Community Forums

parrett1012 · 07-29-2014, 10:35 PM

I mistakenly used chrome cleaner on my aluminum wheels and now have a mess of ugly oxidation white streaks. Is elbow grease and a buffer the only recourse I have to make them look good again. I am not proud of the way they presently look. I washed and waxed the bus and it sparkles ....but oh those wheels. Any body have a quick fix?

Gocoffeer · 07-30-2014, 08:34 AM

Acids are the cleaning solvent for aluminum.... I do not buy cleaners like P-7 or others that have the phosphoric acid in them anylonger....I usually just heat some vinegar in the microwave and get it hot...dip a rag in the hot vinegar and wipe down my Porsche wheels. Just a cheap suggestion before you get caught up in the huge variety of aluminum products out there.

Always rinse well after an acid bath ...no matter which acid product you choose. If you want a polished look...a little 0000 Steel wool as the scrub cloth after you clean the aluminum. I like to dip the steel wool in some wax as I rub it onto the wheels.

Lincolnboy2 · 07-30-2014, 08:38 AM

Mothers® Mag & Aluminum Polish

This stuff works wonders. Mine still look fantastic 1.5 years later after I got all the years of neglect off of them.

Ed_G · 07-30-2014, 09:38 PM

Be cautious on the advice you take for cleaning aluminum wheels. Some of them are coated aluminum and you will ruin that coating if using the wrong cleaner... my coach has coated wheels.... warm soap and water are the recommended cleaner..... the coating keeps them shiny once the dirt is removed.

Gocoffeer · 07-31-2014, 05:37 AM

Ed: In the case of these wheels ...the issue is white streaks and ugly oxidation spots....Pretty much we are trying to do a restore to the wheels rather than simply maintain their luster. So it is clean and remove any damage (including coating) and then polish and maintain.

Ed_G · 07-31-2014, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gocoffeer

Ed: In the case of these wheels ...the issue is white streaks and ugly oxidation spots....Pretty much we are trying to do a restore to the wheels rather than simply maintain their luster. So it is clean and remove any damage (including coating) and then polish and maintain.

Good luck with that. You might want to contact Alcoa if, in fact, you have the coated wheels. I have never heard of anyone removing the coating and going to bare aluminum. Don't see why it can't be done, though.

Gocoffeer · 08-01-2014, 01:33 PM

Ed ...though I have never uncoated a big truck wheel...I have on my Porsche wheels.... I have even had them re-anodized. There are so many types of vehicle industries out there as to boggle your mind...BUT... making things look pretty is one thing we do great in the US...aluminum is just one specialty you can find. You can even have a wheel cut from a solid block of aluminum and have custom wheels made if you want.

parrett1012 · 08-01-2014, 03:59 PM

From:( the originator of oxidized wheels post. ) We bought and tested a lot of aluminum cleaning products. We did the Mothers process and a lot of other products and buffed and buffed with all those expensive buffers. We have half shiny wheels??? Presentable but not like new.
Exhausted needless to say.
Is there somewhere to get this job done by a professional and make them look like new?
Using a product for chrome was my pitfall. It made ugly white streaks and almost impossible to remove. Next time I am going to use vinegar as someone suggested.
Wheel weary in Michigan

Moonrover · 08-01-2014, 05:16 PM

You may need to use a very fine abrasive rubbing compound like this:

http://tinyurl.com/mz3rx8s

Just completed doing six Alcoa wheels that had suffered from road salt oxidation. They looked sort of white hazy before hand rubbing with the fine abrasive paste. I did it all by hand with a bunch of old towels. Wheels were returned to a pretty nice shine, but the next step was with Mother's Mag Wheel paste. Same technique ... all by hand. I do have the buffing "ball" but can't get down into the small grooves, so I found it just as easy to put on a pair blue gloves, and go at the task.

Hands are really tired tonight, but the wheels are back to showroom appearance.