# Pads rusted onto brake discs! Is this normal?



## nathanh (Oct 3, 2006)

This morning I backed my car out of the garage and it was like the parking brake hadn't released. It did eventually give way but then the left-rear wheel started to thump on each revolution, without the brakes depressed. I thought there was serious damage.

I took it to the mechanic and he said the brake pad had rusted onto the brake disc, leaving a bunch of rubbish behind. He scrubbed the discs and there's no more thumping. Not serious after all.

My question is, is this normal? I've had 4 cars and 3 motorcycles over a span of nearly 20 years and I've never had the pad rust onto the disc before! Sometimes there's rust on the discs but that's never stopped the wheel from spinning freely.


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## phill0046 (Oct 14, 2005)

It can happen. Is this a car you drive daily or was there a period of non use before this?


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## GTijoejoe (Oct 6, 2001)

it happens, depends on the friction & disk material...

For example, many vehicles which have parking calipers get this lock condition, as you start to drive you hear this 'donk' sound as it breaks the friction free from the disk.... It just seems you had a severe condition.


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## EuroSportChicago (Jun 9, 2010)

GTijoejoe said:


> it happens, depends on the friction & disk material...
> 
> For example, many vehicles which have parking calipers get this lock condition, as you start to drive you hear this 'donk' sound as it breaks the friction free from the disk.... It just seems you had a severe condition.


I'd say the same as him.


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## nathanh (Oct 3, 2006)

GTIjoejoe said:


> For example, many vehicles which have parking calipers get this lock condition, as you start to drive you hear this 'donk' sound as it breaks the friction free from the disk.


That's a perfect description of the sound it made. Although the "thump thump thump" when moving forward was more disturbing.



phill0046 said:


> It can happen. Is this a car you drive daily or was there a period of non use before this?


It sat in the garage for about a week with the park brake on. That explains it.


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## spitpilot (Feb 14, 2000)

Happens to me if I wash car and let it sit for a day or more..you can feel the pads break loose from rotors on first stop....Normal..as is a thin rusty look on rotors after being wet and sitting unused for some time.:thumbup:


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## Three Wood (Nov 29, 2008)

The thumping is easily fixed by a few long, hard brake applications. In the winter it can be difficult to get a proper whoa-down area so I'll just apply the brakes while driving on the highway.

It's extremely common around here especially with people who never brake hard or even firmly under the mistaken belief that it will make the brakes last longer. After a year, most of the rotors surface is rust because it never gets burnt off and usually the brakes are thumping horribly too.. and at that point the pads need to be replaced no matter how much material is left because they won't seat properly on flat rotors.

Of course the trend to extremely large brakes makes this ten times worse because you never really build heat into 13" brakes on the street, even on a 4000lb car.


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