Rusted hubs, suggestions?

[npgeorgeuw]

Pulled my wheels (Fuel Trophies) to swap to some stock JK rims and found my hubs were completely rust covered. Is this normal? It's been 9 months and 10,000 miles. Since I will rub at full lock on a LCA, I am putting on some spacers/adapters. I'm assuming brillo off the rust or do you spray it with something? After that what? Antiseize?--Any suggestions that might be less permanently messy and bound to get on every inch of every single thing on earth?

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[jay21mojave]

 

[npgeorgeuw]

Thanks for the video but that seems like overkill if I have to do that at 10,000 miles. Overall the rotors don't look terrible it's just the face of the hub/rotor/lug-side that are rusted. Prevention is what I'm really curious about now.

 

[jac04]

Yes, clean off the rust. 3M makes a Brake Hub cleaning kit that works great: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b40065010/

After that, you can clean and apply a very light coat of paint, making sure not to get paint on the threaded studs. Instead of paint, I usually use a very light application of either Transtar Amber Rustproofing or CRC Heavy Duty Corrosion Inhibitor, again making sure not to get it on the studs. Apply rustproofing more liberally around the center of the hub that 'pilots' the wheel or adapter.

 

[npgeorgeuw]

Yes, clean off the rust. 3M makes a Brake Hub cleaning kit that works great: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b40065010/

After that, you can clean and apply a very light coat of paint, making sure not to get paint on the threaded studs. Instead of paint, I usually use a very light application of either Transtar Amber Rustproofing or CRC Heavy Duty Corrosion Inhibitor, again making sure not to get it on the studs. Apply rustproofing more liberally around the center of the hub that 'pilots' the wheel or adapter.

Great suggestions, I hadn't thought about a carefully applied CRC layer. 8-)

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I use Extend, it's a rust converter, after removing as much rust as possible mechanically.
I let it dry 24 hours and then paint.
A CONVERTER actually changes rust to an inert substance using tannin.

I have used Extend and similar products for years on all sorts of things - including automotive restoration. I use it currently on parts like alternator stators and rotors, then I spray them with a translucent paint and they look like brand new and won't rust for many years.
I have a lot of ways I remove rust - from mechanical means to blasting, sanding, or means like electrolysis, and a few other methods. Depends on the part and how far apart I want to take things.

Yes, for things like brake rotors, a lathe is a great way - obviously, but you can also clean the hubs themselves without taking it off with care and the right tools. Unless you cut every molecule of rust off the surface, some will be left and painting over it just hides it. That's why I use converters on any surface that has been rusted and I cleaned and plan on painting over. It turns rust into sort of a primer.


There's many ways to treat those areas............. always love the "best way to.........." videos.
..........It's one way.

 

[npgeorgeuw]

I use Extend, it's a rust converter, after removing as much rust as possible mechanically.
I let it dry 24 hours and then paint.
A CONVERTER actually changes rust to an inert substance using tannin.

I have used Extend and similar products for years on all sorts of things - including automotive restoration. I use it currently on parts like alternator stators and rotors, then I spray them with a translucent paint and they look like brand new and won't rust for many years.
I have a lot of ways I remove rust - from mechanical means to blasting, sanding, or means like electrolysis, and a few other methods. Depends on the part and how far apart I want to take things.

Yes, for things like brake rotors, a lathe is a great way - obviously, but you can also clean the hubs themselves without taking it off with care and the right tools. Unless you cut every molecule of rust off the surface, some will be left and painting over it just hides it. That's why I use converters on any surface that has been rusted and I cleaned and plan on painting over. It turns rust into sort of a primer.


There's many ways to treat those areas............. always love the "best way to.........." videos.
..........It's one way.

There's the "best way" and the way that I have time for, as long as I'm not going to lose a wheel on the freeway, there's maybe the "bestest" way I have time for.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

There's the "best way" and the way that I have time for, as long as I'm not going to lose a wheel on the freeway, there's maybe the "bestest" way I have time for.

Love it - well put.

 

[npgeorgeuw]

Love it - well put.

I like your new avatar/image. I own a cat hospital so it's near and dear to my heart. 8-)

 

[MoxiesDad]

Pulled my wheels (Fuel Trophies) to swap to some stock JK rims and found my hubs were completely rust covered. Is this normal? It's been 9 months and 10,000 miles. Since I will rub at full lock on a LCA, I am putting on some spacers/adapters. I'm assuming brillo off the rust or do you spray it with something? After that what? Antiseize?--Any suggestions that might be less permanently messy and bound to get on every inch of every single thing on earth?

Are you referring to the wheel mounting face of the rotor or did you actually pull off the rotor and check the hubs below? I just did a 5 wheel rotation today, 5K miles, 8 months since purchase. I live in the humid climate of NE Ohio and found a little surface rust on the rotor hats. Just used a brass wire brush to clean up and wiped down with a little fluid film. Sides of the rotor hats seem to have a light gray factory finish on them.

 

[npgeorgeuw]

Are you referring to the wheel mounting face of the rotor or did you actually pull off the rotor and check the hubs below? I just did a 5 wheel rotation today, 5K miles, 8 months since purchase. I live in the humid climate of NE Ohio and found a little surface rust on the rotor hats. Just used a brass wire brush to clean up and wiped down with a little fluid film. Sides of the rotor hats seem to have a light gray factory finish on them.

The mounting face of the rotor, where the lugs/posts come out. Totally and completely covered in rust, thick. I do live in a wet climate but little salt exposure at least.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I like your new avatar/image. I own a cat hospital so it's near and dear to my heart. 8-)

Thanks - I originally saw the print in an antique/collectible mall and loved it. Later went back and bought it but in the meantime saw a pic of it on the internet. Steam punk cat.

My wife likes cats (good thing we have 5 in the house) but isn't into that sort of thing - the steam punk look.
So she bought me this for Christmas (pic below) it has small blinking LEDS that sort of look like little stars.

Anyway, back to rusty parts and bits!
Hard to tell in this pic, I don't have a better photo of the parts I've cleaned and treated with Extend, but this rotor's pole faces and the stator in the pic were rusty. They're off a 1963 car. I cleaned them up, sprayed with Extend and they turned sort of a clear black or really dark purple indicating the rust had been converted. Then I sprayed with clear on the rotor and translucent orange on the stator laminations making both parts look like new.
Rust converters are used by people doing historical preservation of wrought iron and other architectural pieces.

 

[jac04]

IMO, be careful using Fluid Film or anything that stays 'wet' near any brake friction surface. 'Wet' products continue to creep for years, and will creep onto the brake rotor pad contact surface. I still have Fluid Film creeping out of the frame holes on my JK, over 7 years after application.

As far as painting hub/rotor/wheel contact surfaces, try to keep the paint to a very thin layer. If the paint is too thick, it will 'flow' and compress after the lug nuts are torqued, leading to a loss of clamping force.

During my restoration (and maintenance) work, I always leave these surfaces bare metal and just use a light wipe-down with either CRC HD Corrosion Inhibitor or Boeshield.

I work with critical bolted connections for my job, so I am very sensitive to doing things correctly.

For example, here's a wheel hub from my last restoration project:

 

[ShadowsPapa]

IMO, be careful using Fluid Film or anything that stays 'wet' near any brake friction surface. 'Wet' products continue to creep for years, and will creep onto the brake rotor pad contact surface. I still have Fluid Film creeping out of the frame holes on my JK, over 7 years after application.

As far as painting hub/rotor/wheel contact surfaces, try to keep the paint to a very thin layer. If the paint is too thick, it will 'flow' and compress after the lug nuts are torqued, leading to a loss of clamping force.

During my restoration (and maintenance) work, I always leave these surfaces bare metal and just use a light wipe-down with either CRC HD Corrosion Inhibitor or Boeshield.

I work with critical bolted connections for my job, so I am very sensitive to doing things correctly.

For example, here's a wheel hub from my last restoration project:

Well said.
You don't want anything that will creep.
And nothing thick - it will compress and screw up your lug torque in the end. The idea is to have the hub and wheel act as one part, one piece, clamping force. Anything slick or thick will mess with that.

 

[Hootbro]

I have fluid film my wheel hub surface for years with no issue. The trick is to not spray directly on the hub but on a acid brush and apply with the acid brush on the hub surface just a light amount. I have never had any fluid film material make its way on to any brake surface or brake caliper pads using this method.

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