Is It Normal for Car Tires to Rust?
3 Answers
Automotive brake discs are generally made of cast iron, so they will gradually rust after the vehicle has been parked or stored for a period of time. This is a normal phenomenon and does not indicate any quality issues with the brake discs. Detailed explanations are as follows: 1. Rust condition: If the rust on the brake discs is minimal, no special treatment is necessary, as minor rust spots will be removed through braking during normal driving. However, severe rust can cause vibrations or shaking during braking, such as brake pad vibration, steering wheel vibration or shaking, or body vibration. 2. Timely maintenance: Severe rust is difficult to remove through braking alone, and even if the rust is removed, uneven thickness of the brake discs may still cause braking vibrations. Therefore, it is recommended to perform maintenance on the brake discs every two months to prevent the rust from becoming too severe.
I've been driving for several years, and once while washing my car, I noticed some rust on the edges of the rims. After asking a mechanic, I learned that this is quite common. Actually, the tires themselves are made of rubber, and the rust occurs on the metal parts like the rims, mainly due to oxidation from exposure to rain and salt. When my car had rust, the mechanic said that if left untreated, it could affect braking performance or increase the risk of a tire blowout, especially when driving at high speeds. So, I started regularly cleaning the rims with a metal cleaner and keeping them dry, and the issue hasn’t recurred since. I recommend paying attention to cleaning the rims during regular car washes and avoiding water accumulation to extend their lifespan and reduce safety risks. Replacing new rims can be quite expensive, but cleaning and maintenance don’t cost much.
As someone who loves studying mechanics, I think this issue is worth delving into. Tires indeed don't rust because they're made of rubber, whereas rims are metal (like steel or aluminum alloy), so rim rust is quite common. The main causes are environmental factors such as rain, snow, road salt, or flying gravel that lead to surface corrosion. After noticing rust on my own wheels, I inspected them and found the rust mainly in the edge crevices. I lightly sanded the areas with sandpaper and applied rust inhibitor, which solved the problem. If left untreated, rust can potentially weaken the rim or even cause air leaks—though this rarely happens, safety comes first. I recommend car owners regularly clean their rims with specialized cleaners or consider applying anti-rust coatings as a preventive measure.
