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Wheel corrosion

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Discussion starter · #21 ·
Catmanv2 said:
Try iron-x I can't see how the wheels can be rusty. Aren't they alloy?

C
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I don't know, maybe these pictures do it justice? I believe this is what happens from brake dust, called "heavy pitting" in the most extreme form.
 

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#22 ·
Well if it is rust, then iron x should get rid of it. I still don't understand how the *wheel* (which contains basically no iron) can go rusty, so my suspicion is
1) It's not rust but some other type of corrosion
2) It is rust, but toughly bonded to the surface of the wheel.

YMMV :)

C
 
#23 ·
+1...Brake pads contain some iron..That is brake pad dust that nobody ever cleaned off and it just sat in the corners and built up..It can be hard to get off once it has set there for a bit and gotten wet..My BMW track rims were so bad with rust from the track pads I had to have the powder coating stripped off and re-powder coated..Cost me like 500.00 to have them stripped and done over, but I think your in CA. so it would cost 1k out there..lol....Jason
 
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Discussion starter · #24 ·
Jason@ Enzo`s Atlanta said:
+1...Brake pads contain some iron..That is brake pad dust that nobody ever cleaned off and it just sat in the corners and built up..It can be hard to get off once it has set there for a bit and gotten wet..My BMW track rims were so bad with rust from the track pads I had to have the powder coating stripped off and re-powder coated..Cost me like 500.00 to have them stripped and done over, but I think your in CA. so it would cost 1k out there..lol....Jason
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Well if they can't be refinished cheaply, I can get a used QP wheel in decent shape on ebay for like $250.

I will maybe try the Iron-X first, or there are similar products.
 
#25 ·
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Discussion starter · #26 ·
There is a product like Iron-X that is a gel, but I couldn't get any. My order of Iron-X will arrive soon and we will see what happens... I'm beginning to agree that this mess is some kind of rust deposit rather than a rusting of the wheel itself. Will know for sure in the near future.
 
Discussion starter · #27 ·
OK here's an update on this. I sprayed the problem wheel with Iron-X 5 or 6 times. There was plenty of purple and rust-colored run-off, so it is definitely a ferrous rust deposit, which could only have resulted from the rusting of caked on brake dust over a period of years. The lack of car washing that would be required to end up at this point is staggering to the mind.

However, this type of thickly caked rust deposit is not being taken away by Iron-X. This is like using sandpaper when what you want is a grinder. It would take a hundred years to get this rust off using Iron-X. These rust patches are thick, and Iron-X only works to smooth the finish of iron filings and contamination, it does nothing with any major pits or any rust stains or anything like that. It is really a very mild product, I'm sorry I bought it. Basically it is useless.

I remember years ago I had a gel product that was a "rust remover." And it worked. You put on any patch of rust and that rust was gone in minutes. Not safe for any paint or finish! We'll see if can find a product like that or get pros to try something.
 
Discussion starter · #28 ·
Also I finally realized why this problem is so acute just on the one wheel. This is the wheel that has no clearcoat on it. The ferrous brake dust lay in direct contact with the magnesium alloy of the wheel, and rusted because it is more cathodic. It's an example of galvanic corrosion, which couldn't happen on the other wheels that actually have clearcoat because that prevents electrical contact between the alloy and the brake dust.
 
#29 ·
SeanFulop said:
Also I finally realized why this problem is so acute just on the one wheel. This is the wheel that has no clearcoat on it. The ferrous brake dust lay in direct contact with the magnesium alloy of the wheel, and rusted because it is more cathodic. It's an example of galvanic corrosion, which couldn't happen on the other wheels that actually have clearcoat because that prevents electrical contact between the alloy and the brake dust.
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I've never used it but there is a product called McKee's 37 Xtreme iron remover which boasts to be able to remove years of caked on brake dust. Might be worth giving it a try.
 
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Discussion starter · #30 ·
OK I bit the bullet and visited the best wheel repair shop in the whole valley today. (Boy that sounds like a country bumpkin but oh well, why hide it?) The guy looked at my wheels, especially the one with the rust patches, and in his opinion that one had received a "dealer repaint" at some point. This was his term for a quickie on-the-car sort of job that dealer subcontracted "detailers" will be asked to do to bandaid over curb rash or other minor finish issues. He says that may also explain the peeling clearcoat on the opposite wheel - it's not really the original finish. The worst part of the story is that it is quite likely that *the original selling dealer* did this for some reason. Apparently dealer body shops will do this sort of shoddy finish work also. They just want the car to look pretty enough to sell, with no regard for the problems they're causing down the road.

In any case, the good news for me is that this shop quoted me $180/wheel to dismount, strip, polish curb rash, refinish *properly* using Maserati factory paint color codes, and remount tires. I plan to get all 4 wheels done, since one *used* of these rear wheels is $250 on Ebay, and that doesn't count shipping or tire-swapping. He also warned me about counterfeit knock-offs of these wheels fashioned from pot metal in China. Those ones may also be $250 on Ebay!
 
Discussion starter · #31 ·
Finally got my car into the wheel refinishing shop today, these guys are in high demand! Fingers are crossed for a great outcome in a few days...

Also found out from service records what caused the deposition of pure iron filings onto the rear wheel in the first place -- previous owner had let the rear brakes wear down to the plates, at which point they throw pure steel dust onto the wheel during braking. Nice move!
 
#33 ·
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Discussion starter · #34 ·
Got all 4 done for $720 - pretty sure that will pay for itself when it comes time to part with the car in a few years. Not to mention the added enjoyment for me in the meantime.
 
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SeanFulop
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