It’s important to maintain your brakes because they keep you safe. But if you don’t have the time, how to use brake cleaner without removing tire? This article will give you answer to this and many more questions
Maintaining vehicles is a not-so-easy task, and it goes beyond keeping the vehicle sparkly clean on the outside. Regardless, doing so is important to ensure the best performance from your car.
Cleaning and maintaining a vehicle’s brake system is complex and requires some research and care. Rotors happen to be a crucial part of your vehicle’s brake system. For those who don’t know, rotors are the large metal discs that are inside each wheel.
This article answers questions surrounding brake cleaners, their usage, and how to use a brake cleaner without removing the wheels of your vehicle. It will also stop your
Are You Supposed To Clean Brake Rotors?
One cannot undermine the importance of good brakes. Checking brakes, brake pads, and rotors from time to time become imperative to ensure that they do not wear down entirely. It might not always be feasible to see a mechanic maintain these regular brake checks.
Hence, one can check brakes independently from time to time and see a mechanic whenever required. Cleaning your brakes every four to six months between 5000 to 7000 mileage is the best way to go about it. If you don’t have time to do it this often, we recommend doing so at least once a year.
You might like to read: What Can I Use Instead Of Brake Cleaner?
Why Do Brake Rotors Turn Black?
Typical reasons include overheating due to outside temperature or driving too fast.
Overheating and burning are mainly responsible for the brake rotors turning black. It is advisable to leave it undisturbed and continue riding the vehicle, and it will eventually come off on itself.
How Do You Clean Disc Brakes Without Removing the Wheels?
Cleaning brake rotors without removing the wheels is as challenging as it sounds. One cannot thoroughly clean the brake system without removing the tires.
However, one can clean the exterior part of the brake system and the rotor without removing the wheels. Thorough cleaning of the brake calls for disassembly, and doing so with the tires is only but a part of the cleaning process.
Regardless, let us see how one can do it. The first method requires a wheel cleaner and a pressure hose:
- Get your hands on a wheel cleaner. Look for balanced pH solutions which do not destroy the delicate paints or finishes on the wheels.
- Spray the cleaning solution on the rotor assembly and leave it undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes.
- One is likely to spot a change of color in the area where they sprayed the cleaning solution.
- Now that the cleaner has done its job, use a pressure hose to wash out the solution. There you go; your brakes look clean.
The second method requires a tire cleaning product, a jack, a pan, a scrub brush, a rinse solution, and a microfiber towel.
- Use a jack to elevate your car to a point where the wheels can spin. Keep a drain pan underneath the tire where you will be cleaning. All the residue from cleaning will get caught in this pan.
- Now use the cleaning solution and spray it around the caliper and brake rotor. It is recommended to look for products that do not destroy the delicate paints or finishes on the wheels.
- Make use of a scrub brush to get rid of the dirt on the brake’s rotor and caliper. Rotate the tire to ensure you do this properly.
- Now, spray the rinse solution to get rid of the residue.
- Use a microfiber towel to dry the caliper and brake rotor completely. Rotate the wheel to ensure it is appropriately done. Jack down your vehicle to finish the cleaning process.
One must keep in mind that excess application of a brake cleaner can affect the adhesion of the brake pad lining and the pad backing. One must hence avoid going overboard with the same.
Will Brake Cleaner Damage the Tire?
In the previous section, we used a brake cleaner to clean a disc brake. Many car owners are worried that brake cleaners can damage their tires.
Brake cleaner labels usually instruct avoiding use on rubber surfaces. Using brake cleaner on tires may not affect or have other harsh effects, but it may remove the surface wax, which is meant to protect it from ozone. Therefore, be very careful when you use the cleaner with the tire on.
How Do You Stop Squeaky Brakes Without Removing Tires?
If your brakes are squeaking, its best to have the brake pads checked out.
Squeaky brakes can largely be attributed to moisture from last night’s rain, the need for lubrication, rusty motors, and the wearing of the brake pad. If your brakes have been squeaking continuously, it is likely to be so because of thinning pads.
In such a situation, you must get them replaced instantly because the following solutions cannot deal with the squeaking sound produced by worn-out pads. In other cases, one can consider using products from the auto care market, such as brake system lubricants.
You might like to read: Why Does My Brake Pedal Squeak
Is There Anything I Can Spray on My Brakes To Stop Squeaking?
The auto care market has many products to cater to such needs. For example, aerosol cans are available in the market that help stop brakes from squeaking. Permatex 80077 is one such product.
Can I Put WD40 on My Brakes?
It’s better to use an actual brake cleaner.
WD40 is a general lubricant that is used in households. One may use a spray or two of WD40 on their brakes; however, spraying it generously must be avoided since it contains petroleum distillates that may attack the brakes’ rubber.
Also, WD40 cannot permanently solve the squeaking problem; it is a temporary solution since the solvent evaporates, and only a tiny quantity of the oily film is left behind.
Using brake system lubricants is a better option since they are meant for the automobile segment and, in all likelihood, will not harm the brake surface. One must also avoid over-lubrication as it may cause the lubricant to drip into plastic parts.
A Few Final Words
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