Exposed brakes on 09 GTs

[scooter]

Does anyone think the "openness" of the wheels on the 09 GTs will cause any premature wear issues with the brakes? I'm thinking mostly about the salt and junk they use on the roads in the winter... I live in a place where the roads are salted pretty much all winter long, so this could be a real big concern... I imagine brake work is gonna be pretty expensive on this car.

[keithvibe]

they are just as open as any other car... so i would figure the exposure would be about the same..

[scooter]

Quote, originally posted by keithvibe »they are just as open as any other car... so i would figure the exposure would be about the same.. I dunno, I think there is a lot more exposed than you see on most other cars

[keithvibe]

again don't think it's going to be a problem because everytime you apply the brakes you will be cleaning off the rotor and any rust that is built up.. ever look at the rotors if you let the car sit threw a rain storm for a day or two.. they are compleatly rusted. One simple movement and brake cycle cleans all the rust.They use a lot of salt and cinder and Sodium Chloride/Calcium Chloride and Magnesium Chloride here in PA as well and I haven't had an issue. a bit of rust around the outter edges were the pad isn't in contact if perfectly normal.As a matter of fact i just had my car inspected for our annual yearly inspections and the guys said that they though i just put on brand new pads and rotors because they looked brand new.. Told them that they had 20,000 miles on them. They laughed and said i guess you don't use your brakes much then LOL.. nope i use tires and suspention i told them

[jwalcik]

Quote, originally posted by scooter »I dunno, I think there is a lot more exposed than you see on most other cars That's no more exposed than they are on my '05 GT, and much *less* exposed than the front disc on my motorcycle (which is completely out in the open). I don't think you have anything to worry about.

[sk8r78]

They are designed to be exposed to the elements and wether you could see them before or not doesn't mean they were being protected somehow, They weren't. Now you have easier access to clean off that road grime and salt and brake dust, and allow them a longer life. Check it off your list of things you have to worry about. you're good

[scooter]

Cool. I am just so used to (and a bit paranoid about) GM brakes... although these are probably toyota brakes. I had several GM vehicles that had to have a lot of brake work done, one of which was due to "salt pitting"... But my 03 was great concerning brakes... just not so much exposed to the elements.

[djb383]

Go to your local motorcycle shop and get a can of Chain Wax. The stuff is amazing for preventing rust/corrosion. Pull the wheels and spray it lighty on the back side of the wheels as well as on the centers of the rotors/lug bolts and the calipers. Clean any over spray off the rotor/pad surface and re-install the wheels. I did this 3 years ago - zero rust today........rotated the tires this AM. click

[Sublimewind]

Quote, originally posted by scooter »Does anyone think the "openness" of the wheels on the 09 GTs will cause any premature wear issues with the brakes? I'm thinking mostly about the salt and junk they use on the roads in the winter... I live in a place where the roads are salted pretty much all winter long, so this could be a real big concern... I imagine brake work is gonna be pretty expensive on this car.Surely you aren't planning on driving on the "nice" wheels in the winter, are you?? That is committing wheel murder.. Get yourself a set of used steel wheels and some snow tires.. I see you are out of SW NY, it would be best if you had snows anyway.. The brakes can be painter if you like.. The sooner you do it the better your chances of cutting down on corrosion.. I recently used some VHT high temp ceramic header coating on my rotors, and just some rattle can black on the calipers... (you don't really need the high temp stuff for a DD car, it's just not necessary.)

[ToolGuy]

More exposure equals more air to cool the brakes. This exposure is normal like the others say, nothing to worry about.

[scooter]

Quote, originally posted by Sublimewind »Surely you aren't planning on driving on the "nice" wheels in the winter, are you?? That is committing wheel murder.. Get yourself a set of used steel wheels and some snow tires.. I see you are out of SW NY, it would be best if you had snows anyway.. Actually... my plan at this point was to get some WheelWax for the wheels, and give the Eagle F1's a try this winter. I've read reviews with people saying they are decent in the snow, although obviously none on a Vibe... Just trying to forgo the expense of new wheels/snows. Might not have a choice if they don't handle well.

[Sublimewind]

Quote, originally posted by scooter »Actually... my plan at this point was to get some WheelWax for the wheels, and give the Eagle F1's a try this winter. I've read reviews with people saying they are decent in the snow, although obviously none on a Vibe... Just trying to forgo the expense of new wheels/snows. Might not have a choice if they don't handle well. I'm originally from Buffalo.... trust me, you WILL want snow tires... You can get cheap steels and snows for under 500$... Which is less than your deductible I bet, should you bash the car.. I'm always pushing snows, because there IS NO comparison in the snow.. An A/S tire is a compromise between decent summer traction, wear, and paltry winter traction... Fact is, a A/S tire does none of it well... Once you make the switch to summer/winter wheels, you will never go back... Another fact, summer tires are cheaper than A/S tires and do summer MUCH better and winter tires are WAY cheaper and do winter MUCH better... AND you only use each set, part of the year, extending life... You make the call, but winter tires are like cheap insurance... I'm not saying they will prevent an accident, but they will definitely help you a LOT more in the snow, than a A/S tire will.... Hands down..

[bdozer65]

I didn't think much about the exposed brakes, but what about how low that front facia is? I'm a little paranoid that I'll be pushing snow. I measured the distance from the underside of the facia to the ground, it is 9". Maybe that is effectively no lower than say on a chevy impala. But it sure looks like a concern. I was seriously thinking about getting a 98 GMC Jimmy from a known party to romp around in, but that will cost me 3K-3.5K.

[bdozer65]

So if we went the snow tire route, what rim/tire size would you need to get so that the computer/speed etc is calibrated correctly? I think the boots on the GTs are like 215/45 18"s.

[kowell]

Quote, originally posted by bdozer65 »So if we went the snow tire route, what rim/tire size would you need to get so that the computer/speed etc is calibrated correctly? I think the boots on the GTs are like 215/45 18"s.215/45R18 is correct for the GTThe right winter size would be 205/60R16 which gives you a speedo difference of 0.3% too slow.205/55R16 and 205/65R16 both top a 3% difference so they are not adequate.As for the wheel shown by Scooter higher in the thread, these are not the GT wheels but the 17 inches aluminium 2.4L wheels. GT has bigger wheels and more exposed surface. 215 is far too wide for a car of this weight during winter. Snow adherence will be horrible.

[Sublimewind]

^^^^ A 215 compared to a 205, is a wopping 1cm in difference... not "far" to wide, by any strech of th imagination... that being said, a "skinnier" tire WILL slice through the snow better and not "float" on top (similar to hydroplaining) Skinny tires with high sidewalls tend to handle like dog do do though... so keep that in mind... Take a look at "Winterforce" snow tires for a decently cheap snow tire... I ran them last winter on my Vibe and they were comendible for it not being AWD... they wear well to on dry pavement (something a lot of snow tires don't do well)

[bdozer65]

Allright guys thanks for the tire info, but what do you think about the 9" front facia clearance issue. I've been looking at other cars, and it seems they are not much higher, but the lowest point of the vehicle is under the core support.

[Sublimewind]

I used to plow snow all the time with the old Subie... wasn't an issue as long as you aren't running into icy snow banks..

[bdozer65]

Thanks Sublimewind,I has suspected as much. You are talking to an old Detroit Iron guy, I traded an 05 LeSabre in on the Vibe. I think I'm going to pony up for the 98 Jimmy. It will be about $3500 to buy & stick new tires on it, but I can use it for a bit more than snow duty and I'll let the vibe sit on bad days.

[Sublimewind]

I wouldn't be TOO worried man... I've plowed through some DEEP snow, I mean 20+"... I mean if it's a DD car, it's going to get "some" road rash... like I said as long as you aren't aiming for chunks of ice or anything, it should be just fine.... and cheaper than buying another vehical...