Headset bolts / brake bolts etc - Surface Rust Removal?

[Ian W]

Been giving my bike a once over this weekend and noticed a few of the screws have got a little bit of surface rust showing, is there a process that could be used to remove it or am I better just replacing them for better quality ones?

 

[xerxes]

Re:

You can clean them up, but they will likely just go rusty again fairly quickly.

There are plenty of sellers on Ebay where you can buy small quantities of fasteners, if you look for A2 Stainless, they shouldn't rust and stay looking smart. I've bought stuff from Bolt Base a few times, but there are lots of others: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/boltbase

 

[Ian W]

Re: Re:

You can clean them up, but they will likely just go rusty again fairly quickly.

There are plenty of sellers on Ebay where you can buy small quantities of fasteners, if you look for A2 Stainless, they shouldn't rust and stay looking smart. I've bought stuff from Bolt Base a few times, but there are lots of others: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/boltbase

Cheers bud

 

[My_Teenage_Self]

If it's soming through chrome, you can rub it back with a bit of balled up kitchen foil. This works amazingly well!

 

[themountie]

I some times paint mine black rub them down treat the rust and paint em

 

[jonthefish]

Clean them up with a mini brass brush on a Dremel. Works a treat. Or as xerxes says ebay is your friend for small quantities of stainless.

 

[Chopper the ex Copper]

Bar Keepers Friend, or soak them in oxalic acid and let science don't he hard work. Bit as previously mentioned, unless they're a unique design its easier together new ones.

 

[66 triumph daytona]

Re:

Stainless all the way,fit and forget as the saying goes.What is absolutely essential is that you smear the threads with copper grease otherwise the stainless will cold weld and seize solid.

 

[Ian W]

They are primarily the bolts around the stem and handlebars so nothing overly special and should be easy enough to just replace them.

 

[PopsTrippin]

Re:

I learnt a trick from WDpro... put the bolt in a hand drill and with steel wool in left hand, bring the two together and pull the trigger. Cleans them up in no time.