Subject: Re: Wheel grime (20 years) by donhall on 2013/1/20 20:05:32
Quote:
CentralCoaster wrote: Does brake cleaner dissolve it enough to wash it away?
Most degreasers are water based, and worthless for agressive stuff. They are basically stinky hand soap.
If brake cleaner doesn't phase it,my next step would be carb cleaner, the type in the bottle. If that doesn't work then you need to get crazy... try some paint stripper/remover or graffiti remover from your local hardware store. This stuff can be very harsh so wear hand protection.
You say they have no clearcoat, but the fronts surely still do (I know this because I had to use this stuff and lots of labor to remove mine.
Kevin, any cleaner, even dish-soap, cuts into the grime a little, but just not fast enough. In my early days, I would have accepted the cleaning as a challenge, but I don't need to do that anymore. I'm sure gasoline would work nicely.
Re the clear-coat: the vertical surface has 'good' clear-coat, but the outer rim shows signs of degradation. These wheels need to be refinished. I'm not cleaning them for me, I'm cleaning them for the next owner. If a refinishing shop just dumps them into a stripping bath, then I'm wasting my time.
