All gearheads know that the look of your car wheels can make or break the overall appearance of your vehicle. You can have the shiniest bodywork, but if the steel rims are covered in rust and your wheels are dirty, the whole look of your car can be ruined.
Fear, not car lovers, you can get your steel rims and wheels looking brand new again and it won’t take as much work as you might think.
In this article, we are sharing our top three tricks to remove rust from steel rims and wheels. We are sure that by following our step-by-step guides you will be able to have shiny rims and a good-looking set of wheels again in no time.
Car wheels are exposed to all of the elements – the weather, friction from the road, heat, and oxygen. Rust appears due to a process of corrosion called oxidation. When oxygen, iron, and moisture react together in an electrochemical reaction, oxidation occurs and this can lead to the formulation of rust.
Steel wheels are often cheap and used in low-budget vehicles. If your car has steel rims, you will likely notice rust appearing much quicker than on vehicles with aluminum wheels. Aluminum is more resistant to oxidation and therefore does not rust as easily.
Rust that is left to develop and spread over your car rims can result in expensive damage to the wheel as a whole. Removing rust is not too difficult if it has not become too heavy.
However, if the rust damage is severe, you may not be able to remove it yourself and may need to enlist the (expensive!) help of a professional to save the car wheels.
Whether there is just a small patch of rust on one wheel rim or all of your steel wheels are overrun with unsightly oxidation, there are many methods you can use to remove rust and corrosion.
Not sure where to begin? Keep on reading, as here are our top three tips to removing rust from steel wheels and getting your car rims back to looking their best.
You may not believe it while you are looking at the thick and hard rust covering your steel wheels, but in some cases, all you need is water to successfully remove it!
If the oxidation on your wheels isn’t too bad, here is a quick step-by-step guide to help you remove it in just a few steps and with very little equipment:
Step 1 – Prepare a large bucket of hot soapy water and wash all of the wheel and rim. Try to remove as much dirt, grime, and rust away as possible.
Step 2 – Cover the wheels with degreasing soap and brush the steel rims until the rust washes away.
Step 3 – Rust that does not come away after following the steps above, may require a little more elbow grease. Still just using hot water and a degreasing soap, use a scouring pad or wire brush to scrub at the rust and encourage it to break away from the steel.
Step 4 – Once you have removed all of the rust, you can give the clean rim a shine by wiping it over with a microfiber cloth.
Sometimes hot soapy water alone is not enough to remove rust from steel wheels and rims. If you are struggling to get your wheels as clean as you would like, you can try using acid based-cleaners to remove the heavy set rust.
Acid-based cleaners can be bought from the majority of auto part stores but some can be dangerous. Whilst there are acid-based cleaners available that use strong chemicals, there are safer alternatives that can effectively clean rust from steel wheels.
The safest acid-based cleaners you can use for your wheels are homemade alternatives. Using white vinegar, lemon, limes or other sources of citric acid can effectively clean rust from your car’s wheels.
If you are using an acid-based cleaner, such as Autoglym Acid Wheel Cleaner, it is important to rinse with a degreaser after using the product to neutralize any acid remaining on the wheel.
Some drivers prefer to steer clear of store-bought acid-cleaners and rust removal products. If this is you, here is a recipe for an easy-to-mix homemade rust removal cleaner that will work well on steel wheels and rims.
Step 1 – Pour 12 ounces of white vinegar into a spray bottle.
Step 2 – Spray the vinegar onto the rims saturating the entire area.
Step 3 – Scrub the vinegar into the rims with a fine-grade steel wool pad.
Step 4 – Spray more vinegar onto the rims.
Step 5 – Let the vinegar sit for 30 minutes.
Step 6 – Rinse the vinegar and rust away with water from a garden hose. Dry the rims completely with a clean, soft cloth.
If oxidation is left untreated for too long, it may become extremely difficult to remove. If degreasers and rust removers are not working, you could try using a sandblaster to clean the rust off the steel wheels and rims.
You should only use this method as a last resort and it will remove paint from the rim and surrounding area, giving you more work to do in the long run. If repainting and refinishing the rims is no big deal, then a sandblaster may just become your greatest ally in your mission to remove the rust from your car wheels.
Got your sandblaster at the ready? Here are the steps you need to follow to say goodbye to that unsightly rust:
Step 1 – Wipe and clean the rims using a clean cloth and soapy water. Thoroughly dry the wheel using another clean cloth.
Step 2 – Remove the wheel rim and place it on a level surface outside. You can use a piece of large tarp or plastic to rest the wheel on.
Step 3 – Wearing protective clothing – goggles, face mask, and heavy-duty gloves turn on the sandblaster and aim it at the areas of rust.
Step 4 – Move the sandblaster back and forth and allow the sand coming from the nozzle to directly hit the worst areas of oxidation on the rims.
Step 5 – Keep blasting until you can see the rust has come away from the steel rime.
Step 6 – Once you are satisfied all the rust has been removed, wipe over the rim again with hot soapy water and dry with a clean towel.
Step 7 – The sandblaster will have removed the paint and finish from your rims, this won’t have only happened in the areas where there was rust. Once the rims are completely dry and you are happy with the rust removal, you will need to repaint and finish the rims to return them to their original shine.
If you do not want to use heavy-duty chemicals or tools to remove rust from your car wheels and rims, you could try using a homemade rust remover.
There are many recipes available online for homemade rust removers, the best include scrubbing with salt and lemons or limes, mixing vinegar and baking soda together, or creating a paste with tartar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide.
Homemade rust removal is possible but your results will depend on the extent of the rust present on your car.
Your wheels are key to the overall appearance of your car and dirty rims can ruin the look of your ride. There are several things you can do to make steel rims look better. First, give your wheels a thorough clean and remove any rust that has formed on the steel.
Some drivers choose to paint their steel rims to make them more attractive. You could opt for subtle silver rims or really make them pop by using bright color rims in yellow or red, for example.
Removing rust can require a lot of elbow grease and potential damage to whatever it is you are trying to clean. There are ways to remove rust without scrubbing, you will just need the best cleaning equipment for the job. Homemade rust removers can be very effective at removing rust with very little scrubbing involved.
Soaking the rusted area in a citric acid solution and leaving it for long periods will allow you to easily remove rust without having to vigorously scrub.
White vinegar has also been found to effectively remove rust and in some cases, a simple degreaser and a microfiber cloth may be enough to free your steel wheels of rust build-up.
There are many methods you can use to remove rust from metal. The speed at which you will be able to remove the rust will depend on the extent of the rust build-up.
Using a metal wire brush or scourer along with a homemade rust cleaner or rust removal product like WD-4o Rust Remover can help you quickly clean the rust away. There are many homemade rust removal recipes available online, some of which only include water and one other ingredient.
Unless you live in a very dry climate, keeping steel wheels from rusting can be a challenge. However, you can attempt to keep steelies rust-free by coating them in wax or naval jelly, before applying a coat or two of silver (or your chosen color) spray paint specifically designed for steel rims.
Rusted rims can ruin the whole look of your car. To get your vehicle back to looking its best you can clean up and repair your rusted rims fairly easily. A good clean is always a good place to start, remove as much grime and rust as possible using just water and a degreaser.
If the rust is heavyset, you may need to use rust removal products – such as Rust-Oleum rust reformer – and a wire brush or metal scourer to dislodge the rust and wash it away.
Good-looking wheels are essential to your car’s overall appearance. Unfortunately, steel rims are prone to developing unsightly rust and corrosion and if left untreated, the oxidation can become difficult to remove.
So, if you spot rust building up on your car’s steel wheels, you need to act fast if you want to easily remove it.
In this article we have shared our top three best pieces of advice for removing rust from steel rims and wheels, we hope this information comes in useful and helps you to get your car wheels looking as good as new again.
