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How do I clean rust off the car brakes?
How do I remove rust from my brakes? A few months ago, I got injured while rock climbing. I’m okay now, but it’s been five months since I drove my Volkswagen. I see orange rust on my car rotors and they’re making a weird sound.
Phoebe Mah · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Oh no, I’m sorry to hear you got injured! Car brake rotors are very susceptible to developing
rust
due to their location in a vehicle, so even proper maintenance such as going through a car wash can cause rust to form. That said, the sooner you notice it, the easier it will be to remove it. To clean rust off the car brakes, here is a step-by-step guide.- Step 1: Get in your vehicle and start your car. Go for a quick five-minute drive to break down and loosen the rust. Turn off the vehicle.
- Step 2: Remove yourtire. If your vehicle has a wheel cover, remove this hubcap using the smooth flat side of a lug wrench. Once you remove the wheel cover, you should see the lug nuts on the tire. Use a lug wrench and turn counterclockwise to loosen the lug nuts. Do not remove them yet.
- Step 3: Place a jack under the car and raise the vehicle. Remove all the lug nuts. After that, you may remove the tire by tripping the treads and pulling the tire towards you.
- Step 4: After removing the tire, the brake rotor should be visible. Put a drip pan under the brake rotor and spray brake cleaner on the brake rotor. Wipe the rotor down with a clean cloth.
- Step 5: Scrub the rotors. Use steel wool or a wire brush to scrub the rust off. Move in a circular motion. Repeat steps four and five until you no longer see rust. Dry the rotor with a clean cloth.
- Step 6: Reassemble the rotor and car tires in reverse order.
If you’re having trouble removing the rust, disconnect the rotor from the car and soak it rotor in a liquid cleaning agent, like the Evapo Rust cleaner.
You should now have rust free brakes!
Since it’s been several months since you drove your car, make sure your car insurance policy is up to date with
Jerry
. A licensed broker that offers end-to-end support, the Jerry app gathers affordable quotes, helps you switch plans, and will even help cancel your old policy. The average Jerry user saves $879 a year on car insurance.View full answer
- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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