Brake Job Question

1911Sooner · Apr 29, 2021

So 3 weeks ago I took my daughters car to a local reputable shop to have her brakes and rotors replaced. I have used this place before without issue. 3 weeks later and her rear rotors are severely rusted. Both front rotors look perfectly normal. This is very obvious and looks really bad. So I took the car back by there today and was told that is perfectly normal and nothing they can do about it. Really if its normal than why don't the front rotors look like that? I think they used a sub par rotor on the back brakes and will not stand behind their products. I guess for $900 I expected more. Granted this is BMW so parts are not as plentiful but 3 weeks is kind of weak. Am I wrong here?

Images of front and rear rotors

Lee Beaittie · Apr 29, 2021

Did they put all new rotors on? And its possible that the mech did not wipe the hub section of the front rotors off ( if they are all new rotors).
And finally that is perfectly harmless and or common.

xseler · Apr 29, 2021

You could also remove the wheels, spray some brake cleaner on the rust, then use some flat black BBQ paint on the effected parts. No need to tape 'em off --- the brake pads will remove any overspray.

Good luck!

HiredHand · Apr 29, 2021

While it’s not esthetically pleasing, it’s not necessarily a sign that an inferior quality part was used. As you drive it the bright red rusty color will darken.

dlbleak · Apr 29, 2021

Just thinking out loud here, the front does approximately 75% of the braking while the rear does the other 25. Just wondering if the compound of the metal is different?

918evo · Apr 29, 2021

BMW parts used to be hard to come by. Now they can be found at any parts store, eBay, and Amazon. The rear rotors are made with the same materials as the front. The master cylinder and/or proportioning valve determines the front/back distribution. Rotors and pads would cost me around $200 for that car at Oreilly's, and it is maybe 2 hours work, so $900 is steep. The rear rotors look rust colored, but it almost looks like they didn't get the anti-rust storage coating off of it before install as Lee stated. Either way, for $900 they should make it right.

okcBob · Apr 29, 2021

If you do paint flat black, engine block paint works well too. Also can use it on milsurp parts.

MacFromOK · Apr 29, 2021

It's literally not an issue. Raw metal rusts, whether new rotors or newly turned (i.e. machined).
:drunk2:

Cowbaby · Apr 29, 2021

Not only is it perfectly normal it means you got some rotors made out of the proper material. Rotors are supposed to be made out of a special wear resistant cast iron which will rust where the pads do not contact them. But even cast iron has better grades for rotor use and not all cast iron is created equal.

I replaced my stock front rotors on my truck at about 160k due to them getting kinda thin which can be a dangerous situation when they were that bad. I bought some of those grand Duralast supposed to be "lifetime" rotors from Autozone and they didn't last 70k before they too were worn down. I took them back but my "lifetime" warranty receipt had been printed in disappearing ink leaving me with a blank scrap of paper. How convenient huh? And of course there was no record in their computer and they would not give me a new set. NEVER AGAIN will I buy Autozone El Cheapo chinese made crap from them again.

After trying several aftermarket brands of brake parts over the years, Bendix, Raybestos, ect, I highly recommend Wagner branded brake stuff. Their Thermoquiet brake pads are nice for cars and their Severe Duty pads made for ambulances and school buses are THE BOMB for a truck if you don't mind a little black dust on your wheels. ZERO brake fade hauling heavy loads down a grade.

I got lucky and found an online seller that had one last set of Wagner brand rotors that were still made in their old plant in Canada. Had a maple leaf stamped into the casting. Been riding those bad boys ever since with about 120K so far and they are not even beginning to wear thin.

But, as for your rotors, I would assume being a BMW they gave you a quality part. If the rust bugs you your just going to have to paint them where the pads don't ride is all. Needs to be a high heat type paint but parts stores sell special paint just for rotors. JMTC.

Feet Dry · Apr 29, 2021

They are two different types of rotor finishes. I had the same issue on my 328i. The front are "aluminized" I think they call it. Specifically Bosch QuietCast. The others were not. The aluminized hub is coated and the other hub is not. Non-one rusts on hub and looks bad through modern wheels but it is fully functional. You have to ask for these specifically. I put the Bosch on my Toyota Highlander for the same reason: Big open wheels that I didn't want rust to get on or show.

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