I got tired of taking the car for a wash and it looking nice with some nasty pitted rims with 20 year old brake dust on them...

sooooo...i just so happen to know someone with some serious acid that had to be diluted incredibly so not to eat through my tires and started spraying and brushing...

by the end of spraying and brushing 95% of the brake dust was gone and the rims look much cleaner...the pits are still there but trust me when i say they look much better!!!

i wish i had some before pix but all i got are after...

 

Once again, awesome man. I need to find some acid to do that with. Info on typ[eof acid would be useful so i can find a similar type

 

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEED..

TELL ME WHAT ACID YOU USED! PLEASE

 

looks great hector!!! is there still clearcoat on them???

 

Nice,

A little aluminum polish and some elbow grease, and they can look almost mirror-like.

 

Yeah, my wheels have black spots all over them that doesn't come off with soap and water..
Anything that isn't potentially deadly to my tires/rims/paint that can get some of it off?

 

Just use some Eagle1 "etching mag-wheel cleaner". It's got hydroflouric acid in it so it will take clearcoat off, and you don't want to get any on ya', either. But it makes raw aluminum wheels like our beloved waffle wheels look like the half-dozen pretty much redundant pictures posted above.

 

I use Castrol Super Clean (Auto Parts Store) or Industrial Strength Driveway Cleaner (Home Depot) to clean filthy rims. Just be sure to spray the rim with water first, and don't keep the purple stuff on there more than 5minutes

 

sorry...don't know the name of it...

the guy i know owns a house cleaning business...not the inside house cleaning, the outside house cleaning type...so he is all about industrial strength cleaners and such...his son told me the acid he used is generally used to clean stones and bricks...when he pulled it out he put on some gloves that went up to his elbows, then he started testing on a busted spare i had until the acid was diluted enough not to eat through the tires...

this stuff he said at full strength can eat through pretty much ANYTHING...hence the reason why its strictly controlled...

up until then i though industrial strength was just a sales gimmick!

i'll try to get the name of this stuff next time i see him...

 

This stuff is available at places like Auto Zone/Pep Boys/ Advance Auto Parts? Anything I can put back on the wheels to take the place of the clearcoat?


http://www.eagleone.com/_products/index_whe.asp
Errmm...which one of these is it?

 

just an fyi...i tried eagleone, super clean and armorall and none were able to get to the brake dust like this stuff...maybe i was doing it wrong...

 

If it's for cleaning brickwork or stonework, and highly diluted, I'd be willing to guess that it was probably muriatic acid. For cleaning a brick house, you'll usually dilute that to about 9-to-1 (9 parts h2o, 1 part acid). It's strong stuff, often used for concrete driveways, and I think it's available at your basic hardware store, but I wouldn't swear to it.

 

i tried that orange bottle of eagleone.. it works on fresh brake dust, but for that stuck on dust, it doesn't really do the trick... I've found purple power to do pretty well though, i use it on the engine too.

 

I use Eagel One Etching Mag Cleaner. Does a great job for just a spray on, spray off product. However, if you have a stiff brush to go along with the product, it does wonders. I usually wet my wheels and spray it on. Wait about 20-30 seconds and then scrub away and spray off. Plus it doesn't cost all that much.

 

You have six wheels? Wow..

;-) looks good man!!

 

HAha...

Yeah, that would be muriatic acid.

For future reference, do not fill a wheelbarrow full of muriatic acid and drop in rotor housings.

Also, so not leave them in for 2 hours, and expect them to even slightly resemble a rotor housing.

Chrome plating + muriatic acid = instant boiling heat. Oddly enough, the wheelbarrow, was plastic, and did not suffer at all with this crazy potion boiling away for hours.

 

I took the dremel to mine with the wire brush attachment....worked awesome.

 

I can picture you going "Yeah- this oughta clean these bastards RIGHT UP!!" Splash, Splash.... WHOA SHHIIITT!!! "

You guys ever try something as simple as vinegar? It does a great job disolving all kinds of crap. We have limestone quarries around here and most carwashes have a vinegar wash option. It instantly removes hardened limestone dust and pumice from any surface. We use vinegar to clean lots of things around the house- toilets, grease etc..Works great and totally non-toxic (even makes your car smell like a pickle )

 

Cody you mad man!

They sell a product called aluminum brightener. It designed to spray on raw aluminum, its some bad *** ****, I believe it is hydroflouric acid as well. Dont let it contact your skin. AFAIK (from Sterling) this **** goes right thru your skin and causes nervous system problems. Dont spray any of these chemicals indoors, and use proper saftey equiptment please guys. Most of these wicked great chemicals are poisonous. After you get the wheels nice and shiny, you better clearcoat them or they will start to oxidize real quick.

 

How does the Purple Power/Castrol Super Clean affect coated wheels? I know the stuff will start removing paint if left on long enough.
I've got some aftermarket wheels with polished rim and as-cast center, all clear coated, with some seriously stuck-on brake dust (Porterfield R4S pads). Don't want to destroy the clear coat...

I assume the muriatic acid'll take the clear right off.

 

whats this clear coat and where can i get it?

-Cheers

 

I'm serious about vinegar!- don't laugh it works great on my BBS wheels. Here is an excerpt from the NC Agricultural Co-op:
"Vinegar is a mild acid and can be used for some special cleaning jobs. It will remove hard water deposits from glassware, rust stains from sinks, and will brighten darkened aluminum pots and pans. Add 1-tablespoon vinegar to 1 quart warm water for an effective window cleaner. Vinegar costs less than 1˘ per tablespoon." http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/copubs/house/care/004/


Notice that it brightens aluminum! I'm serious- It works very well and no fear of damage! Use it full strength in a spray bottle..Use plain white vinegar..It is also CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP!!

 

I've used sulfuric acid on lots of wheels before – you smell the “rotten eggs” thing. The dilution is in question-as I get it from a neighbor. It’s strong as hell & needs to be immediately washed off. H2SO4 is the same stuff in your battery. Clearcoat? What clearcoat? Thats long gone if you need to go here.

 

I'd love to remove and re-apply my clearcoat my rims. RX7Carl - will that aluminum brightner take the paint off the inserts?

 

Dupli-color makes a clear wheel coating, along with silver, white, and graphite.
http://www.duplicolor.com/products/wheel.html
No idea how good it is.
OT - but they also make a nifty anodized-look paint as well. Look for the Metalcast system on the same website.

There are also plenty of places that fix bent rims and such that should be able to clean, polish (if desired) and clear coat your wheels.