I have a BMW. Rust can cause the wheel to adhere and be near impossible to remove. I sprayed Fluid Film lubricant on the back of the wheel before reinstalling. See the one year later pic. I'm not sure how to fix this. Polishing compound to remove some paint maybe?
Fluid Film lubricant damaged the paint on my wheels
- Thread starter devo99
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Kerosene, maybe starting fluid?
Tire shine over spray can do the same. It is dried oils mixed with brake dust and iron.
An orange degreaser and 3M white pad should take it right off.
An orange degreaser and 3M white pad should take it right off.
Wheels are clearcoated so polishing won't remove paint unless you go crazy with it.
Even WD-40 left to soak should help it wipe off.
4WD
$50 site donor 2023
Yep - have even used baby oil successfully …
Haha. It must have worked its way through the center gap.
Dirty looking is good.
For bad stains with brake dust in them, I've started using acid as it will take it off right away. The clearcoat won't be attacked if you wash it off within a reasonable amount of time. You could start with a very mild acid like vinegar, but it may not be strong enough. Personally, I use muriatic acid (HCl solution) and just leave it a short period of time.
This is a 20+ year old disc brake dust shield I could not get clean even sandblasting it, or any chemical cleaner. The car had high-dust Jurid pads on it and the brake components had a baked-on coating that was impenetrable. Acid cleaned it in a few minutes and then I refinished it with high-temp paint. I did the calipers the same way, too.
I "painted" the acid on and it amazingly just wiped right off, a little bit of abrasion with the brush bristles was all. I've done the same thing on clear-coated alloy wheels that were terrible and it works great.
This is a 20+ year old disc brake dust shield I could not get clean even sandblasting it, or any chemical cleaner. The car had high-dust Jurid pads on it and the brake components had a baked-on coating that was impenetrable. Acid cleaned it in a few minutes and then I refinished it with high-temp paint. I did the calipers the same way, too.
I "painted" the acid on and it amazingly just wiped right off, a little bit of abrasion with the brush bristles was all. I've done the same thing on clear-coated alloy wheels that were terrible and it works great.
Those wheels look as though they're designed to be cleaned easily(not a lot of grooves/spaces/slots).
I would try some mild rubbing compound(very wet) and I'll bet they clean right up.
I've even used white toothpaste w/wet rag on small spots and it worked well at removing stains.
I would try some mild rubbing compound(very wet) and I'll bet they clean right up.
I've even used white toothpaste w/wet rag on small spots and it worked well at removing stains.
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The best think to use on the hub/alum wheel mating surface is NoAlOx. It is a Zinc paste used by electricians (me) on aluminum wire terminations. Several brands to choose from, you can get it at Home Depot/Lowe's in a small tube on the electric section. Should be less than $10. A tube will last you a lifetime. Use it on battery terminals too, and any electrical connection that will be exposed to water or salt.
JHZR2
Staff member
I find it hard to believe that fluid film did that.
I have bolts in door jambs on my accord that are still “wet” with it after many years.
It also washes off notoriously fast in spots subject to water.
next time put anti seize on the hub.
I have bolts in door jambs on my accord that are still “wet” with it after many years.
It also washes off notoriously fast in spots subject to water.
next time put anti seize on the hub.
I agree.... I've never had Fluid Film, per se, damage anything... and I've used it for years. Maybe or maybe not related to what the OP shows in pics, but still interesting, I found an old can - probably 25 yrs old - that sat on a shelf in my Dad's unheated/uncooled storage areas and it had accumulated the material around the spray valve, open to dirt and air during many prior years of use without even a cap on the can, that had still not hardened, whatsoever. I believe it's a very good diverse-use product, through personal experience.
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