Brake Job Tools: Dish Soap and Water

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Doing a brake job requires special tools and materials. These tools are separate from the sockets, ratchets and air tools that you use every day in your shop. In the fourth part of our nine-part series, we talk about the importance of using dish soap and water to clean off your rotors before installation.

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While dish soap and water isn't a tool, using them to clean rotors is critical to performing a quality brake job. There are two reasons that you should wash off a rotor before installation:

Note: If you are installing a coated rotor, you do not need to wash it off. It is ready to install right out of the box.

1.) Manufacturers put anti-rust preventative on rotors. Sometimes, this material looks like oil. Other times, it looks almost like varnish. Either way, you need to wash this material off the rotor.

2.) Machined rotors leave metal shavings and residue on the rotor's surface. If you install the rotor without washing off these shavings, they will become embedded in the rotor post installation. This will cause brake noise.

Why soap and water instead of brake cleaner? Brake cleaner does a great job removing the anti-rust preventative. However, it does not do a good job of removing the metal shavings. That is why using warm water and dish soap is recommended.