Best product for plastic hubcaps?

3

350f

New member
I did a complete detail on my Buick a couple weekends ago...everything came out great except for the hubcaps. I let them soak a few times with OPC and scrubbed but they didn't come out too great. Is the plastic just stained or should I try some Sonax Full Effect Wheel cleaner?



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My favorite before/after

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More than likely anything that can remove the staining will also remove the finish. You could sand them down and paint them. I have done it and it turned pretty good. I would recommend topping with Opti-Coat after that.
 
HF acid. I think Megs wheel brighter would work at the proper dilution. Spray, soak for 30 seconds, agitate, rinse...perfection.
 
Yup, if a little polishing don't bring back, paint em.

They are cheap, plastic wheel covers, and use of HF or such will only make the condition worse a bit of time down the road if not right then.(anyone using HF had best be aware of the human dangers of hydorfluric acid, it's well documented and has come under some very strict OSHA regulations. That said, I have some, but I only use it for cleaning up brass, copper, etc before buffing and I wear a charcoal activated respirator, a safety eye shield or safety glasses, rubber boots, rubber apron and top notch chemical resistant gloves.)



Grumpy
 
The plastic hubcaps are very sensitive to strong cleaners, you'll likely get the stuff off then a month or two down the road the finish will start coming off, been there done that. I've actually had pretty decent luck with clay, give that a try.
 
Easy for me to spend other people's money, but I can't help but think "..bet those would be pretty inexpensive to replace". That's what I'm gonna do if the one Crown Vic (equipped with wheel covers) needs 'em. By the time I prepped and painted the old ones the time/effort/expense wouldn't justify any savings over just buying new ones from a discount vendor. Hubcaps/wheelcovers can be found pretty cheap in these days of internet shopping.
 
I dont know guys...I use acid on nearly every one of my cars on my car lot and have never had any negative side effects on plastic wheel covers. Some cars sit on the lot for 6+ months and I've never noticed peeling or anything. I do mix down the acid a lot more than recommended though...maybe that has something to do with it.
 
Accumulator said:
Easy for me to spend other people's money, but I can't help but think "..bet those would be pretty inexpensive to replace". That's what I'm gonna do if the one Crown Vic (equipped with wheel covers) needs 'em. By the time I prepped and painted the old ones the time/effort/expense wouldn't justify any savings over just buying new ones from a discount vendor. Hubcaps/wheelcovers can be found pretty cheap in these days of internet shopping.
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This is exactly what I did with a used '06 Scion xA I recently sold. The car was mechanically sound but had it's share of dings/scratches which included deep gouges on the wheel covers from the previous owner brushing curbs. The mother-in-law (who we initially bought the car for) lost one when she had a flat. In my search for a replacement I found a company called ineedahubcap.com that sold used and reconditioned (OEM) wheel covers. At $35 each I figured I would replace them all. I was surprised to find that the quality of their work was quite good and the paint matched exactly to the originals. There were only a couple of minor flaws in the paint (dust) but overall it would be hard to tell they were ever repaired.
 
Are they the "silver" color, not real shiney?

Then, wipe them down with some mineral spirits or paint thinner, scuff them with a 3M red scuff pad, clean with the solvent at again, and get a rattle can of Dupli-Color wheel silver paint or their regular silver of a close color match and shoot them your self.

You can easily do alll four for about $20.

It's easy and if you get a run, let it dry, sand the run down and reshoot.

Grumpy
 
Just to follow up...I got some Sonax FE Wheel cleaner and it really cleaned them up. Not 100% but I've washed them twice with the Sonax and a soft wheel brush and it breaks down more brake dust every time. Maybe when it warms up I'll really go at them with a stiffer brush.
 
350f said:
Just to follow up...I got some Sonax FE Wheel cleaner and it really cleaned them up. Not 100% but I've washed them twice with the Sonax and a soft wheel brush and it breaks down more brake dust every time.
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^^^This would have been my strategy. It would not surprise me if you find they clean up completely over the following weeks with repeated use of a proper wheel cleaner. They really don't look that bad. Just in need of a little luv & care ;)
 
Glad they cleaned up for you.

I've gotten a little peeling on factory wheel covers which I think was from repeated OptPC sprays on my tires for cleaning.

Not spraying product onto the covers, but it overflows onto the tires. Ended up going with new factory covers and applying OS.
 
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