods:

 

[Marlar]

Here is another cheap fix.

I got a small brush and painted the rusted area with a "rust converter". When dried, it goes to black. I realize that it will not last forever, but it is easy (didn't remove the rims) and cheap (a couple of bucks at Walmart).