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Pro tip: I started using isopropyl alcohol on brake rotors instead of that expensive degreaser
I've been a mechanic for about 7 years now and always used that citrus degreaser for cleaning rotors before pad swaps. Turns out 91% isopropyl alcohol works just as good and costs like $3 a bottle instead of $15. I tested it on three customer bikes last month - a Trek, a Giant, and a Specialized. All three had zero brake noise after the swap. But I'm worried about long term effects, like if the alcohol dries out the rotor surface differently. Has anyone else tried this and noticed any issues after a few months?
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gibson.elizabeth19d ago
Holding a rag full of flammable alcohol near hot rotors sounds like a bad fire waiting to happen.
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hart.cora19d ago
Wait, is there a better way to clean rotors that doesn't involve flirting with disaster? @gibson.elizabeth has a point, I've seen guys do that trick and it's all fun and games until the rag catches and you're running around like a headless chicken. At that point, you're not cleaning brakes, you're just starting a bonfire in your own driveway. Honestly, I'd rather scrub them with a dry brush and some brake cleaner spray than play with a flaming rag circus act.
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terryh2019d ago
Bonfire in your own driveway" - that's perfect, and exactly what I've seen happen to a guy down the street. He had a rag catch fire, dropped it, and then his brake fluid caught too. Whole truck nearly went up. Brake cleaner and a stiff brush, that's the boring but safe way. No flames, no running around like a lunatic. Just takes an extra two minutes.
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