[WaitedTooLong4MyV]

I bought drilled and slotted GEOMET rotors and Optimum OEp pads from R1 Concepts for the front and rear of my V. With only 1,600 miles on the fronts and 2,100 miles on the rears, they are completely rusty inside the vanes and outside the rotor. Everytime I wash my car or it rains and I go for a drive, my wheels get coated in rusty water being slung out from the rotors. I bought them with the GEOMET coating to remedy this exact problem that I was having with my stock GM rotors, but I couldn't be more disappointed.

I contacted R1 Concepts and they basically responded with "brakes rust, it happens, and our warranty excludes rust or any coatings". I don't know what kind of brakes I need to get to avoid this issue, but there's nothing worse than washing your car, driving it somewhere, and then having to spend another half hour wiping down every crevice of the wheels a second time!

 

[BigDuderShooter]

Does your car sit for long periods without being driven? Automotive brake rotors have a high content of cast iron, I find the aftermarket rotors have more than OEM rotors typically...not just talking GM. The more cast iron the more rust potential. Cast iron is good because it has a high coefficient of friction with high thermal stability.

Motorcycle rotors avoid this by using a higher content of stainless steel at the cost of friction and thermal stability, but then they're 1/6th the weight. Roadracing rotors are higher in iron content and they rust like that.

So you'd have to find some rotors with a higher stainless steel content. Brembo has some great aftermarket rotors in this category. I never have had that issue with my stock rotors. I thought they were made by Brembo.

 

[WaitedTooLong4MyV]

Does your car sit for long periods without being driven? Automotive brake rotors have a high content of cast iron, I find the aftermarket rotors have more than OEM rotors typically...not just talking GM. The more cast iron the more rust potential. Cast iron is good because it has a high coefficient of friction with high thermal stability.

Motorcycle rotors avoid this by using a higher content of stainless steel at the cost of friction and thermal stability, but then they're 1/6th the weight. Roadracing rotors are higher in iron content and they rust like that.

So you'd have to find some rotors with a higher stainless steel content. Brembo has some great aftermarket rotors in this category. I never have had that issue with my stock rotors. I thought they were made by Brembo.

So the rear rotors I installed in April, the fronts in May... 2 months. And I drive the car 2-3 days a week.

 

[BigDuderShooter]

That's nothing in terms of time. Looks like maybe a poor coating then. They all usually have some sort of coating to make sure the non-braking surfaces don't rust.

 

[Heavymetals]

Carbon ceramic.

carbon ceramic rotors - Automotive Carbon Ceramic Brake - CMCMAT

we can develop carbon ceramic rotors for any vihicles. Also, we have C/C parts for racing and track, as well as formalated brake pads.

www.cmcmat.com

I hope their work is better than their spelling!

 

[Karch]

Maybe you can trade your brakes with the guy who is looking to modify his CTS PREMIUM. I’m sure you can work out a good deal and not have the rusting problem.


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[BigDuderShooter]

Hey Man, that brings up another possibility. I've been wondering if the carbon ceramic rotors for the new blackwings, or maybe a Corvette, will fit some of our older models?

 

[Karch]

Hey Man, that brings up another possibility. I've been wondering if the carbon ceramic rotors for the new blackwings, or maybe a Corvette, will fit some of our older models?

It’s already been done.


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[WaitedTooLong4MyV]

That's nothing in terms of time. Looks like maybe a poor coating then. They all usually have some sort of coating to make sure the non-braking surfaces don't rust.

Exactly. And these have a GEOMET coating which their website claims as "Superior Corrosion Protection"... Which is the reason I went with them in the first place.

 

[Blades1_99]

I was having good rust/corrosion protection on my R1s until brake fluid sprayed on them when brakes lines were bled, going to steel braided lines.

This makes me wonder if R1 changed coating.

 

[PGA2B]

My Stop Tech rotors do it also but not as bad as yours.

 

[BV_Mully]

My conversation with R1 regarding the same issue ultimately lead to them sending me new rotors completely free of charge. My conversation is below, in case anyone wants to give it a go (sorry it's jumbled, read from the bottom-up):

R1:
We've already processed the replacement for the rusted rear rotors. For the defective items, a return is not necessary, you may dispose of them. We will just send the replacement to the same shipping address on file. We will just send you the shipping confirmation along with the tracking number once it ships out.
If you have any other concerns or questions please feel free to contact us, again. Sincerely,
Rose

--
R1 Concepts Support
On Mon, Oct 18, 2021 at 9:01 AM PDT, Brent Mullen rote: Leslie,
Thank you for escalating this. Yes it is both the driver and passenger rear rotors.
Regards,
Brent Mullen

On Mon, Oct 18, 2021 at 12:42 AM PDT, R1 Customer Support <[email protected]> wrote: Hi Brent,
We sincerely apologize for the confusion, please know that we have forwarded this concern to our higher management, and we will process a replacement for these rotors. Just to confirm both sides of the rear rotors has rust?
Again we apologize for the confusion.
We will wait for your response.
Sincerely, Leslie O.

On Sun, Oct 17, 2021 at 12:27 PM PDT, Brent Mullen wrote:

Alex, That goes directly against what CJ stated in previous emails. Please disregard this request as it specifically pertains to the supposed "best in the industry" GEOMET coating that should inhibit rust for more than 6 months on a garaged, Southern California car. The front rotors are perfectly fine and show zero rust in the same spots, hence my mention that perhaps I was sent standard rotors instead or the coating was defective. Nonetheless, I will never purchase another product from R1 and will make this experience known on the forums on social media. Regards, Brent Mullen On Sun, Oct 17, 2021 at 11:02 AM PDT, R1 Customer Support <[email protected]> wrote: Hi Brent, Just so you know, replacement does not cover zinc plating, rusting, noise, pitting or cosmetic damages, normal wear, and tear, or damage caused by negligence, lack of maintenance, accident, abnormal operation, track racing, improper installation, or service. I understand that you are requesting a replacement for the rotors. Upon checking on the order, this was placed last 04/26/2021. I regret to inform you that to date, it has passed our 60 days return policy and we can no longer honor the request for used items. But upon checking your order, you are still eligible for the 1-year warranty. We are more than happy to assist you with this, please provide us a copy of the following: - A Brake Inspection Report from a certified auto-shop or dealership: Please note that the report should indicate which rotor is warped (Ex. Front Left or Front Right and so on) so that the claim will be valid along with any other tests or diagnostics done that will validate the claim. Brake pads are not covered under the warranty terms. Please be informed that any payment made outside the company is non-refundable. We recommend you to go with a reputable chain such as PepBoys or Firestone that offers FREE brake inspections. If you have any other concerns or questions please feel free to contact us, again. Sincerely, Alex -- R1 Concepts Support On Sat, Oct 16, 2021 at 1:17 PM PDT, Brent Mullen wrote: CJ, Thanks for the assistance. I would like replacements. The problem is present on both rear rotors. 2010 CTS-V GEOMET cross drilled and slotted, in case that doesn't come up with the order number. Regards, Brent Mullen On Fri, Oct 15, 2021 at 2:15 PM PDT, R1 Customer Support <[email protected]> wrote: Hi Brent

Thank you for your response. We can do a replacement or a partial refund. Then if you want to get a replacement all you have to do is you need to return them to investigate however we will provide a free return label to your email address and if you want to get a partial refund you don't need to return them. Please confirm if how do you want to proceed with this concern? Then we would like to ask if is that from the front rotors or on the rear parts? We will wait for your response. Sincerely, CJ -- R1 Concepts Support On Fri, Oct 15, 2021 at 9:01 AM PDT, Brent Mullen wrote: CJ, So rust is expected to come through your coating within 5 months in Southern California, which has seen little rain in that time period, on a car that lives in a garage and is never driven in the rain? That doesn't make sense to me, especially since the front rotors do not have any rust in the slots or chamfers. I'm mainly trying to see if I simply received the wrong rear rotors or if I will no longer buy R1 rotors in the future. Since I paid extra for the GEOMET coating I had expected far more protection from rust than 5 months of use in dry weather. Regards, Brent Mullen On Thu, Oct 14, 2021 at 9:27 PM PDT, R1 Customer Support <[email protected]> wrote: Hi Brent, Good day! Thank you for your email. The rusting is a reddish- or yellowish-brown flaky coating of iron oxide that is formed on iron or steel by oxidation, especially in the presence of moisture and dirt that went to that surface for a long period of time. You may apply an alternative cleaning agent to remove the rust and not by scraping it like a metal-to-metal process. Also, some reasons may include the location, how you use the vehicle, and climate. The zinc coating is applied to minimize the chance of rusting though the rust is inevitable and it is something that will happen to iron cast metals over time when exposed and not all areas can be coated during production, areas such as the braking surface, cross drill holes or slots, and the ring around the hub are often not coated. We provide that coating to help against rust but it does not prevent it. The rotors do come with zinc plating and please note that the zinc plating is meant to help against rust. However, it does not prevent rust indefinitely. The zinc plating on our drill/slot performance rotors is one of the best platings there is for cast iron surfaces nowadays. If you need anything else please let us know so that we can help you out. Sincerely, CJ -- R1 Concepts Support On Thu, Oct 14, 2021 at 1:31 PM PDT, Brent Mullen wrote: Hello, I ordered GEOMET rotors in the above order and have noticed that my rear rotors, particularly within the slots and chamfers, have already began to rust even though I’m in Southern California

and the car is garaged. The front rotors seem to be fine. Was I sent the wrong rear rotors or is the GEOMET coating I received defective? See attached photo.
Regards, Brent Mullen

 

[GalgoMoto]

I have been running the R1 Geomet drilled and slotted rotors for 40,000 miles with no rust issues. I have a new set I am installing as soon as I get a day that isn't hotter than the surface of the sun. I'll post up if I have any issues with the new ones

 

[WaitedTooLong4MyV]

My conversation with R1 regarding the same issue ultimately lead to them sending me new rotors completely free of charge. My conversation is below, in case anyone wants to give it a go (sorry it's jumbled, read from the bottom-up):
............
Regards, Brent Mullen

This is too funny because I got the same "covering his ass" response from Alex, and when my response was much more heated, I started receiving responses from Rose, who was much more accommodating and actually sought to remedy the issue. Rose did end up sending me new rotors for all 4 corners, which I plan to install this weekend. I'll keep this post updated with how they work out.

 

[Jim]

Same rust here....

 

[Sbchris]

If this only happens after washing your car, you can use something like Hyde's Serum Rustopper to prevent the instant corrosion issue. I’ll spray the rotors when I’m drying the car and it works wonders.

Hyde’s is amazing how it prevents the nasty rust coating post wash.

I’d only recommend this stuff if it only happens after washing the car. If it is rusted 24/7 you are outta luck.


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[kittyboy]

I have not had any brake issues with my original OEM, still on the stock set. My question is for future reference. Does the rust have any negative effect on braking?

 

[Blown376]

On the rotor face, any surface oxidation will disappear with the first brake application. If the rust was acquired over an entire winter and caused pitting, then you'll be looking to replace.

 

[WaitedTooLong4MyV]

The replacements made it literally 2 1/2 weeks and maybe 3 wet commutes before they too were rusting from the inside out... I'm done with R1, never buying anything from them again.