05-14-2013, 11:28 PM
|
#1
|
|
GX Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Eau Claire, WI.
Posts: 110
|
Polished Aluminum Wheels
These wheels are straight with no curb rash or dents / scratches, but the brake dust is caked on like a mother. I've tried good old soap and water, wheel cleaner, and even brake parts cleaner (carefully of course!!)
Any ideas of what else to try? I want to get these shined up like new. Thanks in advance for any suggestions! I know the pic doesn't help much.
Last edited by Silver SLP : 07-15-2013 at 03:41 PM.
|
|
|
|
05-15-2013, 12:25 AM
|
#2
|
|
GLS member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Indiana
Posts: 3,201
|
Soak in purple power then scrub hard with paper towel
__________________
The number one official sedan hater
|
|
|
|
|
05-15-2013, 12:29 AM
|
#3
|
|
|
Simple Green.
|
|
|
|
|
05-15-2013, 01:31 AM
|
#4
|
|
GLS member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 1,460
|
They say there's such thing as acid for wheels.... I would look into that. If not, see if you can use baking soda to clean them. I'm not sure if you can use it on polished aluminum, but it does work in the kitchen and bathroom really well... and you can even brush with it, so idk...
The other option would be to get some heavy duty degreaser and clean with that.
__________________
2̶0̶0̶3̶ ̶P̶o̶n̶t̶i̶a̶c̶ ̶G̶r̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶A̶m̶
1994 Olds Cutlass Supreme
2̶0̶0̶2̶ ̶C̶h̶e̶v̶r̶o̶l̶e̶t̶ ̶C̶a̶m̶a̶r̶o̶
1996 Infiniti G20
1993 Chevrolet Lumina Z34
1989 Buick Regal Limited
|
|
|
|
|
05-15-2013, 02:05 AM
|
#5
|
|
Aleromod part owner
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Far Northeast Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 18,199
|
I use a "bug and Tar" removal cleaner and the speical sponge.
Wear gloves though, that stuff is thick
__________________
33% ALEROMOD OWNER!!
2000 Olds Alero 3400 SFI 14.53 @ 94.93
1985 Olds Delta 88 307 SBO 17.96 @ 76.99
2007 Volvo V50 T5 6M 15.782 @ 89.12
www.facebook.com/kb0177
|
|
|
|
|
05-15-2013, 03:32 AM
|
#6
|
|
GLS member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Fort Knox area, KY
Posts: 2,120
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Silver SLP
So I just got a set of the 16" polished aluminum Alero wheels off craigslist for a pretty decent price. They are straight with no curb rash or dents / scratches, but the brake dust is caked on like a mother. I've tried good old soap and water, wheel cleaner, and even brake parts cleaner (carefully of course!!)
Any ideas of what else to try? I want to get these shined up like new. Thanks in advance for any suggestions! I know the pic doesn't help much.
|
Polished metal only, no clearcoat? Anything come off if you wet sand it with 2000 grit? |
|
|
|
|
05-15-2013, 01:16 PM
|
#7
|
|
GX Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Eau Claire, WI.
Posts: 110
|
I'm really not sure if the factory wheels were coated or not??
|
|
|
|
|
05-15-2013, 01:39 PM
|
#8
|
|
Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Long Grove, IL
Posts: 5,002
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nas Escobar
They say there's such thing as acid for wheels....
|
Many wheel cleaners have acid in them. The one sold by BMW seems to work particularly well.
__________________
Cliff Scott
2004 Alero GX w/sport pkg - Sold, living somewhere in WI now.
2011 Saab 9-5 Turbo4 M6
2004 Corvette Convertible M6
1994 Chevy Beretta - Quad4/M5
|
|
|
|
|
05-15-2013, 03:42 PM
|
#9
|
|
Keepin it Real
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Alexandria, VA
Posts: 12,522
|
Brake Dust Pro. Smells like a stink bomb, but works like a boss.
__________________
2015 Audi SQ5
2000 Alero GLS Coupe - still in the family, but I don't drive it anymore
|
|
|
|
|
05-15-2013, 06:15 PM
|
#10
|
|
GL Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Illinois
Posts: 276
|
Simple green as stated above, but buy the concentrate, 1:1 ratio with water, clean, then get some white diamond polish and polish away.
|
|
|
|
|
05-21-2013, 03:49 PM
|
#11
|
|
GX Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 60
|
is that center cap metal???
__________________
Anthony - 04 alero 2.2 ecotec
|
|
|
|
|
05-21-2013, 08:16 PM
|
#12
|
|
15.65 @ 87.3 MPH
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Sarnia, Ontario
Posts: 1,189
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Difflay
is that center cap metal???
|
nope, they're plastic
__________________
Hit a dear! Back to stock 3400... For now
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
|
| Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
|
| Display Modes |
 Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:44 PM.
|
