Rusty Rotors braking surface and washing...... Ugh...

[PQ]

Ok. So I like to wash and clean my car just like everyone else.

Not sure bout up in the north, but down here, if your rotors get wet while the car is sitting, they rust over within a few minutes.

No big deal right???

WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Holy crap, as soon as you drive it, BAM...... rust all over your wheels. Sure, you can wait till it all dries up good and then wipe the rust dust off, but it would take 24 hours to fully dry. If you drive it before it's fully dry up inside, it will spread a rusty liquid ALL OVER the wheels. Wasn't so prevelent on my stock wheels, but with the large chrome lips and small spokes I have now, it is a major pita.

Any ideas on how to minimize this problem?

I tried to think of a way to cover the braking surface of the rotors so they wouldn't get wet while washing but there is just no way to do it. No SMART way anyway.

What do you guys do?

[Merc]

Yep they rust up here in the great White North too. I havnt had that issue with my SS polished wheels yet. Try a leave blower. They work great for drying the whole car off. Especially if you have hard water and spotting. Cheap. $30 bucks at depot.

[Tantalizer43]

PITA in the north also. After I wash and rinse, I drive the car up and down the driveway a few times. Do it slowly and stay off the main roads. After that, I use the free flow rinse before i dry the car. The few trips up and down the driveway dry my rotors enough that it doesn't coat my vehicle in rust next time I drive.

[Adam's Polishes]

I had this same issue with my aftermarket rotors on the TBSS and its common for the corvette crowd as well.

The best solution I've found is (like suggested) blast as much of the water out of there as you can right after washing with compressed air, leaf blower, blaster sidekick, etc. Less water = less rust.

I would also back out of the driveway very slowly with my brakes applied, (1 foot on the brake, one on the gas) the pad would then scour the surface of rust before it had a chance to sling out.

Other than that I've never found anything else to help... its part of the ownership experience I guess LOL.

[SSOOCH]

Ferrari uses a "cover" that goes over the disc brake. I can't remember what they're called. You could see if they have any that would fit your Camaro.

[SSOOCH]

http://www.car-stuff.com/brakedisccover.htm

[PAUL SS]

I just go for a short ride around the block as soon as I finish washing, the sooner you clean it off the less there will be. It doesn't take much to rub the discoloration off and put some heat in the rotors to make them dry.

[Sevn86]

I go for a short drive too...

[Nitrosniffer]

Might be a roundabout solution, but I saw an ad in a magazine for a product which you were supposed to put on your wheels which was supposed to help reduce stuff sticking to the wheel itself (kinda like a rain-x for wheels, but worked on brake dust/etc as well). I've been trying to track it down to keep the mud and dust off my wheels in Fort Mac.