[Fred Conoway]

Just swapped over to the winter wheels and noticed this rust on the wheel hubs. Rears were worse then the fronts. It's more severe than just surface rust that you can wipe off with your finger or a rag.

Is this normal with only 6000 miles? Aren't the wheel hubs aluminum?? Little bit concerned with how this is going to degrade in the future...

[EtotheD]

Yes that is normal. Even cars after delivery look like that. It's steel. I use a wire brush and scrub pad during wheel changes to clean it off. When I added spacers I put a light coat of anti seize around it and inside.

[IcewaterPete]

Have you driven it in the winter or is this the first winter?

[Fred Conoway]

Originally Posted by EtotheD

Yes that is normal. Even cars after delivery look like that. It's steel. I use a wire brush and scrub pad during wheel changes to clean it off. When I added spacers I put a light coat of anti seize around it and inside.

Yeah, that's what I've done with my previous cars; just didn't realize the wheel hubs were steel, but good to know!

[Fred Conoway]

Originally Posted by IcewaterPete

Have you driven it in the winter or is this the first winter?

No this is the first winter. Picked it up in July of this year, so that's why I was surprised to see that much rust already...

[IcewaterPete]

Whoa!! That does look bad to me too. You’re probably gonna go nuts in the spring when you see what it looks like after winter.

[Fred Conoway]

Originally Posted by IcewaterPete

Whoa!! That does look bad to me too. You’re probably gonna go nuts in the spring when you see what it looks like after winter.

Great... Not looking forward to that!

[Betaone]

To avoid these situations I apply with a brush copper grease on the wheel center. It resists high temperatures and does not melt. I repeat this operation every wheel change.
https://www.amazon.it/Liqui-Moly-308...244649355&th=1

[stefan]

Originally Posted by EtotheD

Yes that is normal. Even cars after delivery look like that. It's steel. I use a wire brush and scrub pad during wheel changes to clean it off. When I added spacers I put a light coat of anti seize around it and inside.

described my exact process. this will keep things looking pretty nice. use silver anti seize.

[IcewaterPete]

Originally Posted by Betaone

To avoid these situations I apply with a brush copper grease on the wheel center. It resists high temperatures and does not melt. I repeat this operation every wheel change.
https://www.amazon.it/Liqui-Moly-308...244649355&th=1

Great tip! Thanks!

[IcewaterPete]

Originally Posted by EtotheD

Yes that is normal. Even cars after delivery look like that. It's steel. I use a wire brush and scrub pad during wheel changes to clean it off. When I added spacers I put a light coat of anti seize around it and inside.

Great tip! Thanks!

[VisualEcho]

Why they don't come from the factory slathered in something to keep them from rusting is beyond me. I bought my car used, so they were terrible even at 9,400 miles. I used Krud Kutter and a wire wheel on them, then covered them in anti-seize.

[doughboy]

It has no adverse effect, its purely for appearance and is surface rust only. Although yours may be made worse by corrosive wheel cleaners getting stuck behind the wheel. Brush it off if it bothers you.

Hubs are solid steel as are pretty much every car ever made, alumininun wouldn't be strong enough.

They don't grease it as generally lubes are bad around there. If it gets on the wheel mating face or bolt threads can lead to all sorts of problems..

Car manufactures make hundreds of millions of cars a year, not one with greased hubs.

[M Fifty]

Originally Posted by doughboy

It has no adverse effect, its purely for appearance and is surface rust only. Although yours may be made worse by corrosive wheel cleaners getting stuck behind the wheel. Brush it off if it bothers you.

Hubs are solid steel as are pretty much every car ever made, alumininun wouldn't be strong enough.

They don't grease it as generally lubes are bad around there. If it gets on the wheel mating face or bolt threads can lead to all sorts of problems..

Car manufactures make hundreds of millions of cars a year, not one with greased hubs.

1st point - good.
2nd point - good.
3rd point - provided it's just a thin smear over the mating surface and threads it's fine. Makes the wheel a lot easier to remove too.
4th point - true, although the dissimilar metals here with added road salt and/or acidic wheel cleaners don't help.

[CTSean]

If it bothers you, you can pull off the rotor and paint the hubs. Be aware the caliper bolts are supposed to be one-time use

I did mine a while back. went from this (i had previously wire wheeled and painted just the inner hub):


to this:

[VisualEcho]

Originally Posted by CTSean

Be aware the caliper bolts are supposed to be one-time use

One-time use bolts have become my least favorite part of BMW ownership (some of them $12 each), and I'm just about done with them.

I mean, it'd be different if they made bolts/reliability/longevity superior to the Japanese...but they don't, and those bolts can be used over and over and over ad infinitum.

[M Fifty]

Originally Posted by VisualEcho

One-time use bolts have become my least favorite part of BMW ownership (some of them $12 each), and I'm just about done with them.

I mean, it'd be different if they made bolts/reliability/longevity superior to the Japanese...but they don't, and those bolts can be used over and over and over ad infinitum.

Well, it depends on why they are single use?

Stretch bolts - always fit new ones.

Bolts electroplated with passivating layers as they screw into aluminum, also key.

The bolts holding the caliper on to the carrier have always come with the brake pad kit on my cars (with locktite and/or coated bolts) so, I'm happy to fit them.

So, while there may be differences in design approaches, it's probably best to stick with what the manufacturer suggests.

BTW, your thoughts on the looks of the current Civic Type R?

[VisualEcho]

Originally Posted by M Fifty

Well, it depends on why they are single use?

Stretch bolts - always fit new ones.

Bolts electroplated with passivating layers as they screw into aluminum, also key.

The bolts holding the caliper on to the carrier have always come with the brake pad kit on my cars (with locktite and/or coated bolts) so, I'm happy to fit them.

So, while there may be differences in design approaches, it's probably best to stick with what the manufacturer suggests.

BTW, your thoughts on the looks of the current Civic Type R?

I hate to be this way, but I'm thinking I can get away with using some of these bolts more than once...especially if there are like 10 of them (belly pan bolts).

I hate the new civic, numbers be damned. Nothing wrong with the car, of course, it's just my personal taste, as I prefer elegant designs, smooth sounds, and tail-out fun to everything the Civic brings to the table.

[M Fifty]

Originally Posted by VisualEcho

I hate to be this way, but I'm thinking I can get away with using some of these bolts more than once...especially if there are like 10 of them (belly pan bolts).

I hate the new civic, numbers be damned. Nothing wrong with the car, of course, it's just my personal taste, as I prefer elegant designs, smooth sounds, and tail-out fun to everything the Civic brings to the table.

So you might agree with the assessment that says it looks like the prototype caught fire and they had to beat out the flames with snow shovels just before management arrived to sign off on the design?

[VisualEcho]

Originally Posted by M Fifty

So you might agree with the assessment that says it looks like the prototype caught fire and they had to beat out the flames with snow shovels just before management arrived to sign off on the design?

My God wherever you read that yes, just so much yes. Makes me sad, really.

[ebisu8]

I have a routine that I do quarterly. Wire brush attached to my Makita then after that I coat it with Boeshield T-9. It works great and keeps it rust free for 2-3 months.

[Taco2Me]

Looks normal to me too.
I take a wire brush to mine at every wheel swap and/or rotation and apply a bit of anti seize.