chillout18

So I'm trying to clean these wheels before i throw them on my car. I'm good with detailing car paint but rims cleaning im at a stand still. Take a look at the pics below, first two are of how the rims look currently, third pic is when I tried to clean them. Im not sure on how about to go on cleaning them. the third pic I used super super fine steel wool. Ive used it on windows and chrome before but the inside of these wheels have some type of coating on them that scratches. So thats when I need your advice....how do I clean these without busting my butt?









sorry for the low quality pics they are off my cell phone

Thanks
Mike

shotiable

is that dirt or rust? what is it?

with wheels, usually what i encounter is that the tough dirt or stains i get on them are grease or tar from asphalt. so what i use is goo gone to get rid of those. if its brake dust stains then i use my old clay bar (sorry mr. wanabe, i know you dont wanna hear that but i'm on a budget ) yes so i use my old claybar on the wheels to pick up the carbon particles.

my understanding about wheels is that yes, there is a clearcoat finish, that is why i am able to wax my wheels and make them shiny and very clean looking.

good luck with your wheel cleaning endeavor, i'm sure wanabe has more insight... he'll probably reply soon

wanabe

shotiable and wanabe are on the same page...

looks like some rust in there to me too. if it is, you got a big project. naval jelly will get rust, but will also eat any clear coat.

you could try some clay first to see if that improves the situation- if you do use clay, this would be a one time use clay- trash after this. and try just a small amount in a small area first to see how it goes... if it goes well, then expand the use. if not, forget the clay idea.

i always like to go unaggressive, and if there is a chance that this isnt rust, i would go p21s wheel cleaner with a good wheel brush.

and check out our wheel cleaning thread- from there you will see that i dont like acids on clearcoated wheels. assuming that yours are clearcoated, acid can be used, but only if other attempts arent working. and only with lots of rinsing. never let an acid sit on metal long enough to get dry (it will eat it).

before i spend too much time guessing here, does it look like rust to you (chillout)??

and if its rust, is it on the inside or outside or both?
got any pics of the whole wheel?

shotiable

i have a feeling that it might be rust based on what i see on the pictures... however i wouldnt worry so much since most wheels are aluminum alloy... rust might come from the brake rotors of the car it was previously on or the hub where the the rim sits and bolts on to (i dont know what its called) but i encountered this on my car recently too it came out with soap and water coz i caught it early.

i didnt know we had a wheel cleaning section.. i'll go check that out

wanabe

here ya go:

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=420668

chillout18

ya I think it is rust but its just around the bead of where the welded part is of the inside of the wheel. I think I'm going to take care of that area with the super fine steel wool and then use 1500 or 2000 grit sand paper to smooth it out and reclear the inside of the wheel. Shouldn't take me too long to do. I'll try the clay but I doubt it will work.

thanks for your input guys if you have any other ideas et me know...