[szeleung]

How do most people clean the brake disc and the wheel hubs? They are just so hard to reach. Also, my is starting to rust for some reason. Does anyone know of a good cleaning product such as Metal Polish, Rust Remover, etc. that is good for cleaning the brake disc and rusted wheel hubs? Thanks

[JOYRIIDE1113]

I'm pretty sure the rust on the brake disk is from when you just cleaned wheels. A little bit of braking would clean it off. As for the hub, Im not too sure.

[rit]

Diesel posted a DIY to deal with the rust a while back:

No More Rusty Hubs DIY

I'm afraid to pull my wheels off. I'd freak out if I knew there was rust on my car. I'd rather just avoid it altogether, because then it will go away!

[fragadellic]

Originally Posted by rit

I'm afraid to pull my wheels off. I'd freak out if I knew there was rust on my car. I'd rather just avoid it altogether, because then it will go away!

+1 My philosophy exactly, about pretty much everything!!!

[szeleung]

I Hate Rust!!!

[ScheerSpeed]

ok, to clean the hub ur going to have to take off the wheel

then follow these steps:

-but Eagle1 Mag cleaner (its basically a whole mix of different acids)
-remove wheel
-put on some cloves
-spray the cleaner onto a terry cloth
-and rub it on the hub (DO NOT TOUCH BRAKING SURFACE!!!!)
-clean off with some brake cleaner (any aeresol brake cleaner is good)
-rinse with water
-put wheel back on
-torque lugs

[Matthew-Sport]

If you want it to last or have any significant rust more extreme action is required. I've recently bought a 2007 320d which had the no cost BMW hub rust option in plentiful amounts. With my gap-y M sport wheels it made the car look like a piece of junk so I set to work! Trolley jack the car up, axle stand it (ok, not so easy on the front) and have the wheels off. Clean the hub with a combo of coarse wet and dry paper and an electric drill with a wire brush bit. Removing ALL rust to its full depth takes some work (about an hour or so per hub!) but is vital or the rust will be back in weeks with vengeance! Clean up the hubs and spray them with silver Hammerite metal paint (not worrying about disc surface, braking soon cleans it off). Finally after a night's drying time, slap some anti-seize grease on the mating surfaces and the bolts/threads and bolt the wheels back on. This is also a good time to give the inner wheels a good clean while their off so road shit doesn't eat in to unreachable parts over time.

Before/during/after pics to follow if anyone's interested?

[L~R~G nor cal]

I like what Scheer said. But while you have the wheel off you might as well do the DIY to keep it from happening again.

[Matthew-Sport]

If you do what Scheer said it's likely that the rust will be back within weeks if not days but I suppose it's up to you how much time you want to spend! Also, if the rust is deep like mine was that method probably won't work. It's a good method if you catch the rust early though.

[Matthew-Sport]

Here's the front without my DIY:

And here's the back that I prepared earlier:

[Matthew-Sport]

P.S. The brown stuff that you can just see between the wheel and the hub is anti-seize grease not rust believe it or not!

[BK]

I apply anti-seize every time I change from summer to winter or vice versa. It makes a HUGE difference in how difficult it is to remove the wheels. I highly recommend doing this for anyone who changes his own wheels.

Before I apply the anti-seize, I clean off any rust and old anti-seize with a wire brush.