Will brakes sticking overnight cause long term damage?
I have a 64-reg Hyundai i10 purchased a couple of months ago. It is parked on my drive. Overnight the rear disc brakes stick when the handbrake is on and release with a sharp 'crack' when I drive off. I realise it is not unusual for this to happen as rust deposits soon build up. My wife has a 10-reg i10 also, from new, which is kept in a garage. The rear brake sticking happened for the first time the other day after it had not been used for a week. I had a real job to get the disc pads to release and there was a real loud 'crack' when they did. We both now leave the handbrake off with car in gear, both are on the level. My question is what, if any, damage can this cause to disc pads or calipers when stuck pads release in this way? If I forget to leave it with handbrake off say, apart from the handbrake cable, is there risk of damage to the pads or calipers?
This seems to be a common fault of the i10, i20 and possibly the Picanto too. What is happening is that the metallic content of the pads is oxidising along with the relevant iron alloys in the discs. If a car is parked on the level in a garage or on a flat driveway, best to leave it in 1st gear with the handbrake down. This also helps preserve the cable. If you forget, there will be a patch of corrosion on the disc where the pad had clamped it.
Answered by Honest John on