Rust Buster Portable, On-The-Car
Abrasive Blasting Cabinet

 
 

Providing quality brake repairs depends largely on whether all parts are free to move as designed and assembly tolerances are adhered to. Disk brakes are subject to high levels of rust and corrosion because disk brake parts are constantly exposed to the elements. Rust and corrosion affects two main areas of the disc brake system.

Rust’s Impact on Brake Pad Wear
The first area that is effected is the caliper and brake pad’s ability to move freely. Corrosion prevents the free movement of the caliper housing or brake pads causing premature pad wear. If the caliper housing is not free to move on its mounting pins the outboard brake pad will not release completely. Rust and corrosion in the caliper casting holes is a leading cause of this problem. In the casting holes the rust “grows” causing the inner diameter of the casting hole to “shrink”. This causes the rubber bushing or boots to be squeezed tightly around the caliper mounting pins and restricting free caliper movement. Rust in the brake pad mounting points causes premature inboard pad failure because it prevents free movement of the pads. The only way to restore free movement is to remove the rust buildup or replace the caliper.

Rusts impact on pedal pulsation
The second area impacted by rust and corrosion is the mating surface between the hub and rotor. Over time the hub and rotor surfaces corrode. This corrosion causes the rotor not to fit correctly on the hub. The rust results in what is commonly referred to as “jacking”. It pushes the rotor away from the hub mounting surface causing lateral runout. This runout is a leading cause of brake comebacks. It causes a condition known as disk thickness variation or DTV which is often referred to as parallelism. DTV is the cause of most pulsation problems. The inner and outer friction surfaces of a rotor must be parallel to one another with no more than .0005” variation. Excessive runout causes the high spots on the rotor to wear as they pass between the brake pads. The two wear spots occur 180 degrees opposite one another. The result is a rotor with alternating thick/thin spots which cause the pulsation felt in the brake pedal.

Explanation of runout
Runout is defined as the lateral or side to side movement of the rotor as it rotates. When the rotor turns, the thick and thin spots pass between the brake pads. As the brakes are applied the caliper piston must travel out and in when the thick/thin spots pass between the brake pads. This caliper piston movement results in hydraulic fluid movement which is felt at the brake pedal in the form of pedal pulsation.

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  Auto Repair Shop Equipment Buyers Group
Po Box 416
Camillus, NY 13031

Phone: (800) 466-5488
Fax: (315) 488-4521
e-mail: info@buyersgroup.com

 
 

 

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