Brakes hydroplaning on the rotors?

[Barwick]

I've had issues on my OEM rotors in heavy rain (or horizontal rain on a windy day) where after a while, the brakes would feel like they were hydroplaning on the rotor and like NOT stop at all, I don't know if it was just water inside the pads that was outgassing as it heated up, or if it was literally water on the rotor/pad face that wasn't being driven off. If I held the brake down for a few seconds, it'd clear right up and work for the next few seconds, but maybe 30 seconds later the problem was back.

Anyone have this issue or something similar?

 

[Jim Henderson]

I have had this problem with all my disc brake cars. This happens when you go thru deep water or drive a long time in rain without using the brakes.

When you first hit the brakes they feel like they are barely working and require more pressure. Like you said a short tap on the brakes every once in awhile seems to dry them out.

Seems a bit strange since every set of disc brakes I have seen always had some minor contact with the rotor so you would think they would be constantly drying out. But I guess if there is enough water, then you got NO brakes.

In my experience this seems to be the way things are on disc brake cars, at least the ones I have driven since 1980. Drum brakes are way more fun in the rain.

Jim Henderson

 

[mnmridg]

The only vehicle I have not experianced this on is my Explorer, which I've installed cross drilled rotors on. I will install them on the LS also when it is due for it's first pad change. Alot of people recomend against cross drilled rotor saying they warp and/or crack, but not if you get a quality set. I would go with slotted/drilled if I was autocrossing/racing, but for general moderat to hard street use cross drilled is the way to go if for the wet braking alone.

 

[Barwick]

I never had this on my RX-7 or my Civic. But the Civic had slotted rotors on it (no cross drilled rotors for me), and I think the RX-7 eventually got them too. Mabye, I dunno... I forget what was on it.