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Rust Removal on Wire Wheels

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spineguru

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My TR3 has wire wheels and the car, until recently, was in storage a long time (5+ years) in Houston Texas. It is VERY humid in Houston and the wheel that was closest to the door of the garage it was in is pretty rusted. I have scrubbed all of the wheels with a very mild steel wool and it seeemd to work for the other 3 wheels (for the most part). However, one wheel is stubborn. Any tried and true methods to remove rust? One thing to note is that the wire wheels are NOT chrome. They appear to be painted (not sure if they are actually painted, but they are coated with some sort of a matte finish - they are definately not a shiny chrome coating). I have tried a more agressive steel brush in a small spot, but I am concerned it will take the paint off. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
 
There are rust removing jellies like Rust Ahoy and others. If your one wheel is heavily (deep pitting) rusted is it still safe?

Bruce
 
It does not seem to be deep pitting. I believe it to be surface rust. It just seems that whatever is strong enough to take the rust off is also messing up the finish. I am sort of hoping there is some "goop" that I can slap on there that will break up the rust, but not harm the finish. I will try to take a photo of the wheel vs. a good one to see if that helps with some ideas. I will do that tomorrow.
 
You could try something like Brasso, or chrome polish. That may take a lot of the rust off without ruining the paint.
But, that's only temporary. If there is rust on there, the paint is already breeched. Paint dosen't rust, the metal under it does. The only proper fix here is to strip the paint, take care of the rust (either chemically or by sand blasting), then repaint.
 
I tell you...it was so humid in Houston for the 3+ years I lived there that I swear my Corvette's body rusted.

Being from the Northwest, I was amazed that the collector car season is the Fall through late Spring. In the summer, it was too dang hot to drive the Triumphs. I went to a MG Club Funkhana in late May, and my TR3's temp gauge just read "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?!"
 
Hi,

I suggest you avoid steel wool entirely. It will shed small particles that will very quickly promote lots of new rust. If you must use something like this, use "artificial" steel wool, a 3M product available at most good hardware stores.

The best method of rust removal is media blasting, then repainting or powder coating.

For localized removal of rust, there are a lot of products available, some of which "kill" and "convert" rust to a stable compound that can supposedly then be repainted. Seems okay, but eventually the rust might come back.

For painted surfaces like those wire wheels, if the area isn't large and it's more of a "rust stain" than serioiusly deep rust, I'd use rubbing compounds, then come back over with a couple good coats of carnuba wax.

If you think it might help, respray the wheels (probably were Argent originally) or even clear coat them. To prep for paint or clearcoat you need to remove all traces of wax and oil, though. A great wax/oil remover is disc brake cleaner spray. However, test it in a hidden area first because it also is a pretty good paint remover! Otherwise, use lacquer thinner, also test in a hidden spot first, though.

I have found Rust-O-Leum products hold up pretty well, even over slightly rusted surfaces. I sprayed it thoroughly on the inner fenders on my TR4 25 years ago and they look just the same now as they did then. Okay maybe a little dustier, but no rust whatsoever and the paint is still solid. I'm not sure an external gloss or satin finish paint by Rust-O-Leum, such as you'd want for wheels, would hold up as well.

In fact, stripping some parts to bare metal by hand recently to make some body repairs, I found Rust-O-Leum red primer diretly over clean metal to be the hardest stuff to remove with sandpaper or a heat gun. Other finishes I was removing included: original '62 TR white paint and primer, some Bondo (25 years and no problems with it), undercoating, self-etching primer over metal (doesn't stick very well on Bondo), sandable primer layers (stick pretty well on metal and Bondo), sealing primer coat, 20 coats of hand-rubbed lacquer finish coat (cracks in dry conditions, if not regularly waxed). All these other finishes came off pretty easily with a heat gun. Rust-O-Leum red primer that I'd used to cover some nicks and scratches over the years surprised me and was the toughest of them all, but I found acetone will remove it.

Removing rust from chrome, the guys on "Mythbusters" got all ga-ga over how well Coca Cola and tin foil worked... I think it's one of the few myths they have actually confirmed! I haven't tried it yet... sounds like a sticky mess!
 
frankly, the only thing to do is media blast, caustic soak, phosphate, prime, and paint (dupont imron urethane), or blast then powdercoat. take the tires off to do this properly. sand blasting is too abrasive. fine glass would be ok or walnut or plastic. you do not want to ruin the spoke threads. chances are that you may be better off with new wheels when you start to look at the hub splines, nipples and spokes up close as well as roundness and runout.
anything else will be a yearly job. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cryin.gif
good luck
rob
 
Remove the wheels from the rims and strip the paint in the method of your choice from above the suggestions. Before stripping, I would determine if these are original wheels or newer replacements. If newer, be willing to spend the money to do the job properly. If original, go the cheapest route and keep the money you saved to start a kitty to buy new ones. Original wheels weaken and eventually break even under light fatigue. I broke two in one summer before buying new. (Driving on 40 spokes is very dangerous.) When replacing, you will have the choice of 48 and 60 spoke. If you are planning to drive it, I'd buy 60 spoke. If you plan to show it, I'd buy 60 spoke. 60 Spoke wheels were sold as an option and will not be discounted in judging by TRA judging standards.
 
[ QUOTE ]
(Driving on 40 spokes is very dangerous.)

[/ QUOTE ]


Did TR3's ever have 40 spoke wires?
 
The wheels are "new". The original wheels were the non-wire wheel type and my dad upgraded to these a number of years ago. I would be surprised if these wheels have 1000 miles on them. They are solid. I am not sure if they are 48 or 60 spoke. I have not bothered to count. For now, I am living with the surface rust (it is really just on one wheel) and I will deal with it later, probably using the blast and repaint methods you all suggested. For now, I am still fighting a few issues to keep it running. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cryin.gif Today's fun noise had to do with the water pump pulley getting out of whack and actually rubbing against the water pump housing (I think). The result was a horrible noise as the pulley rotated and fine metal shavings getting shot all over the engine compartment. Dissassembled the water pump pulley and the shaft of the water pump is bent, so I am going to replace that and the pulley and hope it takes care of the problem. Are we having fun, yet?
 
hey,
what make of wheels are those that rust in 3 yrs? dunlop from india or dayton from usa or some other from britain?
i'd like to know so if i ever put wires on i won't use those.
rob
 
I don't think we can condemn any one manufacturer for this rusted wire wheel. It was only one of the wheels that have been sitting for five plus years in humid Houston...the one next to the garage door. It probably got splashed every now and then with rain when the door was opened or something.

We might condemn certain wire wheel manufacturers for other reasons however... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif
 
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