Hypermiling helped ruin my brakes. Toast after only 25k km / 15k miles

[Daox]

Now you just need to devise a nifty wd40 spray distribution system...

[dcb]

I had a really strange failure on the metro too, I just attributed it to cheap rotors. I had one quarter sized pocket of rust that was about 1/16 inch deep on one side of one rotor.

The "cheap" rotors are like $18 apiece and take an hour or so to change so I'm not gonna pine over your situation too much

[Who]

Friction brakes should be phased out. Hub motor/regens all the way.

[almightybmw]

Brake pad material should also be considered. It might be worth your while to investigate more specifically how brake pads and steel rotors interact, and what a warped rotor really is.
If you're rarely using brakes, but when you do use them it's fairly hard, a soft organic compound is not the best match. If you're light on the pedal with occasional hard braking, an organic compound would suit better than a semi-metallic or full metallic.

Anyways, do some research on braking systems, and find what suits your needs best. While 25K isn't bad for some applications, you should easily exceed 150K (km that is, in case anyone wasn't pay attention) for the use your car sees. IE, the brakes should fail after the rest of the car does.

[Shawn D.]

WD-40 on brakes? Do the bad ideas never stop around here?

Originally Posted by Who

Friction brakes should be phased out. Hub motor/regens all the way.

Just how would that keep you in position on a hill without using energy? Answer: it wouldn't.

[vtec-e]

Hi Metro, sorry to hear about the brakes. Perhaps you should brake a little more. If used lightly during DFCO you might only lose a tiny amount of mpg.
I dunno what kind of wheel covers you have but moon discs could help keep the corrosive breeze off them while parked. Could also offset the decrease in mpg from the extra braking?

ollie

[MetroMPG]

almightybmw - good points. It makes me wonder where the OEM pad material lies on the hardness scale.

vtec-e: car has smooth wheel covers, so the corrosion was more from ambient conditions, not really from moisture/rain blowing in on the wind. (At least on the outside surfaces.)

Shawn D: just curious, anything constructive to add?

I wonder how RV owners deal with rotor corrosion (since their vehicles often sit for long periods). It's common to see their wheels/tires covered when they're parked outside, but I suspect that's more about protecting tires from UV damage. Then again, they undoubtedly brake MUCH harder when they are used, and the pad area is larger so would scrub the rust off better.

[MetroMPG]

On this topic, in another thread Frank quoted a newspaper article about storing a vehicle:

"If you're concerned about some corrosion on the brake rotors, you can spray them with a light aerosol lubricant. This will dissipate with the first applications of the brakes when the vehicle is put back in service."

A few easy steps keep vehicle safe in storage

[Shawn D.]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Shawn D: just curious, anything constructive to add?

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

On this topic, in another thread Frank quoted a newspaper article about storing a vehicle:

"Constructive" doesn't only mean "positive response," you know. Saying something is a bad idea is constructive when it's a bad idea that folks should be steered away from. The linked article also says you should put a tarp under the vehicle when stored in a garage -- that particular piece of advice won't be harmful, but it's worthless. Bob Sikorsky's "Drive it Forever" column actually printed a reader tips about saving money that included salvaging plugs, filters, and even brake fluid from cars in a junk yard -- there's plenty of auto advice that's not fit to print or follow.

Given the corrosion on the other non-friction surfaces of the rotor (hub, outer edges) and knowing your location, rust seems inevitable. You probably wouldn't be interested in attempting cryogenic treatment, as that's $$. What I would suggest (and it's not something you asked about) is to apply a very thin (and I mean really thin) coat of anti-seize to the hub of the rotor where the wheel sits. That'll keep the wheel from sticking.

[MetroMPG]

Do you have any information that a film of WD-40 won't "dissipate from the rotor with the first applications of the brake"?

(EDIT: of course, assuming a fairly aggressive application, enough to generate heat)