How do I make my wheel shine?!?! *pics*

M

mikeforp

New member
Ever since I have had my car, 2 of the wheels have been perfect and the other 2 horrible. I have no idea why, both wheels on the driver's side are horrible and impossible to clean. They seem to have VERY VERY VERY heavy brake dust/crud on them, one portion of one even seems to have some paint on it. I have tried various wheel cleaners and a healthy coating of simple green but neither works. I am looking for any suggestions to make the wheels shine like new. They are stock wheels on a 92 240sx SE. Here are some pics for those interested:



http://www.emopop.com/ebay/wheel019.jpg



In this pic (19) you can see the whole wheel. What I am talking about is the heavy dirt in the holes in the wheel. It only looks marginally better after a good scrubbing. Also there is severe discoloration on the wheel face which looks like somehting was dripped onto the wheels and stained them. I cannot remove either.



http://www.emopop.com/ebay/wheel020.jpg



This is just a closeup of the wheel dirt (20) so you can see better what we're up against.



Any help would be greatly appreciated. I don't believe the wheels are painted but oculd be wrong. HELP!!
 
Your wheels look like they are cast aluminum and they are very porous (sp).



They are probably not clear-coated. I would try a fairly strong wheel cleaner by a reputable manufacture. (Meguiar's, Eagle One, etc........there are many)....



Spray it on, let it soak, rinse and repeat until clean. You may even want to try a soft wheel brush for some deep cleaning.



Once they are clean, polish with Mother's Aluminum polish, buff and seal with your favorite wax or sealant.



Those are the hardest type wheels to keep clean.



P.S. I'm also a firm believer in Simple Green. Try some on the back side of a wheel and see if it works.......its good stuff.



Good luck.:D
 
Those pictures are kind of blurry. You might want to try taking them again in a smaller size and maybe they will be clearer. :nixweiss



Those look like just normal dirty wheels. Nothing that some A2Z and a stiff brush couldn't take care of. The wheel looks textured in the areas where it is dirty. You'll need to really scrub it with something. Then I'd just seal it with Klasse or something and hope that it helps. You may want to look into changing your brake pads since these tend to get the wheels pretty dirty. You should be able to clean them with just about any wheel cleaner and a good stiff wheel brush. You may have to get something stiffer like a brass brush to get it all off. Just use the brush on the textured areas though. You don't want to scratch up your rims. Use the stiffest wheel brush you can find for the textured parts. Its tough to recommend much without a clearer picture.
 
Thanks for the help. I had a little meguiars gold class left and used it on a portion of the wheel and it helped alot!! It didn't remove everything but I think with enough scrubbing it could. You recommend A2Z? Is this the best? And how does gold class instant wheel cleaner compare? So I will spend tomorrow and take the wheels off and do this, then use some metal polish to shine it up.





Thanks for the help.
 
I've never used anything better off the shelf on wheels than A2Z. It does an amazing job. I've run it side by side with some Meguiar's wheel cleaner and the A2Z cleaned better without me even having to touch it. Its worth a shot to see what you think of it. I doubt you'll find one negative word about A2Z anywhere on Autopia. The new orange formula is the best so look for that one. You can't miss it. Its...uh...orange. lol ;)
 
I picked up some A2Z after a long hard winter on my wheels. They were in bad shape and normal carwash wasnt cutting it. I picked up A2Z and I cant say enough good things about it. It cleaned them right up with just a soft bristle brush.
 
For any tricky bits, use brake cleaner. I would then follow with some clay before Klasse.



Get the wheels just as clean and smooth as you would the rest of the car.



Steven
 
A2Z rocks! But when my Aluminum, CLEAR COATED wheels are extremely dirty, I use the Eagle One Chrome and Wire Wheel Cleaner. There is nothing that won't stand up to Hydrofluoric Acid.



Caution: Use at your own risk, this product is more hazardous to your health than most people realize. Left on your skin, it will literally dissolve the calcium in your bones!



Don't use on underhood plastics or surfaces, or un coated wheels..

:nono
 
For really tough brake dust stains, I use A2Z with a stiff old toothbrush. I spray the A2Z on the wheels when they are dry, leave fro a minute, and then work on the wheel with a brush. Don't let the A2Z dry on your wheels though. Then, whatever is left over, I use one of those little scrubbies (not the green ones, but the white ones, which are more mild) and work on the remainder. I finish up with some #20 on the wheel, and the cleaners in #20 using gets everything off that's left usually. If this doesn't work, you're going to have to go to something much harsher, which will no doubt be harsh on your wheels too.
 
SilverSparkle said:
A2Z rocks! But when my Aluminum, CLEAR COATED wheels are extremely dirty, I use the Eagle One Chrome and Wire Wheel Cleaner. There is nothing that won't stand up to Hydrofluoric Acid.



Caution: Use at your own risk, this product is more hazardous to your health than most people realize. Left on your skin, it will literally dissolve the calcium in your bones!



Don't use on underhood plastics or surfaces, or un coated wheels..

:nono
Click to expand...



Does it really contain HF? That stuff is super strong. We used to use it to etch glass, and that was a 10% soluton. A full 50% solution will etch granite. If it is HF, I would use safety goggles and heavy rubber gloves. Maybe you meant HCL or Hydrochloric Acid? That's fairly strong too, but not nearly as nasty as HF.
 
I picked up a bunch of the Eagle One Wheel Cleaner when Sears was depleting their EO stock. I haven't tried it yet but I hear that it is acidic. Has anyone tried it and is there any reason why I should not use as compared to the new formula (A2Z)???
 
A2Z is one of the stronger products out there and when used properly, safe. I would not use a product meant for bare metal wheels on clearcoated wheels, as they can be too strong to the point of damaging the paint.



Are you sure the wheels aren't clearcoated? If they're factory wheels I believe they usually are. I've seen some wheels that have semi-rough looking finishes or surfaces that look like bare polished aluminum but are actually covered in clearcoat or painted. If your not sure, polish them with a wheel polish safe for painted wheels or a regular paint polish (maybe something like Scratch-X). Better safe then sorry, I say.
 
Pats300zx said:
I picked up a bunch of the Eagle One Wheel Cleaner when Sears was depleting their EO stock. I haven't tried it yet but I hear that it is acidic. Has anyone tried it and is there any reason why I should not use as compared to the new formula (A2Z)???
Click to expand...



The new formulation is alkaline, so will not cause any leaching. The acidic cleaner will cause etching if there are nicks in the wheels or the clearcoat, and will cause the clearcoat to peel eventually, if there are imperfections and/or it isn't completely riinsed away.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top