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best and cheapest rust removal?
number-1 - 31/7/23 at 05:57 PM

Hi Chaps

Question on rust removal from wishbones

Is the best/easiest/cheapest way to get them shot blasted and powder coated? Is there a locost way to get rid of the surface rust? Such as somesort of liquid bath connected to a car battery?

Any pointers would be appreciated

Thanks

N1

adithorp - 31/7/23 at 06:26 PM

Google electrolysis rust removal. Itll bri g up lots of "how to" links.

Alternatively... wire brush, emery, elbow grease, kurust

perksy - 31/7/23 at 08:47 PM

As above

Also consider a vinegar bath

Benzine - 31/7/23 at 09:00 PM

Twisted knot brush on an angle grinder (not the cup type) is a cheaper simple way. Access is good for wishbones so you can reach all areas. I did all of mine this way in the last year. I would have liked to have them shot blasted but no budget for that. Wire brushed, sandpaper key and degreased (panel wipe/petrol etc) then epoxy paint.

Used to love electrolysis but what a faff. By the time it's ready to go you could have stripped a few wishbones.

JC - 1/8/23 at 04:39 AM

From the most read posts section! I’m sure you must have seen this…

https://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=9158

Mr Whippy - 1/8/23 at 09:50 AM

quote:
Originally posted by adithorp
Google electrolysis rust removal. Itll bri g up lots of "how to" links.

Alternatively... wire brush, emery, elbow grease, kurust


Please don't use electrolysis for suspension as it is well known to cause brittleness in the steel.

It's great for many things and I've been using it for years but personally I'd just use a wire brush on a grinder for cleaning the wishbones. You should be removing them every few years anyway to check for weld cracks and that is a great time for another strip and repaint. Having had a production car wishbone fail at a weld while driving I can tell you it's a wild ride and something you definitely want to avoid.

[Edited on 1/8/23 by Mr Whippy]

nick205 - 1/8/23 at 09:54 AM

I'd fine a powder coater and get them to blast and coat.

Best overall solution I found, but obviously you'll need to remove the wishbones/bushes from the car.

BenB - 2/8/23 at 12:07 PM

If you've got patience 1 part molasses in10 parts water

coyoteboy - 4/8/23 at 08:58 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Benzine
Twisted knot brush on an angle grinder (not the cup type) is a cheaper simple way. Access is good for wishbones so you can reach all areas. I did all of mine this way in the last year. I would have liked to have them shot blasted but no budget for that. Wire brushed, sandpaper key and degreased (panel wipe/petrol etc) then epoxy paint.

Used to love electrolysis but what a faff. By the time it's ready to go you could have stripped a few wishbones.


Nah, wire brush only gets the external faces, which is just covering the problem. electrolysis strips internally too (though not as efficiently) and lets you dip-paint or blast paint into the openings to protect the inside too.

coyoteboy - 4/8/23 at 09:01 AM

quote:
Originally posted by BenB
If you've got patience 1 part molasses in10 parts water


OK, I have no idea what the UK equiv of Molasses is - I've never seen it on sale anywhere.

coyoteboy - 4/8/23 at 09:23 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
quote:
Originally posted by adithorp
Google electrolysis rust removal. Itll bri g up lots of "how to" links.

Alternatively... wire brush, emery, elbow grease, kurust


Please don't use electrolysis for suspension as it is well known to cause brittleness in the steel.

It's great for many things and I've been using it for years but personally I'd just use a wire brush on a grinder for cleaning the wishbones. You should be removing them every few years anyway to check for weld cracks and that is a great time for another strip and repaint. Having had a production car wishbone fail at a weld while driving I can tell you it's a wild ride and something you definitely want to avoid.

[Edited on 1/8/23 by Mr Whippy]


I believe this is mild misinformation to some extent, I believe we have a materials specialist who might correct me.

Mild steels are significantly less susceptible than high strength steels (even advised for use in high-hydrogen environments over their high strength friends). Wishbones are mild steel generally.
You can solve the problem by whapping them in the oven at 200 for a few hours anyway, even if they did absorb some.
The hydrogen will diffuse out if you don't immediately plate or paint the part anyway.

I'd rather electrolytically clean it and bake out than wire brush it and leave an entire rust ecosystem internally and uncoated eating its way through the wishbone invisibly. Your risk acceptance may vary of course!

Slimy38 - 4/8/23 at 09:56 AM

I used Bilt Hamber Deox C rust remover on my MX5 rear uprights, to get the long bolt out. It worked well but had to be a lot more concentrated than I expected, and took several days of soaking to get rid of it all. Given 1Kg is around £20 on Amazon at the moment, I suspect you might need to use the entire tub to do a set of wishbones.

coyoteboy - 4/8/23 at 11:26 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
I used Bilt Hamber Deox C rust remover on my MX5 rear uprights, to get the long bolt out. It worked well but had to be a lot more concentrated than I expected, and took several days of soaking to get rid of it all. Given 1Kg is around £20 on Amazon at the moment, I suspect you might need to use the entire tub to do a set of wishbones.

Ugh god MX5 suspension components are my hell. Like the captive nuts inside them that rust loose. You have more patience than me.

The Bilt Hamber stuff - is it usable around paint? I have some windscreen frame bubbles I'd like to be rid of without too much mechanical impact.

BenB - 4/8/23 at 02:38 PM

quote:
Originally posted by coyoteboy
quote:
Originally posted by BenB
If you've got patience 1 part molasses in10 parts water


OK, I have no idea what the UK equiv of Molasses is - I've never seen it on sale anywhere.


Blackstrap molasses is available in health food shops as it is rich in iron. It's made from sugar. If you're wanting large quantities a place selling farming equipment is better as it's given to horses iirc

Slimy38 - 4/8/23 at 03:27 PM

quote:
Originally posted by coyoteboy
quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
I used Bilt Hamber Deox C rust remover on my MX5 rear uprights, to get the long bolt out. It worked well but had to be a lot more concentrated than I expected, and took several days of soaking to get rid of it all. Given 1Kg is around £20 on Amazon at the moment, I suspect you might need to use the entire tub to do a set of wishbones.

Ugh god MX5 suspension components are my hell. Like the captive nuts inside them that rust loose. You have more patience than me.

The Bilt Hamber stuff - is it usable around paint? I have some windscreen frame bubbles I'd like to be rid of without too much mechanical impact.


Getting the rear driveshafts out and removing the long lower bolt nearly got me abandoning the MX5 as a donor, it was that bad. I can see it was a great design out of the factory, infinitely adjustable, but just not fit for 30 years of UK weather!

Deox C does not touch paint at all. Obviously that was bad for me as I needed bare metal, but I reckon it's perfect for your requirements. They do a gel version that you could brush on and sort it out quite nicely.

In fact their FAQ has the same response...

https://bilthamber.com/faq/will-using-deox-gel-on-stone-chips-harm-my-paintwork/

number-1 - 4/8/23 at 06:14 PM

Thanks for the replies and suggestions.

I have watched a few videos of the solutions you have given. I am ruling out the molasses just due to time needed and cost.

A wire brush on a drill...... i have both and will probably do that first and see how it comes out

I still kind of want to try the electrolysis just out of curiosity

The last option is grit blasting. Probably the easiest and quickest too. The parts i need blasting are pretty small so maybe rather than pay to get it done, i can buy a small shot blasting cabinet and do them myself? Has anyone gone this route?

coyoteboy - 5/8/23 at 10:37 AM

i built myself a shot blasting cabinet out of OSB and plexiglass. In the long run it cost about 150 quid and was only OK at the task. If you're going to do a lot, buy one. If not, pay someone!



DUST!
DUST!

number-1 - 5/8/23 at 11:18 AM

Heres a couple of good videos for anyone needing to clean rust from some small bits





[Edited on 5/8/23 by number-1]

number-1 - 5/8/23 at 11:22 AM

quote:
Originally posted by coyoteboy
i built myself a shot blasting cabinet out of OSB and plexiglass. In the long run it cost about 150 quid and was only OK at the task. If you're going to do a lot, buy one. If not, pay someone!



DUST!
DUST!


I did consider the same after seeing a video. Maybe i will scrub this idea off my list then if its only OK. It would probably be cheaper to pay someone to properly blast them

SJ - 5/8/23 at 12:21 PM

I clean up as much as possible then use Vactan to kill the rust. Check that won't affect powder coating though.

number-1 - 5/8/23 at 03:45 PM

SJ i will look into that. I plan to use POR15 or similar after ive dealt with the rust

Today ive stuck a few small parts into ketchup as per the videos i posted. I will update you in a few days with the result. I didnt wire brush them before sticking them in.

Im also going to try the distilled vinegar. At Tesco you can 10 x 568ml for £2.90 so potentially the cheapest option. And maybe easiest?

Mr Whippy - 8/8/23 at 12:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by coyoteboy
quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
quote:
Originally posted by adithorp
Google electrolysis rust removal. Itll bri g up lots of "how to" links.

Alternatively... wire brush, emery, elbow grease, kurust


Please don't use electrolysis for suspension as it is well known to cause brittleness in the steel.

It's great for many things and I've been using it for years but personally I'd just use a wire brush on a grinder for cleaning the wishbones. You should be removing them every few years anyway to check for weld cracks and that is a great time for another strip and repaint. Having had a production car wishbone fail at a weld while driving I can tell you it's a wild ride and something you definitely want to avoid.

[Edited on 1/8/23 by Mr Whippy]


I believe this is mild misinformation to some extent, I believe we have a materials specialist who might correct me.

Mild steels are significantly less susceptible than high strength steels (even advised for use in high-hydrogen environments over their high strength friends). Wishbones are mild steel generally.
You can solve the problem by whapping them in the oven at 200 for a few hours anyway, even if they did absorb some.
The hydrogen will diffuse out if you don't immediately plate or paint the part anyway.

I'd rather electrolytically clean it and bake out than wire brush it and leave an entire rust ecosystem internally and uncoated eating its way through the wishbone invisibly. Your risk acceptance may vary of course!




Wishbones should have all tube ends welded over, partly for strength but also to stop water ingress, if it's sealed then internal rust will never be a problem. Like I said above, you should be removing the wishbones every few years anyway, stripping them, checking for cracks and then repainting.

As for it affecting the steel, the use of electrolysis is banned from use on load bearing parts of cranes due the the hydrogen issue. I found this out after suggesting it's use to some structural engineers who work on them. It's certainly got lots of uses but I think you need to be sensible with parts who's failure could result in a crash. It's not like someone doing it in their garage or domestic oven is practicing any level of material testing...

[Edited on 9/8/23 by Mr Whippy]