Anyone know what causes front discs to rust?
Just had to change my Peugeot 205 XLD front discs after an MOT failure due to rust.
They were only two years old and I have done 15,000 miles on them.
Perhaps I don't use the car enough or brake hard enough?
Thanks.
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Either of your suggestions could be right - the last ones I changed were 9 years old and had covered 100,000 miles (Saab 9000). Are you in a low-lying area that collects mist?
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As an experienced 205 user, I would suggest another possibility [I can't judge how much you use or brake]. A 205 diesel is front-heavy, so the front disks do most of the braking work (though they should last 70K in 'normal' use). If the car lives outdoors or is regularly drenched in a carwash or salt spray, that will add to surface corrosion, but use every few days should wipe that off.
It is possible that one pad has got stuck in its 'runners'; it then only mates partially with the disk, which develops a ring of rust - usually towards the centre - leading to severe pitting in bad cases. Disks then have to be replaced in pairs.
Another long-term nuisance is the development of a rim outside the pad, which should be chipped off every year or so - an opportunity to keep the pads moving freely.
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Have you got alloy wheels or steel ones with holes, and do you wash your car regularly with a hose and then not use it immediatley after?
If yes, then water will spray onto disks, not be removed and cause rusting. Do it every week and you are causing rust to form in the most efficient way poossible.
madf
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I'll tell you what I do...
I do wash it regularly and always pour water through the wheel to flush out the black brake dust!
Then it may not be moved for a week or two.
Perhaps I should stop doing this!!!!?
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Solved
If you wash the wheels, take it for a run afterwards, the hotter the weather the shorter the run.
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My discs can develop a surface coating of strangely patterned corrosion within 30 minutes if it's misty, or I wash the car, just needs a drive to the end of the street to rub it off though...
Blue
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If this is what you "regularly do", it certainly will not help the disks. It will also encourage the pads to rust onto their guides, as I described in my first post.
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After your regular wash-and-stand treatment of your 205, you may have noticed a thump when moving the car for the first time. That is the pads releasing from the disks where they have become stuck with corrosion. Ring any bells, Cambridge?
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Yes, it does ring a bell!
I love my 205. It does 80 on the motorway all day. Gives 55 mpg whatever type of driving I do.
It can tow big trailers without any trouble.
I've even used it to pull up tree stumps!
It was built in 1990 and has done 100,000 miles but looks and runs as good as new.
I met Monsieur Folz, the head of PSA, a couple of months ago. I told him all about how good my 205 was and he gave an interesting reply saying they realise they made them too well and decided not to do this again with the models that followed it!!!
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Cambridge - My wife's car was a Dturbo which we kept for 8½ years, selling it on last spring at only 87K. Little things were failing like stop-solenoid, lights stalk, and finally the clutch cable went. Fixed 'temporarily' by RAC at roadside, but it became clear that a permanent fix was almost impossible due to inaccessibility behind the engine.
The only 205 we have now is a 1993 GTx which is still fun. Are you a member of Peugeot Club UK? Sounds as if they might like to hear from you, though the core membership is more into 304s and 203s than the 'modern' stuff.
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I fitted Green Stuff fronts and EBC Kevlar rears 1200 miles ago. Both of these claim to be low-dust (or was it dust free?), and I can confirm that this is so. I don't know how much the standard parts cost for my car (V6 Omega) but people say these aren't much more expensive, and are better brakes, technically.
www.sejoc.co.uk/
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Just a quick comment about using the handbrake to clean rear discs - this may not work! My last two Cavaliers had rear discs, but the handbrake actually operated a pair of small drum-type calipers mounted inside the disc. The only way to get the rear pads to contact the disc was by braking hard.
Andy
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2yrs, 15,000 done?.....you certainly have been!
My pads last longer than that! Just changed my Passat's discs at 210,000 miles [wife's car, schoolrun mainly], and my Audi 100's are originals at 148,000
Every couple of years, and at every pad change, tap off rust with hammer and old screw driver. Jack up, gently engage 1st gear at idle, and apply carborundum wheel [Black& decker] to any lip on rotating disc.
After 100,000m ensure thickness is still OK otherwise caliper pistons have to travel too far and braking won't feel as firm.
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Cambridge,
The replies to your note below are indeed all influential re premature disc failure.
I feel however, that your discription of use is incomplete, as there would be an insupportably high failure rate on this component for the manufacturers to fend, given your discribed mode of use. I agree that the open nature of modern alloy wheels encourages almost instant rusting of discs, but providing the vehicle is used every other day, and with 20 mile plus journey lengths, this can be tolerated, albeit with some shortening of optimum disc life.
I suspect you need to check more regularly the other moving components of your disc brake system for correct operation, ability to float etc. An essential and worthwhile chore I guess to avoid those extra costs when you least want them.
Julian Lindley
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Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than me could comment but I reckon that the change to non-asbestos pads has considerably reduced the life of disks and pads. Just had my original front disks changed after 140,000 miles, and the pads I haven't changed that often either. I suspect that the new disks will probably only last half as long.Those above who have done great mileages on their disks are probably still on "asbestos" pads and disks that have served the majority of their life on asbestos pads. Wonder how long new ones will last?
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As I understand it, when it was decided to phase out asbestos, the replacement material (whatever it is) is more abrasive, so the disk wears more than before. I'm not clear whether this means the pad wears less, but the environmental result is that brake dust is now mostly oxide of iron rather than asbestos.
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Had a 86MY Fiesta XR2 from new till the other year. In the 115,000 miles, went through approx 4 sets of front discs. All parts were Ford dealer supplied.
The discs always wore below their minimum specified thickness, but the pads were always hardly worn.
When the first set of disks "failed" I was able to get a new set under goodwill warranty. Being of an inquisitive nature I asked if the problem was a known one and was told "They come from a Spanish supplier and they left the titanium out of the cast iron".
I have not seen this repeated so markedly on other vehicles I look after, so assume it was something they got very wrong.
Any comments?
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When the 205 diesel went through its last MoT (at a reputable tester) I pointed out that the disks were below the thickness recommended in the Haynes manual. They were deemed to be perfectly OK and good for some while yet. Perhaps it's all a matter of opinion.
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Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than me could comment but I reckon that the change to non-asbestos pads has considerably reduced the life of disks and pads.
You are quit right - front discs are now designed to be "sacrificial" and will wear along with the pads. My Saab 9-5 had new discs at 60k/2years, and I'm expecting similar life from the new ones - although I do tend to be light on pads & brakes.
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