Aluminum wheel help!

[1970judge]

Ok, im wondering how to approach this. These are my DD wheels on my 07 HHR. They received good care over the years but my 3 year stint in Michigan, where it sat mostly dormant got to them, also drove it in salt twice. The inner barrells are pitted. Now, they seem to be cleared on the inside, and my check was to try and rub Megs megs/al polish on them and check for Al2O3 black residue. None, so I assume they are cleared.

Any tips/tricks/products etc to get these like new. I have a spare wheel that I tried some random things on, and it took a super thick rust remover attachment to remove the pitting, and of course scoured the wheel badly, but thats why its a test wheel.

Side note: Could they just be stripped of paint/ and then mirror polished (as if they were a set of billet wheels or something?).

[Nick Winn]

Re: Aluminum wheel help!

It's really hard to advise further with the picture you provided. My first instinct to recommend is that our Ultimate All Wheel Cleaner or our D1801 Wheel & Paint IRON DECON seem to be cleaning & removing more built up residue than any other wheel cleaner we have ever produced, so I would start there. Other than that, can you submit some more pictures? Also, once you upload an image into the forum gallery, you can just copy & paste it into your post. You might consider downloading a picture re-sizing add on also.

[1970judge]

Re: Aluminum wheel help!

Hi Nick, so, here is a shot of my practice wheel that has the same issue (Its a non-repairable bent wheel, so dont care what happens to it). For what its worth, this is AFTER UWC the bad spots still stick around. It basically did nothing, knocks dirt and brake dust off...but did nothing for the pitting.

[Blueline]

Re: Aluminum wheel help!

I think what you are trying to do is akin to washing a rusty car with holes in it, using the best soap and expecting to wash the rusty holes off. That is metal pitting. The metal is gone, apparently due to salt corrosion. No cleaner or wax is going to fix that. If that wheel was mine, I would give the a good cleaning with a soft brass brush, and either seal them with a clear coat or paint. It is still going to be a pig with lipstick. Alternatively you could take them to a professional who could probably make them look new again.

[1970judge]

Re: Aluminum wheel help!

I think what you are trying to do is akin to washing a rusty car with holes in it, using the best soap and expecting to wash the rusty holes off. That is metal pitting. The metal is gone, apparently due to salt corrosion. No cleaner or wax is going to fix that. If that wheel was mine, I would give the a good cleaning with a soft brass brush, and either seal them with a clear coat or paint. It is still going to be a pig with lipstick. Alternatively you could take them to a professional who could probably make them look new again.

Yes, in my original post I mention that. I used a rust removal tool and it ginds out the pitting, but scours the finish in the process (expected), so I am asking if it is possible to do this (or other technique) and then have bare aluminum and polish it.