Found out brake pads cost me $80 because I was cleaning them wrong

I was scrubbing my disc brake pads with dish soap every time they got noisy. Then I read on a mechanics forum that soap leaves a film that ruins the stopping power. I swapped to just isopropyl alcohol and a clean rag, and my brakes grab way better now. Had to replace a set of pads last month that only lasted 6 months because of that mistake. Anyone else make this dumb error with their cleaning routine?

2 comments

2 Comments

stella_roberts2d ago

Had my buddy Mike ruin his brakes with Windex once, lol.

karen_shah561d ago

Wait, were the brakes already hot when he did it? Windex on hot rotors leaves a film that turns into basically soap scum once they cool down. I made that mistake on my old truck - sprayed down the wheels after a long drive and the next morning my brakes were squealing like a dying pig. Had to pull the pads and sand them down to get rid of the residue. Tell Mike to try brake cleaner next time, it's like 5 bucks a can and actually evaporates clean.