Rust free rotors?

[rich_e777]

Looking to replace the brake rotors on my 1994 Cutlass and I would like to have some that didnt form rust in the non-contact parts. Has anyone used some of the premium coated rotors offered with any success? 

[Black92GS]

Not on my W's...but I use them on my dailies.  I prefer to use the rotors with the black coated hat/edge vs the silver coated ones, as I find they hold up better.  They seem to hold up relatively well, even throughout the winter.

In all honesty though, if your current rotors are still good you could always hit them with a bit of black spray paint. I quickly hit the rear drums of my truck over 5 years ago without any real prep work, and those have held up better than some of the coated rotors i've run.       

[55trucker]

14 hours ago, rich_e777 said:

Looking to replace the brake rotors on my 1994 Cutlass and I would like to have some that didnt form rust in the non-contact parts. Has anyone used some of the premium coated rotors offered with any success? 

I'm somewhat surprised that where you are in Tennessee that you have to even concern yourself about this. Now if you lived up here.......well, that's a different matter.

[Black92GS]

2 hours ago, 55trucker said:

I'm somewhat surprised that where you are in Tennessee that you have to even concern yourself about this. Now if you lived up here.......well, that's a different matter.

I mean...those uncoated rotors often flash rust after a single wash and start looking pretty shabby in very short order, especially if the car has the 5 spokes or some other wheel that shows much of the brakes. Definitely won't need protection from salt, but as the coated ones do decently well against that, I can see them lasting forever on a southern car. 

[rich_e777]

Unfortunately its the opposite of that pre-conceived notion of the south, they spread that stuff anytime the temp gets close to 32F overnight and its wet out. Ive researched a bit more into the options available and will go with the coated PowerStop kit from RA. Just trying to generate some conversation I guess...

 

[55trucker]

The thought here was that you don't drive your W's in the winter.

[rich_e777]

Absolutely not in the TGP after the roads are salted, and never when its wet to avoid road spray. But for the `94 CS I might like to DD it part time during the year. 

It's rotors have been long overdue for replacement and for a surprisingly small price difference the F/R kits get everything from one shipping location vs all over. 

 

 

 

 

[GnatGoSplat]

I painted mine.  Masked off the brake pad contact area.  Held up pretty good 20+ years later, but I never drive it in winter.

 

[rich_e777]

You get it, you have those rims that visually open up the brake/suspension components much like the rims I have. When the rims and tires look good the rusty looking parts stand out. All the replacement parts for our 1st gens almost immediately flash rust out of the box and most 1st gen rims are mesh or solid so it never mattered, until 2026 when these are the "newest" classic antiques. 

I`m not trying to build a show car but something resembling a higher optioned factory 1 off that might show up at a show or randomly in traffic because the MPGs on a 3100. 

 

[94 olds vert]

When I did brakes on my truck, I used black caliper paint, just to protect the calipers, center of rotors, and the rear drums. It's held up fine. Anything driven up here in the salt, the brakes usually start looking bad after just a year. 

[GnatGoSplat]

Don't know how important this was to the corrosion resistance, but I forgot to mention I primed mine with Rustoleum Cold Galvanizing Compound spray.  It worked surprisingly well as a primer on bare metal.  It never chipped, flaked, or peeled.  I don't know if it's the same formula today as the one I used a couple decades ago.  Photos looks like it's now a smooth gray primer appearance, but mine was a very sparkly shiny bright metallic silver color.  Almost looked like fine very fine glitter.  Still have the can and looks like it's the same can as the current product though, so who knows.