[Non Corsa] De-rusting items behind the wheels

[Aaron]

So I want to eventually sort alloys, but I want to clean up the areas around the wheels and arch first.

Theres a few I can think of that need doing.

The cover that is behind the brake disk.
the hub that the disks go onto
The calipers
Droplinks and metal bars in the area.


I don't want to mess up any "mating" sufaces, and I plan on under undercoat on the larger/lower bits and possible hammerite on drop links etc. I wanted to do calipers with caliper (heat) paint in light blue and the rest in black.

How could I go about derusting hubs etc ? I have wire brushes at the ready and treatment/paint.

What would I need to remove callipers to paint them properly?

How can I get off, or should I avoid removing the brake cover at back?


I've never took brakes off, so maybe if its good enough I'll not remove anything, but cant count on it been very good if so.

Thanks.

[Danny]

Most of it you can just rub down with a wire brush and hammerite.
The brake back plates are very thin though so will be difficult to rub down without damaging.

[Taurus]

A few thoughts:

Taking it all to bits is pretty straightforward if you follow the manual. Use Plusgas to free off any seized parts rather than just brute force. But some brake / suspension parts can be tight so make sure you've got good quality tools. You'll need Allen key bits to remove the calipers and the carrier bolts are tight.

Don't use Hammerite on drop links. It is too brittle and cracks leading to moisture getting underneath it. It's OK on hubs and calipers as they are a more rigid surface. A good black paint for suspension parts is Ronseal No Rust. It's last much better than Hammerite.

Derusting - depends on bad the rust is. For anything that's eaten into the surface you can use a powerfile or a wire cup in an angle grinder. In both cases use good face protection. Or you can dismantle and have them blasted, or make a DIY electrolysis kit. Treat with a good quality rust treatment, Dinitrol or Bilt Hamber products.

If you are not sure what you're doing dismantling hydraulics then leave well alone. Brakes are too important to get wrong.

[Aaron]

Yeah I'll probably give taking it to bits a miss at this time. I'll just get the under seal out and a wire brush to get the worst off then.

The mating surface of the hub to the wheel where the bolts go? Can this be painted or will it mess with how the wheel sits?

[Taurus]

Providing it's a thin coat of even paint it shouldn't matter. But personally I don't paint them.

[Aaron]

I just thought a very thin spray maybe would just stop it from going manky again. If this rain ever stops I'll have a look behind the wheels and see what's what. It was just a case of doing the rest while I sort calipers.

[Brink]

Just doing the same to my car now. Have dismantled it totally and am now grinding the rust off. Using hammerite but will look at other options thanks to Taurus's input.

to remove the hub you need to undo the bearing castle nut. It's a biatch. In the end I cut mine off as I had already dismantled the whole front end. If your going to take the hub off loosen the nut when the cars sitting on the floor!

other than that if you do decide to go for it remember the safety advice. I am learning the hard way, eye issue despite wearing safety specs and all. Fortunately no issues have arisen from my blundering about but that's probably luck.


i am confident with brakes though. I would suggest you check your pipes if your striping and cleaning. After washing them run your hands along them. Any bumps and rough areas might mean they are rusting and will fail an MOT. Get them swapped out or do it yourself with copper piping. Cheap as chips. But again safety first. Don't mess with brakes if your not sure or confident.

other than that Taurus is spot on. Follow his advice and you won't go far wrong.

[Aaron]

Aye I not going to take any brakes off. The pipes are smooth with an even black layer of grime.