I changed the front disks and pads on swmbo's toyota, and the rear discs on mine. They've both rusted on the "hub" of the disk

The rear disc in the picture has only been on for a month - 6 weeks tops.

Obviously I'm not putting something on the discs that a garage would - the question is what?

Did you maybe buy pattern parts, rather than OEM (at least for the Skoda)? I just had OEM parts fitted by an Audi specialist, and it's very obvious that they have a silver coloured anti-corrosion coating that wasn't on the pattern parts that were on before.

Hi Ken,

The discs I fitted to the Skoda were Drivemaster from a local motor factor. The disks on the Toyota were Mintex bought from Jabbasport.

I still have no idea about the Toyota, but the Skoda discs won't have had an anti-corrosion treatment on them, so it's not surprising you've got surface rust on the hat, and if you look closely, probably on the edge and inside the vents too?

I always thought copper slip was recommended between wheels and discs? My ATE discs have a silver coating - aren't they OEM?

yeah there's copper slip on the face between the wheel and the disc - but there appears to be no covering on the hat (as Ken calls it) between the wheel and the disc's braking surface.

Oh right - no, there won't be. It's only surface rust, so shouldn't make any difference...

Is there anything I can spray on to stop it looking quite so, well, sh*te?

Try a decent accessory shop, and ask them for "high temperature silver (or aluminium) paint". Get a pot rather than a spray can though, because it will flake off the wheel mounting face, and give you loose wheels.

The rusting is perfectly normal. You can buy a high temprature paint & paint the non contact surfaces. I personally wouldnt bother.

Surface rust, nothing to worry about, apart from it looking a bit rubbish. Like others have said, either paint them, or forget about them

I always thought copper slip was recommended between wheels and discs? My ATE discs have a silver coating - aren't they OEM?

Not between the wheels and discs!

The copperslip needs to go on the centre bore chamfer on the wheels, this is where they stick on to the hubs:

You could put it on the hub side INSTEAD if you wanted to, BUT you don't need any where near as much as this on there though! just enough to coat the surface

Is there anything I can spray on to stop it looking quite so, well, sh*te?

Smooth hammerite is perfect for this and will not blister under normal use.