4 Rusted Rotors

[Cosmo Cruz]

I won't use a scissor jack. Had the Volvo scissor jack (came with car) fail on me == the jack screw pulled out of the nylon threads and dropped the car to the floor. Have never used one since.
If you are going to swap wheels twice a year get a proper floor jack like the one in the photo. Sears used to make a low-profile model that would easily slide under sports cars.

Standard practice is to lay the wheel under the rocker panel of the car in case the jack fails ( if you don't have a jack-stand). When I was a kid trying to pull rusted brake drums off a '65 mustang I put both legs under the car straddling the brake drum to get more leverage, and pulled the car right off the jack stands. Fortunately it landed between my legs straddling the brake drum which now supported the car, but not enough room to free me. It was December, I was pinned on the concrete floor, in a detached garage, too far from the house for my wife to hear. There are just so many ways to screw-up working on cars.

 

[Cosmo Cruz]

Thanks for that...yes, I know how to change a tire but on a car that doesnt weigh a gazillion times more than normal. Yes I can afford a professional but I felt like I messed it up I should fix it...if it wasnt too difficult but at this point I think I will see if Discount Tires can do it or the Lucid service tech that is local.
thanks for everyone's advice

Thank you for this. When you said you'd wire brush the hats I second-guessed the "how do I remove a wheel?" part.... so glad you clarified. Be very careful using a scissor jack, and don't use one "regularly" = they are only for emergency. When you look under the rocker panels you will see oval pads front and rear. Those are the hard points =That's where the jack goes. Make sure you chock a wheel on the opposite side. Changing a flat used to be a rite-of-passage (boomer here) because flats were so common then. I'm not sure if younger folk have ever changed a flat tire, since few cars come with spare tires and emergency jacks.

It is possible to get rotors with zinc-plated rotor hats that won't rust. Of course the braking surface on the rotor is bare iron...a little surface rust there is no big deal and will come off the first time you brake. Seen below: standard '98 V70R cast iron rotor vs racing rotor with zinc-plated hat.

... Volvo chose the wagon version to enter the BTCC races and offered factory parts to upgrade your car = in Europe. If you knew the part number you could order up-rated racing parts directly from your local dealer...who had no clue what they were ordering for you. Below are fully-adjustable racing shocks (make your family wagon ride like a dump truck) available from your Volvo dealership...if you know the part number. They had all kinds of suspension braces/bushings/ sway bars / exhaust systems/ ss brake lines/ rotors / calipers, etc. in the catalogue but few USA dealerships know about this. You had to order the parts from Sweden.

Up=sized wheels, racing shocks and SS brake lines for the 850R & V70R. They also had a dual exhaust kit and all kinds of suspension parts. There was a guy we knew inside Sweden Volvo who would reprogram your car to get more boost. I was able to blow-up two I-5 engines using his software. I was running too lean because I did not install the racing fuel pump and oversized injectors. You learn, but it's expensive.

Volvo entered a wagon in the BTCC races. They did surprisingly well. You could order the parts in this car directly from your dealership.

 

[Cosmo Cruz]

Thinking that one-pedal driving means brake rotors will never need replacing, so aftermarket zinc- plated rotor hats are not likely to be seen on our cars. Looks like we'll have to order the Sapphire to get rust-free brakes on our Airs, or just live with a little rust where it doesn't matter.

 

[Ron Yu]

I'm pretty sure the rust will come off the rotor hats using a wire brush after removing the wheels ... but they will quickly rust again unless they are coated with with something. I'm curious to know what "complimentary scrubbing and refinishing of the rotors mean"?

I got my chariot back today and they refinished and painted my rotor caps/ hats. No more rust! At least for now… THANK YOU LUCID!

 

[Ames8910]

** Update
I had to have service pick my baby up this week because my frunk got stuck, since they had it they cleaned off all the rust for me. As soon as I get it back this weekend I am going to put Hyde's on them. I bought a Hyundai Santa Fe this week and took it to Discount Tires to swap out the ugly stock wheels for some better ones and the guys there gave me two good pieces of advice. 1) use a mixture of Dawn soap and Vinegar to clean but also as a light coating to prevent rust. 2) always make sure the wheels are dry... since I keep the Lucid in the garage this should be easy, I am going to get a blower to just blow off any moisture when I pull the car in. We will see if that works

 

[tjoines]

If it's a true concern, have them buffed and painted. This is purely a cosmetic issue.

You are correct that surface rust is not an issue. The hub surface should not be painted as the paint can breakdown and cause the wheels to loosen.