aluminum rim oxidation

[Ben D.]

hi guys. Well i have a 2008 dodge ram 1500 that has the factory 20" chrome clad aluminum wheels. on these rims the chrome cladding is ABS plastic with chrome plating and it is pressed onto the rim leaving only the outside lip of the aluminum rim exposed. I am noticing on a few spots on this outer lip a white substance that just looks ugly it doesn't have a texture to it it feels smooth like the rim itself it's just ugly. Now I believe this is the actual aluminum oxidizing and to be honest that kinda makes me mad. I don't neglect this vehicle at all and to see this happening is slightly annoying. one thing is do you think this is oxidation or what.



I have yet to try a more harsh cleaner on this vehicle I wash the rims with Zaino Z7 and they get washed at least once a week if the weather permits. IDK if anyone has been to pennsylvania lately but it's been raining like every other day lol. the funny thing is i thought the chrome ABS plastic would be the first to go but they look great and honestly from more than a few feet away you don't notice these "oxidation" marks but I see them which matters. the harshest i've ever used for a cleaner is megs all wheel cleaner which is supposed to be safe for all factory surfaces and is not harsh at all. altho i noticed these spots before ever using that.



If this is oxidation what should I use product wise to get rid of it. I do not have a PC yet so hopefully i can find something that is hand useable. I have looked online and found such recommendations as an acidic solution 1:1 water and vinegar but I'll be honest that doesn't sound like a good idea.

 

[GoudyL]

hi guys. Well i have a 2008 dodge ram 1500 that has the factory 20" chrome clad aluminum wheels. on these rims the chrome cladding is ABS plastic with chrome plating and it is pressed onto the rim leaving only the outside lip of the aluminum rim exposed.

So the wheel is made of Al, but has a center piece of metalised ABS plastic to cover the lug nuts?

I am noticing on a few spots on this outer lip a white substance that just looks ugly it doesn't have a texture to it it feels smooth like the rim itself it's just ugly. Now I believe this is the actual aluminum oxidizing and to be honest that kinda makes me mad.

Why?



Aluminum is always covered with a thin (microscopic) layer of aluminum oxide, what can happen is that the oxide becomes hydrated to become some complex mixture of Aluminum hydroxides and oxides etc.



You can polish it off to restore the shine.

If this is oxidation what should I use product wise to get rid of it.

Mother's Mg/Al polish, and follow it up with some Eagle One Nano Wheel Polish (which is ultra-mild, but contains oodles of corrosion inhibitors and leaves a very nice finish)

I I do not have a PC yet so hopefully i can find something that is hand useable.

Car care does not begin and end with machine polishing, (Autopia not withstanding!)

I have looked online and found such recommendations as an acidic solution 1:1 water and vinegar but I'll be honest that doesn't sound like a good idea.

If its acid soluble mineral deposits, then it will work. For aluminum wheels, in general I would use a pH neutral cleaner, since strong acids/alkalis encourage the formation of Aluminum Hydroxides. Something like E1 Aluminum Wash, or Black Magic Titanium Wheel Cleaner.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Ok, a couple of things, besides those clad wheels suck. I noticed that they used some sort of white RTV (on the GM wheels) to glue or assist in the retention of the plastic facing...is it residue from that you are seeing on the lip? Second, I'm not sure if the lip is painted or not (the rest of the wheel is, at least on the GM's), have you simply tried some paint polish on the lip by hand? If your polishing pad/cloth comes back black, then it's raw aluminum, if not, it would seem to be painted. That will guide you in how aggressive you can get with the lip (if it's not painted, you don't have to worry about going thru the paint).

 

[Ben D.]

Goudy, the wheel is made of forged aluminum and is of a five spoke design and the entire wheel has a chrome plated ABS plastic glued/stuck on to it to make it look chrome. this piece covers all of the aluminum except for the small lip of the wheel.

I know about aluminum having small amounts of oxide on them but this seems more like heavy buildup in a few spots around the lip of the wheel maybe that is what is occuring is the oxides becoming hydrated. I mean the outside lip looks and feels like aluminum I will wash them off and try some mild paint polish and see what happens. I mean these deposits feel just like the rim it's not like I can feel them or they are clumped up or anything it's a very odd scenario. nothing i've ever seen before that's why i posted it here

 

[GoudyL]

Goudy, the wheel is made of forged aluminum and is of a five spoke design and the entire wheel has a chrome plated ABS plastic glued/stuck on to it to make it look chrome. this piece covers all of the aluminum except for the small lip of the wheel.

I know about aluminum having small amounts of oxide on them but this seems more like heavy buildup in a few spots around the lip of the wheel maybe that is what is occuring is the oxides becoming hydrated. I mean the outside lip looks and feels like aluminum I will wash them off and try some mild paint polish and see what happens. I mean these deposits feel just like the rim it's not like I can feel them or they are clumped up or anything it's a very odd scenario. nothing i've ever seen before that's why i posted it here

Ben, don't over think this. The first question is if that rim is clearcoated, becuase sometimes the clear coat can fail microscopically, and water gets trapped underneath it causing corrosion.



If that's not the case, then its a blemish on the metal and should be easy to fix with a Mg/Al polish, such as mother's Mg/Al polish. Personally, I like to finish up with Eagle one's Nano Wheel polish, since its leaves a nice protective coating and is very very mild (which makes sense given that the description on the can describes it as metal polish which is safe for clearcoated wheels).

 

[Mark77]

Hard to say anything without pics. Sounds like the crappy wheels on my friends 06 Ford Explorer.. The chrome plastic piece has separated from the wheel underneath and it looks just horrible..

 

[Ben D.]

yea i'm trying to get pics of it but my phone/camera... blackberry storm is being an absolute whore atm and will not send the pics over to my pc.



I guess i'll have to take some paint polish to it altho the most aggressive i have if it can be called that is ZAIO and i'll see what color the pad comes up as. idk other than that how to tell whether it's straight al or plated/coated in some way





funny thing is i went to the mall today adn walked the lot for a few mins looking at other chrysler vehicles and found most that had wheels like this with the chrome ABS press on that the outside lip had the same exact white marks so i'm definately feeling oxidation. what are the odds of so many cars and with varying year ranges having clear coat failure causing this. I think i need to get a good metal polish and what not. well i'll post pics in the next day or so if my phone gets off it's period.....