rotors rusting from inside out.

[muddy12]

It was time to change the brake pads, and I discovered something interesting.
I bought the truck used, and this is the first time I've been into the brakes, so I'm assuming that I still have factory rotors with 80K miles.

It appears that my rotors are deteriorating from the inside out.
don't have pics at the moment, I'll get some tonight if it's not raining when I get home.
Has anyone else experienced anything like this? Can a rotor get out of balance enough to cause a vibration?
Wandering if this may be the cause of the vibration I started noticing a little while ago? I just figured it was time to balance the tires again.

 

[cbsmith]

Is the vibration all the time when you are driving or just when you apply the brakes? If it is just when the brakes are applied it is a warped rotor.

 

[MADDOG]

So are they rusting out? Near the hub?

 

[BWL]

I've had this problem with the rears a fair bit, but never the fronts. My e brake pads like to disintegrate every couple years. Yes a rotor can cause a vibration, but they usually corrode in a uniform way so it's unlikely. As stated above a vibration under braking is usually a warped rotor, bit that doesn't sound like what you're describing.

 

[TimboRam77]

normal

 

[muddy12]

Only got one pic, it was starting to rain.
Wandering about the balance because there were several substantial chunks missing from the canter sections(vents?), and a few sections that are completely plugged/filled with rust.

New rotors are on the way, should be here tomorrow.

Vibration is mostly around 50mph, and didn’t rally change with application of the breaks. I’ve had issues with these tires keeping balance, but now I’m wandering if it was the rotors all along?

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[McBroom]

Where do you live cause it looks like salt rust.


I Love my 18 Ram 2500HD 4x4 CC
Blue Streak Pearl off-road

 

[muddy12]

Where do you live cause it looks like salt rust.


I Love my 18 Ram 2500HD 4x4 CC
Blue Streak Pearl off-road

West central Indiana.
And yes, they use a lot of salt in the winters.
Even worse, within the last couple years, they started using some kind of liquid brine. It’s “supposed to” stick to the road better, but in reality it seems to only stick to vehicles.


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[McBroom]

West central Indiana.
And yes, they use a lot of salt in the winters.
Even worse, within the last couple years, they started using some kind of liquid brine. It’s “supposed to” stick to the road better, but in reality it seems to only stick to vehicles.


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I thought it was somewhere up north. My son in law lives in Evansville In. I looked at his brakes last summer and they look similar to yours. He’s got a 92 f150 though. He said that it was his 3rd set in 5 years. So I’m guessing it’s a typical northern thang


I Love my 18 Ram 2500HD 4x4 CC
Blue Streak Pearl off-road

 

[Nick@GotExhaust]

Yikes those have a lot of rust. Best bet is when you go to replace them do it with a coated rotor like the R1 Concepts Geomet rotors. That will help. Let me know if you need any quotes

 

[muddy12]

I thought it was somewhere up north. My son in law lives in Evansville In. I looked at his brakes last summer and they look similar to yours. He’s got a 92 f150 though. He said that it was his 3rd set in 5 years. So I’m guessing it’s a typical northern thang


I Love my 18 Ram 2500HD 4x4 CC
Blue Streak Pearl off-road

I'm about 4 hours north of Evansville. Definitely a northern(salt belt) issue. I've lived here my whole life, and usually have over 100K miles on vehicles, and have never had the rotors rust this badly.

"Yikes those have a lot of rust. Best bet is when you go to replace them do it with a coated rotor like the R1 Concepts Geomet rotors. That will help. Let me know if you need any quotes"

Nick, thanks. I've already got some stock replacement rotors on the way (should be delivered today). Needed something quick to get it back on the road. I'm planning to upgrade everything when the rears need changed, and will definitely get a hold of you then.

 

[PoMansRam]

Another lifetime rust belt inhabitant here (Buffalo NY area).

I've seen all kinds of weird stuff happen with brake components over the years and almost always do my own brake work.

Just a week or two ago, I pulled the pads and rotors all the way around on my 2017 Ram 1500 QC 4x4 @ 20K miles to do a clean and re-lube of everything. Two of the rotors were rusted on so badly I almost gave up trying to get them to come off. Some careful blows to the hat face and circumference finally got them. I tore a caliper pin bushing on one of the rears due to my own stupidity. Was able to get a replacement at Napa.

Anyway.. I find my brakes last twice as long if I do the above service to them. Without doing that, I'm lucky to get 35-40K miles between pad AND rotor replacement.

In regards to coated rotors? I've tried them from Napa, CarQuest, etc.. Total joke. The hat stays nice (painted/coated) until the first winter, then gets rusty just like any of them.

 

[muddy12]

Well, I got the new rotors and pads installed.
Then the big @$$ monkey wrench fell into the mix.

While torquing down the caliper bracket on the drivers side, I felt the knuckle move ever so slightly. I went ahead and finished the brakes and bolted the wheel/tire back on so I could use the tire for extra leverage. There had been no previous signs of a failing ball joint, but placing a pry bar under the tire confirmed that the drivers side lower joint is starting to fail.

Anyway, new joints, as well as a new press (broke my last one doing joints on my old wagoneer) have been ordered.


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[King nothing]

Looks like every set of rotors I've ever seen/changed on a vehicle with significant miles. I'm in Illinois so I feel your salt pain


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[PoMansRam]

Well, I got the new rotors and pads installed.
Then the big @$$ monkey wrench fell into the mix.

While torquing down the caliper bracket on the drivers side, I felt the knuckle move ever so slightly. I went ahead and finished the brakes and bolted the wheel/tire back on so I could use the tire for extra leverage. There had been no previous signs of a failing ball joint, but placing a pry bar under the tire confirmed that the drivers side lower joint is starting to fail.

Anyway, new joints, as well as a new press (broke my last one doing joints on my old wagoneer) have been ordered.


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That would be my luck! At least you caught it and have the ability to change them yourself. Just curious if you run larger than stock wheel/tires on the truck? I guess ~6yrs and 80K miles isn't bad but seems a tad early for ball joints.

 

[muddy12]

.............Just curious if you run larger than stock wheel/tires on the truck? I guess ~6yrs and 80K miles isn't bad but seems a tad early for ball joints.

For starters, I bought the truck used with just under 50k miles on it, and have no idea ow it was treated in the past.
Yes, I am running slightly larger tires, 35x12.5’s on the stock 20” rims, with 2” wheel spacers.



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[muddy12]

Even though I’m still waiting for the new ball joints to arrive, I had to drive my truck today.
On the way home(about 3 miles away), the passenger side caliper decided to lock up.

I managed to get home without burning up the new pads and rotor, but now it looks like I need to get calipers. The way my luck is going, maybe I should go ahead and order new upper control arms and wheel bearings, and just be done with it.


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[smiley]

Normal!

 

[muddy12]

Figured out why the passenger side locked up.
Broken caliper piston.


Prior to it seizing, there were no indications that there was a problem.



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[blackbetty14]

Its normal. It would take a LONG LONG TIME for it to rust enough to actually cause any issues. Take a copper hammer and smack it a few times and watch all the rust fall off into a nice little pile under the rotor lol.

One way around this is to get rotors that have been dipped in zinc. (grey/silver finish) or they come in black too I think. This will keep most of the rotor that doesnt contact the pad rusting to a minimum.