I was putting the summer tires on this past week and when I got to the rear right wheel I noticed that the rotor (Brakemotive drilled + slotted) had three distinct rings on the pad contact area that were rough, slightly rusty, and obviously not normal. It was hidden from view all winter due to the winter steel wheels.

I checked the caliper and it was a bit seized, so I cleaned up the sliders and re-lubed everything appropriately. I figured this should get the pads to clean off the three rusty/rough rings, but so far (about 300-400km later) it hasn't done much or any of that.

Is this something I should be concerned with, or will the pads eventually work themselves back into the rotor and make it 'normal' again (where the entire pad contact area is shiny and uniform)?

Thanks.

 

If you have high (or low) spots on the rotor it will wear the pads unevenly. The force will be concentrated at the high points and therefore the pads will wear unevenly at those points.

If you want to do the job right you should take the rotors off and have them turned down until the surface is flat. When you put them back on put on a new set of pads and you shouldn't have any issues.

 

I've had a sticking rear caliper every winter for years now. It's just one, the drivers side. Only when I set the E-brake.

I just had new pads and rotors put on now that it's warmed up outside but I will probably have to go through this again next winter.

Just commiserating, no real advice except that the Honda parts tend to work better for me in preventing this issue. Of course since you "upgraded" to aftermarket I'm sure you don't really want to hear that anyway.