Rusty alloys??

dellas1979

Yep - I have another question about a new car I bought!
I have 16' alloys. They are 16 spoke alloy.
The last day Ive noticed that the "disk" (I dont know what the proper word for it is) on the 2 front types as you look into the alloy looks rusty -they are certainly an orange colour. Is this normal? being driving this a week. I havent an utter clue nor do I know anyone in the car business to ask. Could be prefectly normal but am not sure

colm_mcm

the brake discs will rust from the weather, but as soon as the brakes are used it wipes the coating of rust off. quite normal.

peasant

Those would be your brake discs you're looking at and yes, they do get a bit of a rusty tinge after a while of not having been used

dellas1979

Thanks colm (again - you are very helpful). All this is new to me.
It seems to only be the front two wheels/alloys. The back 2 are fine. Why would it not happen at the back and only the front?
Will the disk thing stay rusty or should I do anything? Will it wear off it?

TouchingVirus

BirdieNumNums wrote: »

Thanks colm (again - you are very helpful). All this is new to me.
It seems to only be the front two wheels/alloys. The back 2 are fine. Why would it not happen at the back and only the front?
Will the disk thing stay rusty or should I do anything? Will it wear off it?

Do you even have discs at the back? Are they not drum brakes, which are different to discs

dellas1979

Hehe honest, "Do you even have discs at the back? Are they not drum brakes, which are different to discs "

I dont know where the breaks are on me car. I press the brake pedal and the car stops...;).
Will they remain rusty/orange?

Surley Daz

Similar type question guys, I have an old Lexus (2000) and the alloys need dipping, I believe this is a common problem with Lexy's, anyone know who would do this for me and roughly what it'd cost?

InTheTrees

Good brakes = no breaks

dellas1979

Ah tough crowd.
Twas a long hard week at work, including fretting about whats right and not right with the car.
So, will the alloys at the front stay like this?
Hummm just thinking now, maybe it isnt the brake thing...it looks like a disc thats all I can describe it as.

InTheTrees

BirdieNumNums wrote: »

Ah tough crowd.
Twas a long hard week at work, including fretting about whats right and not right with the car.
So, will the alloys at the front stay like this?
Hummm just thinking now, maybe it isnt the brake thing...it looks like a disc thats all I can describe it as.

Looking in between the spokes of the front wheels you should see a shiney silver disk back there, it may have surface rust on it if you haevnt driven in while and thats okay.

The edges of the disk and perhaps the cover to the disk may be dark and cruddy looking and thats okay too. The brakes can generate dust when you use them that can be kind of rust coloured too.

dellas1979

I only have the car a week - its a week old '10 and am fretting so much - I dont know if these things are normal.
Yes, but I see those disc things on all 4 wheels, but only the front two have a rusty look about them. Will they remain like this?
Maybe I should powerwash it tomorrow - would that help?

InTheTrees

BirdieNumNums wrote: »

I only have the car a week - its a week old '10 and am fretting so much - I dont know if these things are normal.
Yes, but I see those disc things on all 4 wheels, but only the front two have a rusty look about them. Will they remain like this?
Maybe I should powerwash it tomorrow - would that help?

Take a pic and post it here?

Take a look at this one i found online, there's some surface rust but it looks good. How does yours look different?

Stephen

Get us a photo and people can tell you more.

ooh, snap.

InTheTrees

Stephen wrote: »

Get us a photo and people can tell you more.

ooh, snap.

great minds...

peasant

Here's a link to a (rather slow loading) image of rusty brake disks
http://img8.imageshack.us/i/bremsscheiben.jpg/

I bet your wheels/brake look something like it.

A slight rust cover on brake discs is perfectly normal. Every time you brake the disc gets hot (very hot) and the surface slightly roughed up.
If on cooling down there is moisture in the air (this is Ireland, so there always is moisture), it will very quickly form a coating of rust (a matter of hours)

This only is on the very surface and will disappear with the next braking maneuvre. It is also perfectly normal and if you look closely you will see it on many cars

dellas1979

Im sorry I dont own a camera. I really do appreciate the help though.
Ok...I went out there for another look.
Its not the large disc that had rust or orange on it, it is a part that seems to hold the large disc to the spokes of the alloy.
It is bright orange/rusty.
It is definitely not on the back wheels of the car.

dellas1979

Peasant - do you see where the orange disc meets the smaller sliver disc/part then the spokes, thats where the rust is appearing on my alloys (the smaller silver part).
Sorry for giving incorrect info. Am all confused.

peasant

if it's this bit

then someone has painted your brake calipers

Gary ITR

It's the hub so. It's grand, stop fretting all is well

peasant

BirdieNumNums wrote: »

Peasant - do you see where the orange disc meets the smaller sliver disc/part then the spokes, thats where the rust is appearing on my alloys (the smaller silver part).
Sorry for giving incorrect info. Am all confused.

ahhh ... in that case you're missing the centre cap from your alloys and the wheel hub (also sometimes rusty) would be shining through

dellas1979

Hey, hahahaha-no its not that part - I can see the brake callipers (lads am getting a baptism of fire on wheels here this is great) and they are not painted.
Its the part next to the orange bit.
Holds the large disc to the spokes.

dellas1979

only have MS paint available

dellas1979

Cripes!
What does that mean? Is it serious?
I have warranty on the car...its only a week old...what should I be doing? (*me panics*).

peasant

BirdieNumNums wrote: »

only have MS paint available

That is the part of the disc / hub that the brake pads don't touch.
Hence it doesn't get polished every now and then.
It still gets hot though and it's exposed to the elements so it gets rusty.
Perfectly normal, nothing to worry about (and nothing much you can do about it either ...sooner or later it'll rust again, even if you clean and paint it.)

peasant

BirdieNumNums wrote: »

Cripes!
What does that mean? Is it serious?
I have warranty on the car...its only a week old...what should I be doing? (*me panics*).

nope, don't panic

a) after your last explanation you're not missing the centere cap
b) even if you did, it is only a bit of decorative plastic of no consequence other than looks

dellas1979

Ugh - honestly??
Its bright orange! Do all cars get this? Will it fade at least?
Ok, if its something I cant control, no probs - as long as its not something the dealer omitted to do. Then Id be very wee wee'd off.
Edit: I looked up what a centre cap is there - it seems to be the brand name/logo of the car on the middle of the allow - no I have this they are fine-no rust on those.

InTheTrees

BirdieNumNums wrote: »

Hey, hahahaha-no its not that part - I can see the brake callipers (lads am getting a baptism of fire on wheels here this is great) and they are not painted.
Its the part next to the orange bit.
Holds the large disc to the spokes.

Not to worry. Everything in that are will be dark brown and oily rusty looking. Its getting all the crud and crap thats being thrown up off the road. And it can take it. There's also brake dust added to the mess.

When there's a lot of snow or mud its a good idea to keep the area clean because it can cake up pretty thick. Or if the roads are salted(!) then a car wash that goes underneath is good.

peasant

BirdieNumNums wrote: »

Ugh - honestly??
Its bright orange! Do all cars get this? Will it fade at least?

It's a while since I've had a brand new car but I would assume that the bright orange is the first flush of surface rust.
Give it a while and it wil turn a less conspicuous brown

EDIT ..or maybe ...(just maybe) your car is still so new that there is some sort of protective orange paint on it.
But don't worry, even that will turn brown and gunky in a while

InTheTrees

BirdieNumNums wrote: »

Ugh - honestly??
Its bright orange! Do all cars get this? Will it fade at least?
Ok, if its something I cant control, no probs - as long as its not something the dealer omitted to do. Then Id be very wee wee'd off.
Edit: I looked up what a centre cap is there - it seems to be the brand name/logo of the car on the middle of the allow - no I have this they are fine-no rust on those.

Oh! duh. I see where you're pointing at now. its the area in the centre of the (brake) disk? And its Bright Orange painted?

Sounds like a fashion thing in which case it may not fade?

Are they ilke this:

dellas1979

Hummm maybe it is a fashion thing (the orange colour is so vibrant) but it definitley isnt painted. I managed to get the tip of my finger in and it had some orange on it. kinda looks a bit funky. If ye are sure,thanks for the help.
It wasnt like this I am sure when I got it day 1 from the garage. Ahhh and the rust sets in......
I look like a mad person - today at a shopping centre I was parked beside a car with alloys and decided to have a sneaky peak to see if that part was orange (it wasnt, the brake disk was slighlty rusty looking though). Nuts.

Edit: of the photos, just the centre part is orange(not the large disc). Its like this...Large silver disc...attached to...orange rust looking part...attached to spokes.

InTheTrees

BirdieNumNums wrote: »

Hummm maybe it is a fashion thing (the orange colour is so vibrant) but it definitley isnt painted. I managed to get the tip of my finger in and it had some orange on it. kinda looks a bit funky. If ye are sure,thanks for the help.
It wasnt like this I am sure when I got it day 1 from the garage. Ahhh and the rust sets in......
I look like a mad person - today at a shopping centre I was parked beside a car with alloys and decided to have a sneaky peak to see if that part was orange (it wasnt, the brake disk was slighlty rusty looking though). Nuts.

Edit: of the photos, just the centre part is orange(not the large disc). Its like this...Large silver disc...attached to...orange rust looking part...attached to spokes.

Until I saw the pic I posted I'd never seen that before. cant really see the point...

If it doesnt fade and it bothers you it would just mean replacing the disks at some point.

Enjoy your new car!

dellas1979

Thanks for all the help so far!

In the cold light of day, it is definitely rust...but not as orange...when I looked at it last night there was a yard light on and it was almost luminous orange! In the cold light of day it just looks like rust.

So, guys, can I conclude that this is normal on a new car? To have that part on the alloy rusty looking?

peasant

BirdieNumNums wrote: »

So, guys, can I conclude that this is normal on a new car? To have that part on the alloy rusty looking?

Yes and no

Yes, because it's normal and no because, technically speaking, it's not your alloy wheel that's rusting but the hub (the bit the actual wheel is fixed to)

corktina

just to make it clear...you are not looking at part of the wheel, it is the brake disc behind the wheel. (Almost certainly you have drum brakes on the rear whcih are different and dont do this). It is quite normal, dont worry. have a look immedaitely after you have driven it for a while and they will be bright and shiny.

dellas1979

Thank you guys.
I went and bought some stuff to give it a wash today and I asked the man in the car shop to have a look. He saw it and confirmed it was the hub and that it is perfectly normal with new break pads.
So thanks a mill to all....mind is fully settled now.