How To: Clean your oxidized aluminum wheels
06-04-07, 08:18 PM
#1
GOT WANKEL?
Thread Starter
How To: Clean your oxidized aluminum wheels
I know all of us are always looking for some new wheels to put on the 7, but the bolt pattern is tough to get around. From day 1, i have been trying my best to get my wheels to look somewhat back to their original glory. I have tried about 20-30 of the off-the-shelf cleaners and remedies, steel wool, other abrasives, you name it and i have probably tried it. Finally, i saw an idea for aluminum canoes on a TV show while I was at the Hospital. I listened closely and decided to give it a shot. So, what is this magical substance? Oven cleaner! I tried it out today and was amazed, so i thought it was my duty to share.
Materials:
Oven cleaner (with Sodium Hydroxide)
Large Towel for wiping
Small detailing rag
Various wire brushes
Masking tape
A Hose
Some sort of polishing compound
Small wire brushes like this work great!
Next, Mask off the center cap (oven cleaner is nasty stuff)
Now that the cap is safe, apply several thin, even coats of oven cleaner to the wheel and allow 10 or so minutes for it to work.
Wipe off overspray on the tires.
You will begin to see bubbles forming, and it is now about time to clean it off.
With a wire brush, start scrubbing the wheel.
In this picture, the lower half of the wheel has been scrubbed with a wire brush and wiped off.
Keep scrubbing until the oxidation is gone (maybe 10 minutes at the most)
Rinse the wheel off and make sure that all of the cleaner is washed away
Apply a thin coat of polish (wax, Mother's Mag Polish, Eagle-One Wadding polish, etc.)
Allow wax to dry and buff out
Finished Product! I was amazed of the difference it made. My camera still can't due the reflection justice.
Materials:
Oven cleaner (with Sodium Hydroxide)
Large Towel for wiping
Small detailing rag
Various wire brushes
Masking tape
A Hose
Some sort of polishing compound
Small wire brushes like this work great!
Next, Mask off the center cap (oven cleaner is nasty stuff)
Now that the cap is safe, apply several thin, even coats of oven cleaner to the wheel and allow 10 or so minutes for it to work.
Wipe off overspray on the tires.
You will begin to see bubbles forming, and it is now about time to clean it off.
With a wire brush, start scrubbing the wheel.
In this picture, the lower half of the wheel has been scrubbed with a wire brush and wiped off.
Keep scrubbing until the oxidation is gone (maybe 10 minutes at the most)
Rinse the wheel off and make sure that all of the cleaner is washed away
Apply a thin coat of polish (wax, Mother's Mag Polish, Eagle-One Wadding polish, etc.)
Allow wax to dry and buff out
Finished Product! I was amazed of the difference it made. My camera still can't due the reflection justice.
06-04-07, 08:19 PM
#2
GOT WANKEL?
Thread Starter
I should have named this thread "How To: Remove 28 years of oxidation with a kitchen cleaner. With this method, posssibilities are endless. You could mask off all except the lip and polish it, use a wire brush that goes in a drill, any polish, paint center after, use a bench buffer, anything.
06-04-07, 08:29 PM
#3
getcha brap on
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I am one of the very few that actually like the wheels that came on my SA and dont plan to change them, and I have tried a few wheels cleaners as well with no results. I will give this a try, thanks for the tip.
06-04-07, 08:40 PM
#7
GOT WANKEL?
Thread Starter
My wheels are Almex made by Yokohama. I used the same technique on the inner side of the wheels to get the caked on brake dust off and it, too worked well. Next time I have the wheels off, i should take a pic of the inside where it says "Made in Japan" and "The Yokohama Tire Co."
Last edited by kgray; 06-04-07 at 08:46 PM.
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06-04-07, 08:43 PM
#8
GOT WANKEL?
Thread Starter
'84-12A-GSL, that could be done with the same technique. Masking, paint thinne, sandpaper (from coarse to very fine), then polish. I know someone had their SE wheels chromed, but that sure doesn't cost the $3 that this costed me. For polish, i just used some old Car wax, but i have also used the Mother's stuff with good results, but it isn't free!
06-04-07, 10:09 PM
#9
That damn Aussie!
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if you just have caked on brake dust i find that a 50-50 mix of mothers wheel cleaner and quick detailer works well followed by another squirt of the quick detailer than a polish with autosol or similar (or any metal polish) and you can get stuff that's been blac for years to come up as new.
06-05-07, 08:19 AM
#13
Burning Oil-Grinding 3rd
Great job on the clean up.
06-05-07, 01:26 PM
#17
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thanks for the writeup! i was just looking at my wheels last weekend, wondering wtf to do.
06-05-07, 07:47 PM
#20
Nice job Kevin. One short warning. Since the alumimum is now clean and exposed, it will corrode faster than before. The sooner it's sealed and protected, the longer the work will last. This would be a good time to paint the rest of the wheel, then shoot an automotive clearcoat over the entire wheel.
06-06-07, 03:00 PM
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