Excessive rusting on front wheel axle

[sockmeister]

here are some pictures. maybe from brakes?

That's brake dust accumulation, not rust. Wash it off!

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[Luke]

here are some pictures. maybe from brakes?

I would recommend cleaning the inside of the wheel with a damp rag and confirm the pain is not broken, I believe that is oxidation from the rotors washing to the wheel. Rotors usually get some oxidation and with the regen brake, we don't use the actual break that often anymore.

But if the wheel paint has some crack under that, this could be a problem.

In my situation, the axle had some normal oxidation, it was not rust. As many pointed out here.

 

[HuntingPudel]

Aluminum oxidation looks pretty much like raw aluminum and it happens immediately upon exposure to oxygen. It then dulls over time. After it gets to a certain thickness, it becomes a barrier to oxygen so the process stops. Th picture posted is of foreign material accumulation. Just wash it off.

 

[cokis32]

I am on the same boat as you! My wheels look super rusty. Have you taken it to get serviced?

 

[Shayne]

COMPLETELY normal. Many parts on the underside with exposed steel quickly form a layer of "protective" surface rust, which starts forming immediately after they're manufactured.

You have nothing to worry about. It will rust there and then remain looking just like that for the life of the car. It's high strength steel, but if it were stainless, the price of that part would probably be 3x higher.

All I see is surface rusting and no pitting at all.

Bridge steel forms that layer you speak of (different composition) high strength steel not so much.

Do you know if these shafts are solid or tube? If you have ever shorten a drive shaft you know how thin the steel tube is that makes them up. Drive shafts rust also but I have never seen one twist/fail even after 100,000 of miles. Thin closed tubes are torsionally stiff the math get more complex with warping for solid bar. Making it solid does not make it torsionally better just makes the math more complex.

I really wish there was better material for rotors for EV's. Them not being used and rusting all the time makes wheel cleaning a bit of a PITA.

 

[Luke]

All I see is surface rusting and no pitting at all.

Bridge steel forms that layer you speak of (different composition) high strength steel not so much.

Do you know if these shafts are solid or tube? If you have ever shorten a drive shaft you know how thin the steel tube is that makes them up. Drive shafts rust also but I have never seen one twist/fail even after 100,000 of miles. Thin closed tubes are torsionally stiff the math get more complex with warping for solid bar. Making it solid does not make it torsionally better just makes the math more complex.

I really wish there was better material for rotors for EV's. Them not being used and rusting all the time makes wheel cleaning a bit of a PITA.

Yep, that was almost 3 years ago. A lot has passed since then. I wanted to paint that to protect it way back than, but two months ago I had to replace both shafts, there is a service call for when they start clicking when turning. Maybe I should paint that new shaft now.

 

[SWO]

The paranoia in this thread...?

Buy some wheel cleaner and clean your wheels. I recommend this brush, which can fit between every spoke in the GTPE wheels and is long enough to clean the barrel of the wheels behind the spokes where you're seeing brake dust:

EZ Detail Brush Big https://a.co/d/dxgdG6x

Will echo the other responses to the OP that the surface oxidation on those CV axles is normal.

 

[Shayne]

The paranoia in this thread...?

Buy some wheel cleaner and clean your wheels. I recommend this brush, which can fit between every spoke in the GTPE wheels and is long enough to clean the barrel of the wheels behind the spokes where you're seeing brake dust:

EZ Detail Brush Big https://a.co/d/dxgdG6x

Will echo the other responses to the OP that the surface oxidation on those CV axles is normal.

Still would be nice to have rotors that do not rust to the extent that these do then the wheel bush would not be required to such an extent. There is no brake dust on my wheels just a lot of rotor rust/stains. Never ending.

 

[Vgkfan]

Still would be nice to have rotors that do not rust to the extent that these do then the wheel bush would not be required to such an extent. There is no brake dust on my wheels just a lot of rotor rust/stains. Never ending.

My wheels started looking something like that. Someone posted the regular brakes aren’t used often enough to keep them cleaned off. Occasionally put it in neutral and brake, that uses the regular brakes. Also mentioned braking hard will use the brakes. I put mine in neutral coming down 5 floors at work parking garage. Haven’t seen the rust in a long time now. I use 1pd almost always, so definitely dont use my brakes much.

 

[Shayne]

My wheels started looking something like that. Someone posted the regular brakes aren’t used often enough to keep them cleaned off. Occasionally put it in neutral and brake, that uses the regular brakes. Also mentioned braking hard will use the brakes. I put mine in neutral coming down 5 floors at work parking garage. Haven’t seen the rust in a long time now. I use 1pd almost always, so definitely dont use my brakes much.

And were does all that rust end up on the wheels? Still would be nice if the rotors were a material that did not corrode and fall apart.

 

[sockmeister]

And were does all that rust end up on the wheels? Still would be nice if the rotors were a material that did not corrode and fall apart.

Stainless steel brake rotors exist but they don't last very long because the steel is softer.
I think the red dust you're seeing on the wheel is actually brake dust; I have it too. Different brake pads may make a real difference here (there are more expensive low-dust pads).
Even in an EV where you're not braking, the brakes still drag on the rotors at all times (Iightly)to keep them clear so there's going to be very, very slow wear

 

[Shayne]

Stainless steel brake rotors exist but they don't last very long because the steel is softer.
I think the red dust you're seeing on the wheel is actually brake dust; I have it too. Different brake pads may make a real difference here (there are more expensive low-dust pads).
Even in an EV where you're not braking, the brakes still drag on the rotors at all times (Iightly)to keep them clear so there's going to be very, very slow wear

No mine is rotor surface rust for sure. Brake dust is normally a black soot. The pads are still brand new or at least original thickness. I was thinking a carbon fiber rotor of some sort. They make them but not cheap and not for ours.

 

[sockmeister]

No mine is rotor surface rust for sure. Brake dust is normally a black soot. The pads are still brand new or at least original thickness. I was thinking a carbon fiber rotor of some sort. They make them but not cheap and not for ours.

I guess I'd have to look at the stock pads and see the color of the material on them

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