# Prevent rust on rotors with outdoor storage **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [May 10, 2016, 5:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prevent-rust-on-rotors-with-outdoor-storage/93255 "2016-05-10T05:00:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Honda-Blackbird](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/honda-blackbird/32/3159_2.png) [@Honda-Blackbird](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda-Blackbird)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 9:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prevent-rust-on-rotors-with-outdoor-storage/93255/21 "2016-05-10T21:10:41Z")
Agreed @TwinTurbo …and or if the rotors are made of Chineseium…one or the other. You should see some of the rotor degradation I have witnessed when aftermarket parts are in the picture… There is a VAST difference in rotor composition. All you guys know this Im sure of that. The amount of time isn’t long enough to worry about really… Blackbird ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 10:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prevent-rust-on-rotors-with-outdoor-storage/93255/22 "2016-05-10T22:21:51Z")
I gotta agree. I sure wouldn’t spray anything on them. Any rotors I have put on, I have carefully followed the warning to remove the film on them and sprayed them with brake clean and then am careful not to touch the surfaces again. Two weeks is nothing. Cars sit on lots for months with little problem. ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 10:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prevent-rust-on-rotors-with-outdoor-storage/93255/23 "2016-05-10T22:31:18Z")
**Do nothing.** The first time you apply your brakes…the rust will be history. ---
**Author:** ![matt357](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@matt357](https://community.cartalk.com/u/matt357)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 10:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prevent-rust-on-rotors-with-outdoor-storage/93255/24 "2016-05-10T22:54:20Z")
That didn’t work last time. And no I didn’t need new rotors the car was brand new and had only 2000 miles on it before I let it sit for 2 weeks and the rotors became pitted. ---
**Author:** ![Yosemite](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/yosemite/32/643_2.png) [@Yosemite](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Yosemite)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 11:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prevent-rust-on-rotors-with-outdoor-storage/93255/25 "2016-05-10T23:14:40Z")
If you have family near by, maybe ask someone you trust is a safe driver to stop by and take your car for two days a week. Yosemite ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 11:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prevent-rust-on-rotors-with-outdoor-storage/93255/26 "2016-05-10T23:37:59Z")
> And no I didn't need new rotors the car was brand new and had only 2000 miles on it before I let it sit for 2 weeks and the rotors became pitted. People here are telling you that there is no way in 2 weeks sitting that any OEM rotor would degrade enough to require resurfacing, especially one that is that new. Maybe you can fill in more detail as to what symptoms caused you to take it in, where you went and what they claimed the issue was. Because a new car w/2000 miles needing to have rotors resurfaced is either the biggest hunk of junk on the planet or you were fed a story… ---
**Author:** ![matt357](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@matt357](https://community.cartalk.com/u/matt357)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 11:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prevent-rust-on-rotors-with-outdoor-storage/93255/27 "2016-05-10T23:46:46Z")
The steering wheel would shake when I braked, took it back to the honda dealer where I bought it and they said the rotors were rusty and pitted and resurfaced them for free under the warranty. It fixed the problem. ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 11:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prevent-rust-on-rotors-with-outdoor-storage/93255/28 "2016-05-10T23:49:51Z")
Well, certainly glad to hear it was warrantied, that was one of my questions but figured I’d wait to ask. Pitting has nothing to do with it. Your rotors had runout or pad material transfer to the rotor surface. Both can be fixed by resurfacing. The latter can usually be corrected by executing a couple of very hard stops. Neither is caused by rust on the rotor surface or pitting. It’s caused by overheating the rotors, improper torquing of the wheel lug nuts or defective rotors. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 12:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prevent-rust-on-rotors-with-outdoor-storage/93255/29 "2016-05-11T00:58:47Z")
You’ve got to remember though that that new car sat in the dealers lot for how long before you got it? A month, two, three? Plus it sat at the assembly plant for a while. No way a new car should have pitted rotors from 2000 miles and sitting two weeks. Just sayin’ as all. Don’t judge everything from that one experience. The only time I’ve gotten warped rotors is when the tire shop has over-tightened them. I always re-torque the wheels whenever someone else works on them. First thing when I get home. ---
**Author:** ![matt357](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@matt357](https://community.cartalk.com/u/matt357)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 1:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prevent-rust-on-rotors-with-outdoor-storage/93255/30 "2016-05-11T01:19:31Z")
When It’s at the dealers people test drive them and it takes off the rust. I’m not going to take the tires off the car since I can’t put them back on after surgery when I need to drive, but if I cover the top half of the tire with plastic and string, while attached to the car, will that trap moisture inside it and cause lots of rust or would it be better off to leave them uncovered? ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 1:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prevent-rust-on-rotors-with-outdoor-storage/93255/31 "2016-05-11T01:24:45Z")
What part of the country are you in? ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 1:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prevent-rust-on-rotors-with-outdoor-storage/93255/32 "2016-05-11T01:26:20Z")
Leave the wheels alone and if you have a problem after two lousy weeks you have a warranty. ---
**Author:** ![matt357](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@matt357](https://community.cartalk.com/u/matt357)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 1:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prevent-rust-on-rotors-with-outdoor-storage/93255/33 "2016-05-11T01:41:51Z")
Western NY ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 1:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prevent-rust-on-rotors-with-outdoor-storage/93255/34 "2016-05-11T01:45:27Z")
A warranty doesn’t cover wearable components such as brakes. We store vehicles over the winter in a pole barn. And the rotors on these vehicles rust. It’s expected. All that’s needed is when the vehicle is driven, get on the brakes hard at the first couple of stops And this will clean off the rust. Tester ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 1:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prevent-rust-on-rotors-with-outdoor-storage/93255/35 "2016-05-11T01:52:48Z")
@Tester-I agree but the OP states his rotors were resurfaced under warranty so they might do it again. Or quite possibly they just drove behind the building and did several hard stops and solved the problem. ---
**Author:** ![matt357](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@matt357](https://community.cartalk.com/u/matt357)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 4:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prevent-rust-on-rotors-with-outdoor-storage/93255/36 "2016-05-11T04:38:41Z")
No they won’t do it again the warranty is expired. ---
**Author:** ![Wha-Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9f8e36/32.png) [@Wha-Who](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Wha-Who)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 4:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prevent-rust-on-rotors-with-outdoor-storage/93255/37 "2016-05-11T04:59:53Z")
To the OP: Why can’t you get help after your surgery to remove protective bags containing an air displacement evaporating chemical? Can’t you rent or borrow some dry garage space from a neighbor? Why is it so impossible to find someone to exercise your brakes while you are in for surgery? Now it’s time to think outside the box to not get trapped in inaction. Having been through rusted rotors several times after storage periods I can say that hard stops are not needed; just a few normal stops did the job of getting my rotors quiet again. ---
**Author:** ![Harper.mc42\_175883](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b782af/32.png) [@Harper.mc42\_175883](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Harper.mc42_175883)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2021, 3:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prevent-rust-on-rotors-with-outdoor-storage/93255/38 "2021-06-24T15:48:15Z")
You’ve got the right idea but WD-40 is very thin and won’t hang around long. I’m sure this wont get a great reception in the group but when I store my car, I take off the wheels and rub a thin layer of bearing grease on each rotor. Then, before driving again, I hit ‘em with a generous bath of brake parts cleaner. It sounds like a lot of work but it’s better than pulling everything apart when the brakes lock up. It’s important to understand that I’ve only done this when I know it will be dormant for more than a year. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2021, 4:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prevent-rust-on-rotors-with-outdoor-storage/93255/39 "2021-06-24T16:01:55Z")
We’re talking about not driving the thing for 2 weeks here, not packing it away for a decade. And even if it were long term storage, it’d be less work (and less unsafe) to just replace the rotors if necessary when you pulled it out. Putting grease on the braking surfaces runs the risk that you will forget you put grease on the braking surface and then get a big surprise the first time you try to stop. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2021, 9:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prevent-rust-on-rotors-with-outdoor-storage/93255/40 "2021-06-24T21:24:46Z")
> [@Harper.mc42\_175883](#): > > You’ve got the right idea but WD-40 is very thin and won’t hang around long Uuhmmm… You didn’t actually read what I posted? > [@Mustangman](#): > > WD40 will ruin the brake pads. Use a wax based spray if you just have to do this. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prevent-rust-on-rotors-with-outdoor-storage/93255.md?page=1)