So I swapped out my oem wheels for a set of sports edition wheels and winter tires from tirerack. Found three of my stock wheels were rusted to the hub, needed to get a sledge hammer to knock them free. Never had this on a new car. Didn't have time to do anything about the rust but come spring any suggestions on what to do with the rust. Should I sand it off, just put some rust converting stuff on it, just WD40??? Leave it alone?

 

Pick up some anti seize compound and apply it to the hub or wheel after cleaning with a wire brush. Also apply it to the stud threads to keep them from locking up.

 

Use anti-seize sparingly on the hubcentric portion, if used excessively it can migrate to the brake surfaces. Use of anti-seize in lug bolts is debatable - some recommend that it should not be used, the theory being that it decreases friction on the threads and for an applied torque the actual load on the bolt is increased. Some claim that it can promote loosening of the bolt in service. Significantly? I don't know...

 

I always put some anti-seize on the wheel hubs during my seasonal wheel change. My previous car had huge issues with the rear hubs rusting to the alloys until I used anti-seize.

But I don't put it on the wheel bolt threads.

 

not an issue unique to MINI, but to hub-centric rims. Had a neighbor with a big TOY' truck who came over sheepishly one day. He knew I was a car guy and felt he was too but could not get the wheel off the truck even tho the lugs were out.

"Sit your a** on the floor and kick the heck out of it" says I. He did not believe so I went over and showed him . . . .

anti-seize (a-s here after)

a little goes a long way (after you clean off the rust; a wire brush is OK)

I've used it sparingly on my wheel lugs/bolts for 20 years now. No wheel has fallen off yet.

Spark plug manufacturers that I'm familiar with RECOMMEND application of a lil' a-s ... their target torq is much lower than the average wheel bolt so I'm guessing some of us are over thinking this one. I've yet to see a plug chart with T' values with a-s and without . . .

Frankly, have'n fought battles with too many rusted connectors on my '79, if in doubt I apply a very fine layer of a-s and have yet to have that come back to bite me. And I use that rule beyond the cars because outside work, that may get wet, also benefits from a little a-s on the threads.....

 

Anti-seize. A Michiganders best friend in the garage :-P