Removing rust and crust from rims, tubes, tires

ccaissie

Member
Broke down the cub tires to replace the rims, rotted from calcium. I bought a used rim in good shape, and I have one original rim that's about 90%. I plan to cut a good piece off the really rotted rim, and use it to repair the 90% rim and make it whole.

The tires, tubes and rims are pretty crusty. What's the best way to clean this crust off the tires and rubber parts....

Soaking? Wirebrushing, laundromat?

How clean does it all need to be?

Thanks, C
 
I had a real nice tube that had a crusty coat of rust on it .I stuffed it into a plastic trash can and poured muriatic ( Swimming pool ) acid over it.every day I'd pour the acid into a bucket , rotate the tube to a new spot , and pour the acid back on it . It was pretty clean after a week. But your size tube is fairly cheap too , your choice ...
 
how clean does it have to be...? any amount of foreign matter rubbing on a tube can wear a hole in it. I generally air up the tubes so it is firm and use either a sharpened type kitchen knife that is a little dull or a dull razor blade and drag it across the tube to remove rust , use safety glasses as those rust particles are little projectiles. a cupped wire wheel on a 4 1/2 angle grinder will work for the rim and using a welding chipping hammer first for the larger rust.
 
i sand blast the rims. but yes you dont want rust on the tubes either as that will wear a hole in then. i have not used tubes in that bad of shape.
 
I've broken down quite a few tires like that over the years. At first we tried to save the tubes. Do yourself a big favor get some new tubes. Built up rust around the tire bead can be removes with a wire wheel if you are careful. you do not want to get into the bead wires with the brush. Good Luck
 
Thanks for the replies!

I think I'll replace the real crusty tube, the other one will clean up. So far, the tire beads have cleaned up OK with a wire brush and a screwdriver

The rim I'm going to repair will require some elbow grease to get it smooth and clean, but do-able. I plan to sandblast, grind smooth and use OSPHO to handle the remaining pits, etc. Then put a few coats of primer on, and see how smooth I can get it.

Any thoughts on OSPHO as a rust converter and sealant? It's supposed to be paintable....
 
A needle scaler works pretty good on the rims if you don't have a sand blaster. For me anything works better than a wire brush.
 
The way I clean up a tube that has a lot of rusty piece sticking to them is I simply air them up just like I would to check for a hole. Doing that take most of that stuff off since the tube gives where as the rusty piece do not give. I also use a nozzle on a garden hose to take off what still sticks.
 
Sand blasting is the best way to clean the rims. The tire beads clean up with a small grinder with a cup brush. Light pressure to remove the rust but not the rubber. The same for the tubes. Air them up tight and keep the brush pressure very light. Once you get the hang of it you can remove the rust without even leaving a mark on the tube. In the past I did not even consider using the tubes again but now they cost enough to save if possible. Good Luck.
 
Before you go any further make sure you have a rim for a Cub take the center section and see if it bolts to the Cub rim you bought. The rims for the A,B,SA and up look the same as a Cub but they will NOT bolt up there is a small difference just enough to not bolt up
 
You can use Muriatic Acid on the rim also. Use a brush and rubber gloves to apply it to the rust. Let it sit for a while and then wash it off. It will work as you watch it and when all the rust is gone, clean it. You may have to keep applying it a lot at first. I have cleaned up very rusty tools (pliers, hammers, cresent wrenches) by putting them in a bath of this acid. They come out looking like new. Then with the rim you can paint it and it will look like new.
 
Again, thanks for the hints. I also plan at this time to NOT refill with calcium, as I have wheel weights and chains, and intend to use the cub for cultivation and other moderate tasks

Thanks for the heads up on the rim measurements....The fresh rim is from All States. I was pondering using the slightly different 9.5-24 wheels from an A, but wanted to preserve the Cub wheel spacings.

C
 

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