Rusty rear brake hubs..

Skudbook · 27 Nov 2019

Hi folks, I've searched and found a few posts in the 996/993 forums with a mix of opinions, am looking at cleaning up and painting my rusty brake hubs. This will be my first DIY job on the recently purchased car as first porsche ive owned i dont want to make a baws up of it..

The fronts are fine but rears rusty..

Thoughts are... remove wheel, wire brush and little brake cleaner.. paint with grey hammerite smooth with a small paint brush.. x2 coats..

Few people saying the spray can HT hammerite is the way to go but i'd like to avoid using the can due to over spray even if masked off it gets everywhere..

Whats the thoughts or experiences ?? Ideally pictures

Tried to attach pics of the brake hubs in question..

Marky911 · 27 Nov 2019

Hi Skudbook,

If you want to leave the discs on then yep brushing is easier. As you say wire brush or sand the thick of the rust off the centre bells and also the outer edge of the disc too, clean with brake clean, then paint.

The proper/better way is to remove the caliper (2 Allen bolts), hang the caliper with a bungee or support it on a block etc, being careful not to damage the flexi pipe, then remove the single cross head screw that holds the disc onto the hub. Simple as long as things aren't seized.
You can then work away from the car, masking the braking surface and spraying the parts you want to tidy up.

I'm viewing on my phone so could be wrong but your discs look a bit scored. If the front faces are bad the rears will be even worse. In fact sometimes the fronts are mint and the backs are still knackered. So inspect your inner faces before wasting time and energy tarting up knackered discs.

For the sake of £100/£150 it may be better to just buy some Brembo replacement discs that have a good coating on the centres etc.

One more thing, the proper Porsche finish is like a satin grey primer sort of thing, but you can do them any colour you like. Black or silver smoothrite.

Be careful doing multiple coats of smoothrite. I've had it react with itself before when trying to do that. It happened on some railings I was repainting once. I'd just do one decent thick coat. Or pop to Yorkshire trading or any other cheap shop and get some iron railing paint or 'small job" metal paint.

First thing though like I say, is to check those discs over. Check the thickness too. Big lip on the edge and they're worn.
Good luck. :thumb:

Luddite · 27 Nov 2019

S.B. Yeah your discs look worn, though don`t panic, as the pads will have worn to suit the grooves to some extent.

If you thought to fit new pads, chances are that your braking efficiency would be reduced as the smooth face of the new pads would only contact the top of the ridges.

Same thing if you fit new discs and leave the old pads in place, grooved pads minimising contact area with new smooth discs...

Front brakes are those that do the majority of the stopping.

It is a Porsche and being a high performance sports car, brakes can save the day...!

If you still want to paint those disc centres, I suspect using a high temperature paint (VHT) brush on from somewhere like Halfrauds in silver or black might be a reasonable option, assuming it is possible that braking can induce a measure of heat on occasion.. Dependant on the amount of panic involved .. ! (-:

Good luck in your choices.

Alex · 27 Nov 2019

I wouldn't use any type of cleaner. Just wire brush then a wipe round with a wet wipe, then paint with Hammerite. IMHO though grey looks shoite. I do mine with Black smoothrite - makes them 'invisible' to the eye then.

spongebob squarepants · 27 Nov 2019

Skudbook said:
Hi folks, I've searched and found a few posts in the 996/993 forums with a mix of opinions, am looking at cleaning up and painting my rusty brake hubs. This will be my first DIY job on the recently purchased car as first porsche ive owned i dont want to make a baws up of it..

The fronts are fine but rears rusty..

Thoughts are... remove wheel, wire brush and little brake cleaner.. paint with grey hammerite smooth with a small paint brush.. x2 coats..

Few people saying the spray can HT hammerite is the way to go but i'd like to avoid using the can due to over spray even if masked off it gets everywhere..

Whats the thoughts or experiences ?? Ideally pictures

Tried to attach pics of the brake hubs in question..

Arrrgghhhhh! New discs surely, not that expensive, speak to Jonttt :thumb:

Robertb · 27 Nov 2019

I ran with some silver coloured Rustoleum, brushed on in situ.

Went on fine, minimal prep needed aside from a brush, light sanding and a wipe down, one coat and has lasted very well.

Did the wheel bolts too while I was at it.

Alex · 27 Nov 2019

Black = Invisible

Skudbook · 27 Nov 2019

Thanks for the reply's, its greatly appreciated.

i do like the look of the black Alex, keeps the focus on the wheel..

Yeah rear disks are slightly scored but not too bad, plenty meat on the pads and discs and lip isn't bad.
Plan is to replace in a next 2/3k or next Aug/Sep when its serviced what ever comes first.

just wanted to tidy it up abit until replacement time..

Thanks again.

Alex · 27 Nov 2019

Drilling the holes out makes quite an improvement. It's the build up of rust in those that creates the worn 'lined' effect round the disc. The rust eats at the pads, makes them uneven, which then imprints the pattern back on the disc.

As I saaid in a PM earlier today: Because the brakes are such a thing of beauty compared with most cars (decent calipers and drilled discs) plus they always have good looking alloys, I wanted to accentuate that look and the grey bells on the discs spoil it, hence me doing them black to eliminate them from view.

:thumbs:

kas750 · 27 Nov 2019

As a proper anorak that likes a finish as close to factory as possible I use halfords brushable grey primer on the hub bells and the finish will last many thousands of miles and as much acidic wheel cleaner as you can throw at it!

Marky911 · 28 Nov 2019

^^^^ A man after my own heart. :grin:

I'm a geek for factory or factory-ish finish too, hence going for grey. Any other car I own though gets the gloss black treatment as Alex suggests, as it does look nice.

Anything looks better than rust though. :thumb:

Robertb · 28 Nov 2019

Alex said:
As I saaid in a PM earlier today: Because the brakes are such a thing of beauty compared with most cars (decent calipers and drilled discs) plus they always have good looking alloys, I wanted to accentuate that look and the grey bells on the discs spoil it, hence me doing them black to eliminate them from view.

:thumbs:

That's true... it almost gives the impression in your pic of the disc 'floating'.

By the way, if anyone needs new discs, carparts4less are doing a 20% off black friday jobber.

Rusty rear brake hubs..

To spray or to brush...

Tin and brush is the way to go..

Aerosol you wimp!

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