CC Aluminum Wheels

joe.p

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I'm detailing an 03 TrailBlazer after cleaning the Wheels with EO all wheel cleaner then the inner lip with Megs WB to remove the remainder of break dust. I noticed tiny specs on all the wheels, they could have been there prior to washing i dunno they where dirty . The point is i noticed them now and i hope and pray this something i didn't do.

Here goes, could i have messed with the CC in just one washing. Keep in mind as i washed the inner wheels i continued to apply water to the outer side to dilute the WB. On the outer wheels i only used EO wheel & tire cleaner.

Megs Ratio 4:1
 
Joe, I don't know what that is! Have you clayed them?
 
Not until tomorrow. Theres tiny dots on the aluminum i know claying won't help. thanks for looking sparkie..
 
If it looks like it's cloudy under the clear coat then I believe it's the clear coat failing. That doesn't mean that it wasn't there before you started. I've see this happen lots of times with drive through car washes and I believe that it is directly related to them spraying a rather strong acid based cleaner on a hot wheel that has just come off the road. Brakes heat those wheel to rather high temperatures.
 
Joe p,
That almost looks like acid etching from a strong wheel cleaner, the other explanation would be clear coat failure but I’m leaning to acid etching. Your going to have to polish or wet sand the wheels.
 
Jason said:
Joe p,
That almost looks like acid etching from a strong wheel cleaner, the other explanation would be clear coat failure but I’m leaning to acid etching. Your going to have to polish or wet sand the wheels.

That is my evaluation from those pictures as well. Certian degreasers are death to clear coated wheels.
 
jason ,
Im hoping it was there before i cleaned them. on the outside wheels i used Eagle One Tire & Wheel Cleaner on the backside/inner rims i used the wheel brightner let sit 30 seconds then agitated with a wheel brush all the time rinsing the outer rims with water all to prevent this from happening.

I dont mind wet sanding them if i did it, thats is a lotta of work if they where like this already.

whats the process for what sanding ?
 
Jason,Anthony
T
I used an exennon light to look the paint over yesterday to see what i was dealing with under the exennon light it looked much worse the under direct sun light anyways this is when i noticed the wheels.

I just came back from the garage and it isnt noticable when looking at it in the day light. i know the owner and the way he washes the truck,this is what im gonna do i'll clay polish & seal if the damage wasn't there before and hes aware of it i'll own upto it and fix the problem, does this sound right?
 
joe.p

I'm a newbie but I thought I would add my one cent worth...

I've seen little specks on rims where the owner didn't clean the rims for several months. It seems when the brake dust builds up too much and sits on the rim for too long it eats through the CC and embeds itself to the aluminum.

Now the trick for getting it off eludes me, (I'm a newbie), but if those specks are what I think they are then it's just hardened, embedded brake dust.
 
Jason said:
Joe p,
That almost looks like acid etching from a strong wheel cleaner, the other explanation would be clear coat failure but I’m leaning to acid etching. Your going to have to polish or wet sand the wheels.


:iagree: :iagree:

These heavy wheel cleaners also react very badly to hot wheels and scar them almost immediately. GM has clearcoated its wheels for several years to try and offer durability. They take on a slightly milky appearance naturally when you look at them close up. Use some paint polish and a sealant, and dont tell the customer anything !!
 
killrwheels@autogeek said:
:iagree: :iagree:

These heavy wheel cleaners also react very badly to hot wheels and scar them almost immediately. GM has clearcoated its wheels for several years to try and offer durability. They take on a slightly milky appearance naturally when you look at them close up. Use some paint polish and a sealant, and dont tell the customer anything !!
When out side in the sun it is barely noticable so it may hve been there for all i know. The wheels where cool to the touch as the truck was sitting for a few days already.

Now i went to clay the hood its worse then a rocky rd l with some pretty thick tree sap. This job is turning out to be more problems then its worth.

if i polished over the tree sap could this cause damage to the paint? Im think the sap is like glue and if i polish over it it might pull some of the paint up with it,do think this could happen ?

Open to suggestions.
 
you gotta remove the sap. If clay did not work, then consider some Wd-40 or Poorboys Bug Squash. Tree sap, like pine sap, can actually scar paint over time if left unremoved.
 
killrwheels@autogeek said:
you gotta remove the sap. If clay did not work, then consider some Wd-40 or Poorboys Bug Squash. Tree sap, like pine sap, can actually scar paint over time if left unremoved.
I have no BS, although i did clay and most of the sap didn't budge. This is the 1st time i've ever seen a car with this much junk in the paint and it's only three years old Killer. WD 40 will be my last ditch effort :mad:
 
wetsanding and/or a very abrasive polish would be my final step.
 
Hi spark unfortunately for me i never got around to order the Bug Squash.
killer i tried the WD 40 with no luck. what i did was polish out with a Med cut pad once it began to heat up i stopped polishing and popped them off with my nail then hit again with QD and clay.
Thanks for the help everyone offered

joe
 
I gotta love you guys. I opened my email and this is what i found .

Cleaning your wheels and tires regularly is not just an appearance issue – it's preventative maintenance!

Wheels and tires take more abuse than any other part of your vehicle and for obvious reasons. Being the surface that comes in contact with and is closest to the dirty, grimy road creates a cleaning challenge like no other. Brake dust is another factor that greatly impacts the life and luster of your wheels.
 
Killerwheels,
heres a pic of one of the wheels on the SUV from the beginning of the thread. The deatil was a friggin nighmare that turned out really well .the Owner absolutley liked it,you can see a nice shot of the rear fender. I gave him a bottle of AW and DG fastclean& shine i seen him outside Monday cleaning up the SUV :cheers:
 
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Joe..

From that picture the SUV came out great..nice finish and wheeels look great...you did a fine job and the owner was happy...

Better get some more AW and FC&S...I use FC&S to clean residual polish up after buffing and works great..and AW as a base for some selants and for a wipedown after applying sealant..works good..

Glad that job worked out for you...

Al
 
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