anyone know of a way to clean realy dirty oxodized rims, i tried soap and a SOS pad but it doesnt get em full clean, i called a acid dipping place but they told me 80$ a rim ;... although they will also polish and shine them... just wondering if there is any products that are acid based that would work ?

 

Maybe if you soaked them in saliva for a few days...???
hahaha

 

Are the rims painted steel or aluminum? Does it have a clearcoat? If they are clearcoated then I dont think that there's much that can be done unless it is removed, hence the acid dipping process.

 

If you are using cast aluminum wheels that are NOT painted and/or clearcoated, you can use Eagle1 brand "etching Mag wheel cleaner" and it should work pretty well for you. Make sure you wear chemical-resistant rubber gloves as this stuff has Hydroflouric acid in it, which is not good to get on your skin as it penetrates into bones and erodes them from the inside out without your ever knowing you were exposed as it doesn't burn the skin. I'm sure the concentration used in this consumer-grade preparation is fairly mild, though.
I use a little wire brush and some of the mildest abrasive Scotchbrite pads to loosen the stuff up after spraying the wheels with the stuff. Don't let it start to dry on the wheels, refresh with more solution as necessary to keep it wet or you will get mottling. When the whole thing has been scrubbed, wash it off thoroughly with water. You may need to do it twice to get the wheel really spotless. It's a bit of work, but a hell of a lot cheaper than $80 a wheel, what a hose job!
Here's a picture of one of my waffle wheels I cleaned with the preceeding method. I don't have a "before" picture, but the wheels were unbelievably filthy, having sat for 10 years! Good luck! -Mike

 

i've great success using industrial strength driveway cleaner/purple power/etc stuff. it's sodium hydroxide and cleans like no one's business. be very carful this is the real strong stuff. can be bought at home depot or pep boys chains

1.use rubber gloves and cotton breathing mask
2.spray rim with water
3.spray rim with the driveway cleaner. let it sit for one minute then start scrubbing with a dish scrubber. if your rims are delicate then scrub with a sponge instead.
4. hose off all that dirt and yuk!
5.repeat as necessary
6. get out the mag polish and polish them good

this worked real with some JUNKyard 81 stock rims i turned around and sold at a good cost. i also use this
on the girlfriends american racing 5 spoke star rims. spun aluminum, painted edges with a clear coat over all.

be sure to not let that stuff sit for too long, it's real strong!
-bp-

 

thanks for the tips, rims are completely shiny and lookin soooo good