Hello guys,
I have a set of aluminum wheels and want to clean them.
The wheels have been sitting for a long time and I want to bring them back to their former glory.
What have you guys found that cleans aluminum wheels the best?
I'm trying to clean the inside of the wheels. They have this brown/black corrosion like build-up on them. It's not bad, but I'd like to clean them if possible.
Also, these wheels have some sort of "glazed" coating over them in the front. It's hard to describe. It almost looks like a bushed aluminum finish with some shiny coating over it.
Anyway, what I'm looking for is a good cleaner that won't hurt the finish or the aluminum. Any suggestions?

Here is what they look like:

 

I've use this stuff quite often, works very well!

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/...ortby=ourPicks

 

I tried search for my issue and feel this is within the same topic.

HELP! I need to know how to clean these wheels from the dreaded worm/web.


I really don't want to paint these. As you can see I sanded them and polished but to no quality standard to the Mugen's, now it looks like Sh*t!

 

I'm trying some stuff someone recommended now. I'll let you know how it works.

 

eagle one never dull in combo with mothers mag polish will work just takes alot of elbow grease or sum sort of polisher/buffer works also i did my whole frame on my 94 zx9r with this stuff i swear by it just takess alot of efort to get that stufff off

 

^^Thanks. For sure I'm going to do something cause I'm not going to sell these.

 

You do realize that with your Mugens, its a painted and clear coated wheel, right? You're not dealing with bare metal there. You'll either need to take the finish all the way down to the metal and polish them, or sand down the defects in sections and re-clear coat the wheel. Those defects aren't anything you can "clean." Its an issue with the clear coat itself.

The first set of wheels posted look like raw aluminum and need to be taken apart and treated with an acid bath or a HARDCORE polishing. Possibly both.

 

personally speaking, i would never use any acid on raw aluminum.

i use car wash soap, then any type of metal polish to brighten it up..

if its cleared, then i use a spray wax and towel. I tread cleared wheels just like the paint on the car.

but this is just my .02

 

Well to me the finish looks long past the point of gentle cleansers and elbow grease. Would you waste time on putting a gentle cleaner wax by hand on a rough, oxidized paint job? No. It's time for a more aggressive method. A proper aluminum acid wash does zero harm the metal and is a cheap alternative from spending all day (or several days) with an orbital and multiple stages of polishing rouge.

 

 

Your right! As I sanded the worms out I thought to my self that this chrome finish was more like paint! So now my option(s) are, do they sell this type of paint? Do I acid bath the wheels, polish it out now where can I get the real deal decals/stickers.

 

Nonono do not acid bath those wheels. Acid bathing is reserved for unprotected, untreated oxidized and etched aluminum.

You've got a couple options. Sand down and re-clear in sections, or sand out the imperfections, scuff the remaining sections of clear coated metal and reclear that entire portion of the wheel so the whole finish is uniform.

Either way, once you've finished sanding (make sure its a progressive method ex. 800, 1000, 1500, 2000), clean thoroughly with a non silicone cleaner that won't leave any residue. Something like DuPont surface prep spray with a tack cloth should work just fine. Just make sure all your sanding marks are one-directional. I'd sand all the spokes going from the center out toward the lip, and the lip with the direction of the barrel. Pay special attention not to mess up that sticker That way if any marks are visible after the clear is applied, they flow with the wheel and chances of visibility are slim.

The clear you use is up to you, but if you want to go cheap and easy, Duplicolor has an automotive clear spray you can find in most any auto parts store and it should work just fine. The wheel repair guys I know use an airbrush with a small compressor.