Hey guys

I dont know for sure yet if Im going to do this but the idea of letting my car sit all winter and getting a winter beater is crossing my mind. Ive read all the stuff on here about storing your car and preventative maintenance so it starts back up with no issues in the spring. However my car will be stored outside in the elements at my parents house in the driveway, with a tarp and cover over it.

My question is since the brake rotors will end up getting an immense amount of surface rust on them from sitting all winter outside, will I have to change them in the spring or will they still be ok to drive on?

 

They get flash rust overnight after a rain storm and you don't notice it. Normal braking cleans it off. Before hitting the streets, very gently brake until they are cleaned off. If it's super crusty rusty, you might scrape it with a scotch-brite or something to get the thick chunks off. You might also consider wrapping the brakes or wheels/brakes to keep them dry-ish over the winter.

Don't forget to drain the tank, disconnect the battery, all the other standard long term storage stuff (google it)

 

Your brake rotors will be fine. The tires are more likely to have issues after sitting for that long. I would air them up to a little under the max cold air inflation that is listed on the tires sidewall after you park it. Then when you take it out of storage check the air pressure again and either raise or lower it to the proper inflation.