Rotor Cleaning
- Thread starter leehop71
- Start date
fooferdoggie
Well-Known Member
no dont use mineral sprits. it is a oily mess. use alcohol only. your lucky you have not messed u your pads. alcohol will do and dirt tires fast and leaves nothing behind. but you usually don't need to clean the rotors unless you have issues or they got contaminated or your changing pad types. if I get noise I will you a spray bottle with alcohol on them or ifI have touched them or washed the bike.
Deacon Blues
Well-Known Member
I clean my rotors (I have multiple bikes) maybe twice a year. I always use automotive brake cleaner, because I do the brakes on my vehicles too and have a supply of brake cleaner on hand. If I have the wheel off the bike I also give the rotors a light scuffing with 180 grit or higher sand paper.
fooferdoggie
Well-Known Member
you can destroy the seals if you use the automotive brake cleaner. Plus it strips the bedding material off too. way overkill.
Slaphappygamer
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Aptos
What seals? Are you talking about the rotor inside the motor? I think OP means brake rotor.
6zfshdb
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Northeast Pennsylvania
I clean my rotors a couple of times per season or when they get noisy after riding in mud. The manual for the Magura hydraulic brakes on my bike clearly says to use alcohol only! Other solvents can damage the piston seals.
Cleaning the rotors usually doesn't cure brake squeal though. On my bikes anyway, squealing is usually an alignment issue. I loosen the caliper mounting screws, apply the brake and re torque the screws without releasing the brake lever. Usually cures the problem.
Cleaning the rotors usually doesn't cure brake squeal though. On my bikes anyway, squealing is usually an alignment issue. I loosen the caliper mounting screws, apply the brake and re torque the screws without releasing the brake lever. Usually cures the problem.
Slaphappygamer
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Aptos
99.9% isopropyl alcohol is what I use when my brakes get squeaky.
Indeed!
Brillo pads.. wet the pads, put them in the brake caliper and ride for 1 minute.
I'm scared that you might be serious?
For quality discs , especially with quality pads - keep soap away! There's nothing quite like a coating of detergent to lubricate the disc and contaminate those pads.....Except, perhaps, suspension fluid mixed with detergent....even alcohol isn't going to fix that
I clean with alcohol if I'm changing pad type - to remove the old bedded in pad material from the disc. Then it's 10-15 min of bedding in the disc with the new pad material. PITA , but it gives amazing power and control
fooferdoggie
Well-Known Member
if you have grease on your rotors something is wrong.
fooferdoggie
Well-Known Member
if your just cleaning the rotor and not getting anything in the caliper it does not really matter. I noticed the stronger stuff will strip off the rotor to the point you need to re bed the pads again. it's the calipers you have to worry about messing up. Plus alcohol is the cheapest thing to use too. get a good spray bottle fill it up and spray away.
fooferdoggie
Well-Known Member
the seals in the caliper of the brake. if you clean the rotor while its on the bike and get it into the caliper that could cause issues.
Here’s something interesting I’ve found riding my daily exercise route in a flat environment, all side streets with little traffic, about a 25 minute, 6 mile route, I’ve ridden the route enough now that if I use the speed timing is right, and the PAS correctly, the only time I have to use the brakes is if someone comes out in front OR at the end when coasting into my uphill driveway, and even then the pad pressure is minimal!
Similar threads
