Rusty Rotors - why not on the Lightning?

[RickMachE]

For those that own both, why does the Mach-E get the rust that we have to clean off, yet the Lightning does not? Never had to clean it once, even if I washed it and then put it away right away.

Inquiring minds want to know.

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[cj_Jr]

I would say it's because trucks are heavier and require more friction braking. But that's just a guess.

 

[HuntingPudel]

Could be the alloy prescribed by the vendor. Could be that the F150 Lightning uses more friction braking.

Rusty Rotors was my stage name when I was playing the skateboarding Poodle bellhop in an off-off-off-off Broadway play.

 

[luckie]

For those that own both, why does the Mach-E get the rust that we have to clean off, yet the Lightning does not? Never had to clean it once, even if I washed it and then put it away right away.

Inquiring minds want to know.

I like this question. After 3-years in our kinda wet Michigan, my 2021 Mach-E developed quite a bit of rust on rotors and the Service Center wanted to switch all four rotors and pads to fix the scraping sounds as a result (for $2k). Did not go that $2k direction, used Neutral and hard braking instead, but became very curious if the brakes for any EV or PHEV vehicle with regenerative braking may need a more rust-resistant metal. If the F-150 has different specs for the rotors and did not build up rust, it would support a potential finding.

Guess we need to know what brake specs for both vehicles. Where is Tommy Boy when you need him?

 

[Blue highway]

I wonder if it simply comes down to how much the friction brakes are used. My wife brakes more aggressively than many people, and the rotors stay shinny even through the rainy season.

 

[Adventureboy]

Yes, we all have this problem.

Mach-E has performance rotors for better braking. Ford and other manufacturers achieve performance by using softer, iron-rich metal in the rotors, which rusts faster but gives better braking performance in a smaller, lighter package. Rotor rust is a common problem in performance cars. The MME's lack of regular brake use due to regen exacerbates the rust problem.

The Lightning has bigger brakes and doesn't need the softer performance metal to achieve good braking due to the larger size and less concern for weight (big callipers/pads and large rotors). The Lightning rotor metal has a harder material with less % iron and doesn't rust as fast.

For all manufacturers, it is a balance between size, performance and cost. MME is a heavy, high-performance car that needs performance brakes to git 'er stopped.

For me, I'll replace the rotors in my MME (when needed) with rotors, made of better metal and achieve performance using better quality pads. With brakes, it is always a challenge to find the right combination. Ideally, low rust and no dust in a combination that doesn't wear the rotors out every year and still gives good braking performance.

I'd be appreciative if others have tried various combinations of rotors/pads on the MME and the success they've seen between performance, dust and rust. I'll post mine when I do.

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