Rear Hub Circlips

[wotsisname]

you see a lot of corrosion on the diffuser/undertray on the Elise, where the bolts pass through the aluminium tray. I use duralac (which is best acquired from a yacht chandler) - a chromate paste, where the two materials are touching.

[gus]

Right undersea is not at all the same as bolted to a car

at all

again, in a salt water environment, the mild steel hardware will disappear before the stainless eats the aluminum.

I have owned my car for nearly 35 years, and replaced virtually all non structural hardware with stainless with exactly zero problems.

Vehicles with stainless catalytic converters use aluminum gaskets.

Not a problem.

[Elanman99]

I agree seawater is a totally different situation and speeds up the corrosion process by orders of magnitude. Cars do however see water and salt from the road and over time it will do its worst.

My point is that given the value of alloy rear hubs, the circlip is not a thing I would take a chance on. They are in a low down, and rarely accessed or visible area so corrosion can take place over tens of years. Use SS where its suitable for and enjoy the benefits.

Like you I have extensively replaced steel fixings on my car over the last 50 years. I have changed some suspension related fixings to SS (nuts on the suspension bushes) but where they sit on alloy I use a plain steel washer. Plated steel and SS nuts only have to be able to withstand the tightening torque and being dissimilar metals have much less chance of seizing or galling

Ian