Alloy Corrosion

[peter026]

Numerous people here have complained about the corrosion and pitting of their alloys.

I think I may have just found one of the major causes of said problem.

Whilst visiting a friend this evening, out came his three dogs,and went straight to the wheels,yes you guessed it, legs cocked,wheels soaked

Good for getting brake dust off but that is about all

Thoughts

[peter026]

B**ger me I've gone and posted it in the wrong place, can some body sort it please

[legendswraith]

brake dust and dog urine thats about the best cell for electrolytic corrosion i have heard of, pehaps rinsing it in sea water could possibly make it worse lol

[Tony9r]

Male cat spray's a good 'un too

Tony.

[Kremmen]

I have done nearly 12,000 miles and 14 months down the line.

My front wheels are starting to go very slightly on the leading inside sharp edge of some of the spokes. Not enough to get them seen to just yet but my motor is garaged both at home and at the office so no cats & dogs get anywhere near.

Eastern countries apparently report no problems so I still think it may be weather related ?

[legendswraith]

if you live near the sea in an industrial area or in a dip or valley you are going to experience slightly higher degrees of corrosion due to the increases in dampness or salinity of the enviroment or possibly the amount of acid rain one way of reducing it is when you wax your car do the alloys too. I know you can buy specialist polishes to do alloys but some wax will give some protection or you could rub them down with wd40 when they are dry (wouldn't spray them you will get your trakes as well)

[mudzs]

i think the alloy wheel cleaners are to blame ,they must be slightly acidic and harsh to do the job of cleaning the alloys

[Mr Morse]

i think the alloy wheel cleaners are to blame ,they must be slightly acidic and harsh to do the job of cleaning the alloys

←

Some of the alloy cleaners on the market contain hydrochoric acid (Wonder Wheels is one). This does a great job at cleaning the brake dust and other grime away but will damage the wheel especially if the outer layer has already been damaged (kerbing etc).

If you use this stuff make sure it's well flushed, dry the wheel and then spray with a brake dust barrier wax and polish. Using a wax helps in cleaning the wheels next time.

[legendswraith]

was speaking to another lexus owning friend of mine today and he says his year old IS300 wheels have gone as well and lexus have replaced them free of charge. Obviously this must be a known problem so if you have a car still in warrenty i suggest a trip to the dealers