Wheel Well Rust Can Ruin Your Vehicle

Wheel wells are typically the first part of your vehicle that rusts because they’re constantly exposed to the dirt, grime, and water flung from your vehicle’s wheel. Oxidation can accelerate during winter because the steel components are constantly exposed to salt and moisture.

Unfortunately, rust on your wheel well is easy to overlook because it’s hidden. This is why you should be aware of the risks it poses to your vehicle and the steps to prevent and repair rusted wheel wells.

Why Wheel Well Rust Is Bad for Your Vehicle

The wheel well’s main function is to protect surrounding components from debris that’s flung from your vehicle’s wheels. It also ensures this debris doesn’t pose a danger to other drivers. Modern vehicle wheel wells are painted with coatings that protect the steel from exposure to the elements flung by your wheel. However, older cars don’t have this protective coating, making them more vulnerable to rust.

When rust forms on your wheel well, the rust can also spread to nearby components like your vehicle’s fenders. This can make your vehicle look old and neglected, hurting your vehicle’s overall look and resale value. That said, this isn’t the main reason why wheel well rust is bad for your vehicle.

When wheel well rust spreads, it weakens the metal and makes it brittle. This can make the metal more prone to cracks. If the rust spreads to structural components like the chassis and suspension, then it can make your vehicle unsafe to drive.

Rust can even spread to parts like the engine and electronics, which can affect their function. If the exposed engine components develop rust, it’ll accelerate wear and tear and even lead to engine failure.

Wheel Well Rust Repair

Since a rusting wheel well is very easy to miss, wheel well rust can spread before vehicle owners start noticing it. Luckily, removing wheel well rust is a pretty straightforward process. To do it, you’ll need a jack, a wrench for your wheels, a grinder, and a wire brush or sandpaper.

Prop your vehicle on a jack, then use the wrench to remove your wheel. This will allow you to access the affected wheel well with ease.

Then, use a grinder to remove the rust from the metal. Be thorough in removing the rust. However, you should be careful that you don’t remove too much metal or puncture the wheel well. Take your time to grind the affected area.

Once you’ve removed most of the rust, you can use a wire brush to remove the residual rust from the wheel well’s surface. If you have sandpaper, you can use it to get a cleaner and smoother surface.

Now that you’ve successfully removed the rust, you need to protect the exposed metal. Otherwise, moisture and dirt will simply cause more rust to form. To do this, you’ll need to clean the metal with soap and water. Then, apply primer with a spray gun. Afterward, you can paint the surface. A layer of paint will ensure that no salt, mud, or moisture gets to the metal and cause it to rust.

How to Prevent Wheel Well Rust

Protecting your wheel wells from rust is just as important as removing rust once it accumulates. Here are several steps to prevent wheel well rust:

Clean Your Wheel Well

Rust typically forms when dirt and moisture latches onto an exposed part of the wheel well. To prevent this, clean the wheel well with a garden hose. If you have a power washer, then it can make removing dirt chunks easier. Make sure you don’t scratch or damage the wheel well paint, as it’s critical in protecting against rust.

After you’ve removed the large chunks of dirt, use soap and water to further clean the surface. You can also use tar remover to loosen up stubborn debris. Cleaning your wheel well allows you to inspect the surface for any paint chips, which is where rust initially forms.

Use a Water-Repellent Solution

Applying a water-repellent solution or undercarriage spray will give your wheel well a barrier against dirt, salt, and moisture.

Repair or Recoat Your Wheel Well

If you’ve cleaned your wheel well and found that some paint has chipped or cracked, then you’ll need to repair or recoat your wheel well to protect it. Using an undercoating spray to recoat your wheel wells is an effective way to protect them against rust. Just make sure to clean your wheel well first with soap and lightly sand the surface so that the paint sticks properly.

Repairing and preventing rusted wheel wells can be a chore, but it’s necessary if you live in areas where roads are regularly salted during winter. Detecting the problem early on and addressing it on time is critical if you want to prevent it from spreading to other regions of the car’s body and maintain your vehicle’s structural integrity. Luckily, these repairs and preventive maintenance are easy and don’t require much experience.

Getting Tools to Fix Wheel Well Rust

As soon as you notice rust on your wheel wells, you’ll want to fix it as soon as possible. The corrosion can spread if you ignore it for too long, damaging other parts of your vehicle. Luckily,  fixing a rusty wheel is a task you can do on your own with the right tools, and it just so happens that CarParts.com has everything you’ll need and more.

As a one-stop shop for aftermarket and repair parts, CarParts.com has a wide selection of jack stands, wire brushes, and grinders that you can use for wheel well rust repair. Easily browse through our products with the help of our search filters. You can also enjoy a hassle-free shopping experience from start to finish thanks to our easy-to-navigate website and secure checkout.

Don’t wait until the rust on your wheel wells spreads before fixing it. Check out our catalog of high-quality jack stands, wire brushes, and grinders at CarParts.com and order one today!