How to clean up dirty nuts?

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Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Then I'd find a junk stud of the right size, put each one on it, and give it a light coat of a metallic rust-oleum paint. And if that didn't work, I'd just not worry..


+1, except that I would dip them into a can of either; black Plasti-Dip (cheap), or black Wurth rustproofing, or black POR-15 (expensive!).
 
You could clean those up on a wire wheel bench grinder. Then, coat the exterior with a very thin layer of antiseize or brake lube, the same way people keep their rotor hats and hubs from seizing. Maybe a bit messy.

I would be careful of applying anything to the threads or any acid treatment that might affect the threads.

I have found that a thin layer of silver antiseize is a fairly decent rust preventative.

I apply this or fluid film on that center hub nut area also, without removing the rust. The surface rust acts like a sponge to hold the grease on. It seems that the grease/antiseize works better than the FF.

Here's a scary picture of my daughter's old car axle nut eaten away by salt:
001bvm.jpg
 
Originally Posted By: doitmyself
You could clean those up on a wire wheel bench grinder. Then, coat the exterior with a very thin layer of antiseize or brake lube, the same way people keep their rotor hats and hubs from seizing. Maybe a bit messy.

I would be careful of applying anything to the threads or any acid treatment that might affect the threads.

I have found that a thin layer of silver antiseize is a fairly decent rust preventative.

I do not think antiseize works well if its exposed to the elements like it would be if you just covered the outside of the nut. It works best as intended on threads that are screwed into a threaded hole or nut.

I apply this or fluid film on that center hub nut area also, without removing the rust. The surface rust acts like a sponge to hold the grease on. It seems that the grease/antiseize works better than the FF.

Here's a scary picture of my daughter's old car axle nut eaten away by salt:
001bvm.jpg
 
Depends.
For some, a good shower will do.
For the ones holding the wheels on the studs, just replace them with a better quality part.
They're pretty cheap and new ones might be cheaper than the cost of the chemicals to effectively clean the old and these cheapies will just get bad again after you clean them up.
 
Isn't there a point to where you can get the rusted layer off but you take so much material off that you are in between wrench sizes and you can end up stripping them? That is my biggest concern, that if you get them any smaller the standard wrench would slip and possibly cause a bigger problem.
 
Frankly I would just replace them. Not very expensive to do so.

Does the car not have wheel covers that protect them? A lot of the German cars with exposed lug bolts have plastic caps with gaskets that pop over them.
 
update:
Tirerack is sending me new lugnuts.

I'll probably treat them with something to hold off the rust.(in 8 months)
They are supposedly nickel plated and rust resistant.


but we saw how that worked out.

I'll probably be using these for 1-2 winters.
I'll probably slather the ends with some grease also... being careful to keep it off most of the threads and the tapered end.


Originally Posted By: dparm
Frankly I would just replace them. Not very expensive to do so.

Does the car not have wheel covers that protect them? A lot of the German cars with exposed lug bolts have plastic caps with gaskets that pop over them.


As I mentioned in an earlier post this is my winter tire set. they had cheapo plastic covers first 2 years.
This year 2 cracked and were tossed. The lugnuts already rusted horribly when I put them on last winter.

The stock wheels have closed end lugnuts and center caps.
But at 200$ each I'll take the 224$ i paid for the 4 steelies with free roadforce mount/balance.
 
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sears near me sells boeshield its about 20$? a can IIRC

Thats actually a really good idea.. thanks Doog.
 
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