Tire Crud on rim flanges, before and after:

[vandelay industries]

i didn't see much of this elsewhere on the net, so i want your opinions:

i am going to be using Astro wheels.
These came off of a 98-2005 from the salvage yard, i don't remember. But obviously they have some rubber crud on the rim flange:

i decided (on my own opinion) to try to clean this crud off. So i used a Dremel and the carbon steel accessory attachment, #428-02.

This got the crud off without scratching anything. The pics may appear to still have some residue on them, but this is, as far as i can tell, is discoloration. And the flange is now smooth:

So, should we even worry about rubber residue on the rim? i'm thinking the tire bead will conform to any rubber residue on the flange? Now rust or scratches would be different because the tire's bead can't fill those cracks?

 

[urbex]

In all the time I worked in tire shops as a kid, I can remember only one time where we actually cleaned rubber residue off the bead flange, and that was because we were pulling off tires that sat outside for about 30 years on the wheels. There were chunks of hard rubber that stuck to the wheel. Other than that, if anything, a light coat of bead sealer would get the job done.

 

[nvrenuf]

Don't worry about it, thousands of tires get mounted over that rubber residue every day. I worked at a tire store that averaged 400 tires a week, no one gave that stuff a second glance.

 

[diesel4me]

It may just be old bead sealer that was used when the tires were changed last time...I use a wire wheel in a drill to buff most of that crud and rust off,then use more bead sealer if the rims are pitted or rusty when I mount the tire back on it..