Bicycle Mechanics - How do I bust rust?

I have two Schwinn's from a local Box Store. They spent some time out in the weather last summer, and now that it's time to break out the trailer to give the kiddo's a ride, I notice rust on lots of the bolts and such. Is there a product that will take that off, or halt its progress? No concern for aesthetics here, but since I'll be towing the kids, I don't want any bolts rusting through while we're on the road. Thanks.

Oxalic Acid is your friend. Just remove the rusted hardware and soak in a mixture of Oxalic Acid and water a couple of days.
http://www.chemistrystore.com/oxalic_acid.htm

First of all, don't leave your bikes out in the elements. They weren't designed for that and it will drastically reduce their longevity and safety. Okay, nagging done.

Naval jelly will remove the rust. But you really need to remove the bolts to be sure you have the Naval jelly contact all of the bolt. It is also a good idea to make sure the integrity of the bolts is not compromised. Be careful handling the Naval Jelly and be sure to rinse it VERY well, it is a strong acid.


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If its just surface rust you can try metal polish on a fine steel wool. Sometimes WD-40 and a green pad work too. You can try soaking any rusted bolts in CLR.

PB blaster is my friend when working on rusted car parts.

PB blaster is my friend when working on rusted car parts.
PB Blaster is great as a penetrant to free stuck on bolts but it won't do squat for removing rust

Naval jelly AKA phosphoric acid will do the job
To get rust off metal parts on the cheap however, use some crinkled up aluminum foil; you'll be amazed how well it works.

This works too...if you like power tools.

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