LSNAutoDetailing
Active member
- Jun 21, 2014
- 3,373
- 21
LOL, as soon as I clicked "post" I remembered that the GG HD WC is pH balanced and approved by BBH.
Help. Are my wheels fried?
- Thread starter AYoh
- Start date
LOL, as soon as I clicked "post" I remembered that the GG HD WC is pH balanced and approved by BBH.
ScottB
New member
- Mar 3, 2006
- 18,803
- 0
Fikse wheels are usually clearcoated. Likely the wheels were also hot when the chemical was applied. You can try to polish the wheels with a paint polish, but it will take a lot of work and likely results could be mixed.
Because those wheels are quite expensive and often well liked by the Vette and GM crowds, You should consider having them stripped, machine polished, painted, or powder coated. Its not the end for the set, but an expensive lesson.
When they are back/done, coat them and use only soap/water on them. If you insist on a wheel cleaner, I have never had an issue with Griots, DP, or P21S even on uncoated wheels. Never clean hot wheels !
Because those wheels are quite expensive and often well liked by the Vette and GM crowds, You should consider having them stripped, machine polished, painted, or powder coated. Its not the end for the set, but an expensive lesson.
When they are back/done, coat them and use only soap/water on them. If you insist on a wheel cleaner, I have never had an issue with Griots, DP, or P21S even on uncoated wheels. Never clean hot wheels !
- Thread starter
- #26
I'm not. I'll keep an eye out!
- Thread starter
- #27
What I hear you saying is. "Restore them, sell them and get some Arc8's"
Wheel medic was the first people I called. They are awesome.
RIP Technipolish
Brody
New member
- Jul 24, 2013
- 101
- 0
AYoh, what you have there is a very interesting case. The clear coat on your wheels has been chemically damaged on the surface, however it appears to be completely intact otherwise. It would be reasonable to assume that the polished aluminum under the clear coat is still fine. If you're lucky it's urethane based and not a powder coat finish.
Something we discovered a few years back that is unique to urethane cleared polished wheels is that the clear can typically be stripped with minimal to no damage to the polished aluminum underneath. That is assuming the person doing the work has done it successfully before.
We use dip tanks and a chemical stripper made up mostly of methylene chloride and hydrofluoric acid. Wheel goes into the stripper for 30 seconds to a minute because that's usually all it takes. Then straight out into an aqueous solution of trisodium phosphate to neutralize the acid and then onto a fresh water rinse. Leave the wheel in the stripper for any longer than is absolutely necessary and it starts to dull. This trick will not work on powder coated wheels because the powder coat takes quite a bit longer to break down in the stripper and by the time it has been removed the wheel is dull.
You need to find a local shop that has some experience messing around with polished wheels. I'm not guaranteeing that the above scenario would work on your wheels, but it may be an option if you find the right shop. The only other thing that may send the operation into a tailspin is the magnesium content of the wheels. The more magnesium, the more reactive the wheel is with the acid in the stripper and the quicker it will oxidize.
Also, some of the responses to your thread are a bit...colorful. I'm not going to put anyone on the spot. Would just suggest doing some fact checking here and there.
By the way, beautiful E36
rops:
Something we discovered a few years back that is unique to urethane cleared polished wheels is that the clear can typically be stripped with minimal to no damage to the polished aluminum underneath. That is assuming the person doing the work has done it successfully before.
We use dip tanks and a chemical stripper made up mostly of methylene chloride and hydrofluoric acid. Wheel goes into the stripper for 30 seconds to a minute because that's usually all it takes. Then straight out into an aqueous solution of trisodium phosphate to neutralize the acid and then onto a fresh water rinse. Leave the wheel in the stripper for any longer than is absolutely necessary and it starts to dull. This trick will not work on powder coated wheels because the powder coat takes quite a bit longer to break down in the stripper and by the time it has been removed the wheel is dull.
You need to find a local shop that has some experience messing around with polished wheels. I'm not guaranteeing that the above scenario would work on your wheels, but it may be an option if you find the right shop. The only other thing that may send the operation into a tailspin is the magnesium content of the wheels. The more magnesium, the more reactive the wheel is with the acid in the stripper and the quicker it will oxidize.
Also, some of the responses to your thread are a bit...colorful. I'm not going to put anyone on the spot. Would just suggest doing some fact checking here and there.
By the way, beautiful E36
rops:I'll be glad when this plasti-dip fad dies off.
wing commander
New member
- Feb 11, 2015
- 470
- 0
Please give me some examples of acid based wheel cleaners if you could. I am new to wheel cleaners and have only used Sonax and 3D BDX so far with good results. I mostly get by with Soap or ONR and do not use wheel cleaners on my own vehicles.
Simply put,wheel cleaner with acid I doubt this was caused by a retail product like sonax or dub etc,but then again if you're not careful and follow instructions listed on a product this is what happens all the time.
- Thread starter
- #32
AYoh, what you have there is a very interesting case. The clear coat on your wheels has been chemically damaged on the surface, however it appears to be completely intact otherwise. It would be reasonable to assume that the polished aluminum under the clear coat is still fine. If you're lucky it's urethane based and not a powder coat finish.
Something we discovered a few years back that is unique to urethane cleared polished wheels is that the clear can typically be stripped with minimal to no damage to the polished aluminum underneath. That is assuming the person doing the work has done it successfully before.
We use dip tanks and a chemical stripper made up mostly of methylene chloride and hydrofluoric acid. Wheel goes into the stripper for 30 seconds to a minute because that's usually all it takes. Then straight out into an aqueous solution of trisodium phosphate to neutralize the acid and then onto a fresh water rinse. Leave the wheel in the stripper for any longer than is absolutely necessary and it starts to dull. This trick will not work on powder coated wheels because the powder coat takes quite a bit longer to break down in the stripper and by the time it has been removed the wheel is dull.
You need to find a local shop that has some experience messing around with polished wheels. I'm not guaranteeing that the above scenario would work on your wheels, but it may be an option if you find the right shop. The only other thing that may send the operation into a tailspin is the magnesium content of the wheels. The more magnesium, the more reactive the wheel is with the acid in the stripper and the quicker it will oxidize.
Also, some of the responses to your thread are a bit...colorful. I'm not going to put anyone on the spot. Would just suggest doing some fact checking here and there.
By the way, beautiful E36
The local shop here said they would do their best to keep what they could but they noted quite a few places that has already bitten into the aluminum all the way through the clearcoat, so unfortunately even if some of it was save, there are other portions on the center that are toast. They are running a "test" on one of the wheels today to see what they can do.
Thank you for the compliment. It is because of the knowledge-base and helpful people here that it looks as good as it does
- Thread starter
- #33
Look on page 2, I think I linked the cleaner that was used. I use that specifically for my X3 and wife's Jetta wheels. It doesn't say on the product description but it specifically says on the bottle NOT FOR FINISHED ALUMINUM. Posting "Wheel Cleaner" is dangerous unless you know what you are using.
Muddyoldgoat
New member
- Sep 22, 2013
- 123
- 0
Totally agree with you. I did a car a few weeks ago and found out that another detailer in town plasti-dips tires. He offers it as a upgrade. One blast of water and it was peeling. Took forever to get it all off.
asianisafish
New member
- Jun 11, 2015
- 322
- 0
I've refinished multiple sets of wheels myself, mostly bbs wheels. Is it possible for yourself to strip the clear coat on the wheels and then polish them?
Audios S6
Active member
- Oct 12, 2011
- 1,634
- 0
Meguiars Wheel Brightener
Car Brite Wheel Acid
Pretty much any 'wire wheel' cleaner
Meguiars Hot Rims Chrome wheel cleaner
Many Chrome Wheel Cleaners in general
PB spray and Rinse (Not certain about this one)
Ingredients to look for would be:
Ammonium Bifluoride
HydroFluoric Acid (hydrogen Fluoride)
Hydrochloric Acid (hydrogen chloride)
- Thread starter
- #40