Rust on Bolt Heads and Pedals

BobbyTrigger

whats the best way to clean some filthy dirty rust off my GT? there's the odd spot developed on the boltheads on my headset, and on the axles of my SPD's.

cannit be having rust on my baby!

can you buy bolts that wont rust? ie galvanised/zinc plated? i guess i have to take a wire brush to the axles of the spuds? or can you buy something that shifts the rust?

dave_hill

BobbyTrigger wrote:

whats the best way to clean some filthy dirty rust off my GT? there's the odd spot developed on the boltheads on my headset, and on the axles of my SPD's.

cannit be having rust on my baby!

can you buy bolts that wont rust? ie galvanised/zinc plated? i guess i have to take a wire brush to the axles of the spuds? or can you buy something that shifts the rust?

If you're bothered about rust in the sockets, there's no way you'll get rid of it unless you can find some wire wool cotton buds.

It doesn't matter what you do to mild (high tensile) steel, it will ALWAYS rust if it's exposed to any form of moisture. All surface treatments are porous and water will find its way through eventually. Even triple-coat show-chrome isn't immune.

The only alternatives are anodised aluminium (expensive and no good where there's any load on the screw. Which is just about everywhere.); stainless steel (expensive and likely to shear if you torque it too hard); titanium (bloody expensive and liable to bind if screwed into steel or aluminium without copper grease); or ceramic (mortage territory and just too gay to mention. Bugger...).

The only other alternative is wire wool and elbow grease. Or you could just put up with it?

BobbyTrigger

cheers Dave - i'll put up with then i think. less work in the long run