Is this car part too rusty to use?
Vehicle owners often cannot tell if a rusty part can simply be scrubbed clean with brake cleaner and a wire brush, or if the damage is terminal. When pieces like subframes and rocker panels fail safety inspections due to rust, it is usually unclear if a shop can even fix them or if the car is a total loss.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Cleaning the rusted area with brake cleanerDid this help you?
- 2Scraping off excess rust with sandpaper or a wire brushDid this help you?
- 3Cleaning the rust off the inner hub face so the part sits flatDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Those first two photos are after I had cleaned it with some brakleen. I was thinking about using some sandpaper or a wire brush and scraping off the excess”source ↗
“Wife’s car failed inspection due to rusty subframe and rocker panel. Will any shop fix this or is she a goner? TIA”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 4How to tell if a car part is actually damaged
- 14Are new brake pads with a chipped corner safe to use?
- 2Are old garage products and plastic car ramps safe to use?
- 3Is rust underneath a car surface or structural?
- 151Is it worth fixing an old car when repairs cost more than it's worth?
- 10Is it safe to drive on worn or old tires while waiting for replacements?