Fuchs with rust spots - any tips?

[cfleury14]

Hello all,

I have an '85 911 (pictured below). 80k miles. She is currently my daily driver (more reliable than my 2008 SUV - go figure...)

Anyways, the Fuchs are the originals. They had all kinds of crud and grime on them - probably a combination of brake dust and rust. I spent a few hours last weekend going over them with Sonax wheel cleaner and a microfiber cloth and very soft scrub block. I took a lot of the grime off, but as you can see there are still what appear to be rust spots and pits.

My questions are 1) is this indeed rust / pitting? Or is it just more brake residue / grime?
2) Is there a way to get rid of this without getting the wheels officially refinished? I know there are folks i can send them to for a couple hundred bucks a wheel, but as she is the daily driver right now I cant really afford the down time
3) Any other tips for getting them clean and keeping them clean? I have come across rust removers and other more invasive products, but obviously am a little hesitant to use anything too heavy duty

Thanks so much - appreciate the help as always!

- Chris

[aus911]

Hi Chris,
I am not sure about the rust spots but on the black you could try vasoline (petroleum jelly) it may help the look!!

Cheers
Ray

[Joe Bob]

Most likely there is a clear coat that is pitted. I'm not a fan of clear coat. "I" remove the clear coat and buff them out. Oven cleaner works. Then mild abrasive rubbing compound using a electric polishing ball. Then just maintain them on a regular basis. Get rid of the lead balancing weights on the outside and put them on inside of the wheel.

Polish the center caps and consider going with s/s open headed lug nuts. Alloy nuts can crack and you'll be in a world of hurt.

[911obgyn]

Clear anodizing could be pitted, i ended up removing anodize coating and polished the aluminum took about 1 hour per wheel. I second the lug nut replacement.

[Drymartiniwi]

To help with the brake dust eating at the wheels switch to ceramic brake pads.


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[Cairo94507]

Don't forget the anti-seize on the lugs before reinstalling the wheels. I personally do not like polished Fuchs. The car looks nice and if you had the wheels refinished to look like new, the car would really look a lot better. Plenty of guys who provide this service. Good luck.

[Tommy Z]

Hi Guys, I need to ask what is the advantage of open ended lug nuts. I have the same ones as the original poster and I understand the concern of the alloy ones but why is open ended preferred? Thanks!

[Joe Bob]

Open end nuts allow you a free pass from scrutineers for a DE or AX if there are two passes. Less BS...loosing a wheel is a bad thing.

[tdw28210]

Originally Posted by Tommy Z

Hi Guys, I need to ask what is the advantage of open ended lug nuts. I have the same ones as the original poster and I understand the concern of the alloy ones but why is open ended preferred? Thanks!

You can easily and quickly verify full thread engagement with an open-ended lug. A closed-end one could be hiding the fact there is only one (or less) thread holding the wheel on.


Most driving events require a minimum number of threads to be showing past the the top of the open lug.

[Tommy Z]

Understood. Thanks for the clarification. What material for the lugs do you guys typically prefer? There are a lot of options.

[Joe Bob]

S/S....Stainless steel.....

[cassisrot]

I’ve never tried it but a while ago people were suggesting peanut butter for the painted areas.

[911finally]

Originally Posted by 911obgyn

Clear anodizing could be pitted, i ended up removing anodize coating and polished the aluminum took about 1 hour per wheel. I second the lug nut replacement.

hey 911obgyn - what did you use to remove the anodize coating? I've been reading threads about on this subject all weekend and I'm still not sure of a good approach!

[HarryD]

Originally Posted by Cairo94507

Don't forget the anti-seize on the lugs before reinstalling the wheels. ....

NO ANTISEIZE on the lugs. IF you need to put some on, it is on the SHOULDERS of the lug nuts. Just a light swipe.

[HarryD]

Originally Posted by cfleury14

Hello all,

I have an '85 911 (pictured below). 80k miles. She is currently my daily driver (more reliable than my 2008 SUV - go figure...)

Anyways, the Fuchs are the originals. They had all kinds of crud and grime on them - probably a combination of brake dust and rust. I spent a few hours last weekend going over them with Sonax wheel cleaner and a microfiber cloth and very soft scrub block. I took a lot of the grime off, but as you can see there are still what appear to be rust spots and pits.

My questions are 1) is this indeed rust / pitting? Or is it just more brake residue / grime?
2) Is there a way to get rid of this without getting the wheels officially refinished? I know there are folks i can send them to for a couple hundred bucks a wheel, but as she is the daily driver right now I cant really afford the down time
3) Any other tips for getting them clean and keeping them clean? I have come across rust removers and other more invasive products, but obviously am a little hesitant to use anything too heavy duty

Thanks so much - appreciate the help as always!

- Chris

In my area there are several well respected companies that will come to your home and refinish your wheels for a reasonable price in less than a day.

My local PCA Chapter has a spring clean event annually and they include a refinish service where you will go home that day with refinished wheels.

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[ADDvanced]

That's rust from brake particles embedded into either the clear coat or the bare aluminum, from your pads. Clean it up well, throw your car on jack stands and put the wheels on the back. Use sandpaper or scotchpride pads as the wheels are turning. I did basically the same approach when I refinished my Tom's Racing wheels for my Honda: