What do I do about this? It is only on that side of the truck where there is rust/stains. I don't know how to approach this. I tried Rust Away and Chrome Polish with rust remover and still nothing worked.

 

That's not rust, it's looks like a heat process surface discoloration that happens when stainless steel gets hot. The only way to get it back to normal is scotchbrite it and re-polish it with a buffer wheel and polish. Repeat when the discoloration comes back.

 

Stainless steel is rust resistant not rust proof

 

I can't tell what color your truck is from the picture, but I painted my SS tips black using a paint with ceramic coating for high heat. I have driven several hundred miles at a time across Texas and they still look like I just painted them.



KR-Texas

 

I have the same XD Series color of rim, the flat black...except I have the Monsters not the Rockstars, so it may look cool just like yours. But i sort of like the SS look.

 

What kind of scotchbrite?

 

KR-Texas, I think I found what I'm going to do to the tips I put on my truck. I have black paint however, so the tips will have to be a flat black. haha. What part of Texas are you from?

 

They were the last things on my truck that were not black or DSG, so they had to go...

Before:


After:


KR-Texas

 

I used the red scotch pads (scotch brite??) on mine before I painted them. I scuffed them the length of the tips and it did remove most of the coloring. Mine were not as bad as yours, but they were turning a yellowish color after only about 6 months on the truck.

Beast7.3,

The look gray in the picture, but I bought the Duplicolor high heat Low Gloss Black paint with ceramic coating. It was $6.49 a can at my local automotive store.

I am from the Tomball area, northwest of Houston.

KR-Texas

 

u probably have single wall tips that will discolor from the heat.

 

yeah thats not rust thats heat from the were the exhuast hits that bend. you ever seen on harleys how right by the heads the chrome or SS turns that blueish color? same thing is happening here just gets hott.

do as said be for scuff it up and polish them or scuff it up and paint them

*BTW those painted tips look awesome!!!! if i had a black truck i would do it...i have a red one....humm red tips??*

 

I gave a disclaimer in my post when I said I think it's stainless discoloration, it's really hard to tell when it's not physically in front of me. That said, I'd use as fine a grit of scotchbrite I could get and try a spot that is not visible, see if it takes the discoloration away. Then make a decision if that's what you want to do.

 

Exactly! Well said...

 

spray eagle one chrome wheel cleaner and use pad

 

Anyone ever use "nevr dull"?

It's cotton batting, soaked in what smells like lighter fluid. It works amazingly in removing rust, oxidation and other nasty hard to remove imperfections.

It even restores finishes you wouldn't think of trying manually like moderate pitting. I use it on chrome mostly but has other uses also.