DEEP clean (Oxidation removal) of Chrome Wheels (???)

[Ohio Detailing]

Hi everyone

Last week I purchase a new Jeep, and the horribly undersized (in my opinion) 16'' wheels were doing NOTHING for the overall look of the vehicle. I decided to upgrade to 20'' with a set of matching lug-nut wheels that are from another car I owned (and will be selling). The wheels have been in storage for almost three years, and although the storage was kept locked and obviously free from rain etc, after getting them out and doing my best to clean them with a standard chrome wheel cleaner spray - all the brake dust and grime washed off easily to a brilliant finish... EXCEPT for very tiny yet noticeable marks that looked like oxidation similar to jewelry.

Is there anything I can try in order to restore these chrome wheels to their once factory finish? There are also a few very slight scratches, or what amount to look like non-severe swirl marks.

Perhaps a cream, something akin to what you polish Jewelry with (Tarn-X etc) but formulated for wheels to deeply clean and polish/restore? I'm sure applying and buffing a product will do much more than spraying a wheel cleaner and washing off with a hose! I just don't what which to buy - or how I should go about it...

The wheels got mounted this morning, and I'd really like to make them shine once again with as little imperfections as possible - to add to the overall look of the Jeep. Thanks!!!

 

[Dubbin1]

First thing I would try is Nevr-Dull, you can pick it up just about anywhere.

 

[Ohio Detailing]

First thing I would try is Nevr-Dull, you can pick it up just about anywhere.

Thanks a lot - that's great if it's available locally, like an Auto Zone for example. I'd like to pick some up after work, since I have a big date tomorrow and wanted to polish the wheels before that.

Is there any type of applicator I should use, or length of time I should let it sit before buffing off? Also, would more coats create more gloss and more cleaning power?

One of my friends in construction suggested I use a specially made extremely fine steel wool pad on the wheels, but I WAS NOT about to take steel wool, no matter how fine, to these 20'' wheels! Thoughts?

 

[Lasthope05]

#0000 steel wool is perfectly safe to use on Chrome. I use it all the time(in conjunction with a metal polish.) You have to remember the chrome coating is very hard.

If you are scared or slightly hesitant you could use bronze/brass wool as a substitute.

 

[Ohio Detailing]

#0000 steel wool is perfectly safe to use on Chrome. I use it all the time(in conjunction with a metal polish.) You have to remember the chrome coating is very hard.

If you are scared or slightly hesitant you could use bronze/brass wool as a substitute.

That's what he said... he called it "4 something-or-other," so he must have meant the 0000. Thanks a lot for your advice... perhaps this would be the best to use with the Never Dull polish. Great help - looks like I'll be going to Home Depot later

 

[Lasthope05]

You cant use it together with Never dull because it is a polishing wad/cloth. But you can use the steel wool first with wd40 as a lubricate to remove the light oxidation/pitting then finish off with never dull. If you have M105 it also works great as a metal polish.

 

[Ohio Detailing]

You cant use it together with Never dull because it is a polishing wad/cloth. But you can use the steel wool first with wd40 as a lubricate to remove the light oxidation/pitting then finish off with never dull. If you have M105 it also works great as a metal polish.

I love it here - thank you so much. Great advice on products and technique! If you had not said anything, I would have went scrubbing away, incorrectly, with Never Dull and a 0000 steel wool pad!

So WD-40 spray and scrub with 0000 steel wool pad, wash off... THEN Never Dull polish and buff off (or M105 by Meg's)

THANKS!

 

[Lasthope05]

I love it here - thank you so much. Great advice on products and technique! If you had not said anything, I would have went scrubbing away, incorrectly, with Never Dull and a 0000 steel wool pad!

So WD-40 spray and scrub with 0000 steel wool pad, wash off... THEN Never Dull polish and buff off (or M105 by Meg's)

THANKS!

Everything looks good to me! :xyxthumbs:

 

[Ohio Detailing]

Just dug this old thread up from last year, because... ashamed as I might be to admit it, I just went ALL season without changing out my 20'' chrome wheels during the brutal Winter!

I know... bad idea! I usually plan MUCH better than this, but for months now I have been working 60 hours per week and STILL holding a part-time job on top of that, so I never swapped my factory wheels back on it.

Anyway, the build-up and what appears to be corrosion is VERY bad, in some small parts it appears as though perhaps the top clear coat (?) of the chrome might have even been eaten through.

In stead of 'throwing away' these wheels... what would be some LAST DITCH attempts I could use, VERY AGGRESSIVE, at getting them at least CLOSE to looking good again so I don't have a flawlessly detailed car, and some bummy corroded brown chrome wheels please!?

 

[Ohio Detailing]

Bump

Chrome wheels did their best to survive the winter... now they are, seemingly, dead on arrival! In search of a last ditch effort to clean them with something extremely aggressive. THANKS!

 

[Dr Oldz]

I have had good luck with poorboys pro polish 2. Alrho I never used it on severely oxidized chrome.

 

[LuxuryMobile]

If there close to being trashed and #0000 steel wool wont work maybe try #000 steel wool with a quality chrome polish?

Or, you should always have them sandblasted and powdercoated another color.

 

[Ohio Detailing]

If there close to being trashed and #0000 steel wool wont work maybe try #000 steel wool with a quality chrome polish?

Or, you should always have them sandblasted and powdercoated another color.

Thanks guys!

That's exactly what I was thinking... along the lines of waxing, start with the least abrasive product first and work my way up, in this case I'll see what #0000 steel wool with WD-40 can do, and if that doesn't work, I'll go to #000 with some chrome polish (is polish different than a cleaner, want to make sure I'm using the right thing)?

 

[LuxuryMobile]

If there as bad as your say, you will probably wont some polish with some grit to it. Sometimes paint polishes will work well too.

 

[Ohio Detailing]

If there as bad as your say, you will probably wont some polish with some grit to it. Sometimes paint polishes will work well too.

I'm going to put a reminder into my phone right now so I don't forget, to take some pictures tomorrow on Wednesday! I think this will really help with the advice everyone has offered, and I am so extremely appreciative of the help I've gotten here!

I think some pictures in good lighting, albeit with my cell phone (but it's a Droid2, so it's crisp clarity) will allow everyone to see the current state of my wheels.

Lastly for now, when you/anyone has time, could you please explain to me the differences between chrome cleaner, chrome or metal polish, paint polish, and WD-40 and their best usages?

If using a polish is a good idea, then maybe I should use something super aggressive like Meguiars Ultra Cut (or is that a 'compound')? Or would M105 be the best choice as mentioned earlier in the thread (isn't that just for buffing and adding a shine, not cleaning and restoring with 'grit'?

 

[Ohio Detailing]

I'm going to put a reminder into my phone right now so I don't forget, to take some pictures tomorrow on Wednesday! I think this will really help with the advice everyone has offered, and I am so extremely appreciative of the help I've gotten here!

I think some pictures in good lighting, albeit with my cell phone (but it's a Droid2, so it's crisp clarity) will allow everyone to see the current state of my wheels.

Lastly for now, when you/anyone has time, could you please explain to me the differences between chrome cleaner, chrome or metal polish, paint polish, and WD-40 and their best usages?

If using a polish is a good idea, then maybe I should use something super aggressive like Meguiars Ultra Cut (or is that a 'compound')? Or would M105 be the best choice as mentioned earlier in the thread (isn't that just for buffing and adding a shine, not cleaning and restoring with 'grit'?

BUMP

Someone please offer a hand, Spring is almost here, and I'm just trying to salvage my wheels.

In the meantime, I AM GOING TO UPLOAD SOME PICTURES!

 

[Ohio Detailing]

I'm going to put a reminder into my phone right now so I don't forget, to take some pictures tomorrow on Wednesday! I think this will really help with the advice everyone has offered, and I am so extremely appreciative of the help I've gotten here!

I think some pictures in good lighting, albeit with my cell phone (but it's a Droid2, so it's crisp clarity) will allow everyone to see the current state of my wheels.

Lastly for now, when you/anyone has time, could you please explain to me the differences between chrome cleaner, chrome or metal polish, paint polish, and WD-40 and their best usages?

If using a polish is a good idea, then maybe I should use something super aggressive like Meguiars Ultra Cut (or is that a 'compound')? Or would M105 be the best choice as mentioned earlier in the thread (isn't that just for buffing and adding a shine, not cleaning and restoring with 'grit'?

Double Bump on the questions and pictures above

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

I've never seen "new" chrome plating go downhill so fast.

Have you tried contacting the manufacture of the wheels, show them the pictures and ask them if this is normal for their product quality?

Also ask them what they recommend for a solution to the problem.

Post back here what you find out... it might helps others into the future...

 

[Lasthope05]

BUMP

Someone please offer a hand, Spring is almost here, and I'm just trying to salvage my wheels.

In the meantime, I AM GOING TO UPLOAD SOME PICTURES!

Maybe you could give Gord's polish a try for your choice of cleaner. This stuff has always caught my eye but I've never had a chance to order and use it. If you look on youtube he has a bunch of videos out and the results he gets with his product looks amazing. If you get it post a review. I first heard about Gord's polish on here years ago but nobody has ever used it or posted a review about it.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iknDynMU4tA]YouTube - Gord's Polish & Sealer removing heavy oxidation and brake dust from chrome rims.[/video]

 

[HeavyMetal]

I used to do plating in industry. Sorry to say, but from your pics corrosion has pitted thru the plating. You could grind/sand off the corrosion spots and the subsurface corrosion and then polish the underlying metal. However, it's unlikely that you will get a good match. Unfortunately once the chrome has pitted thru there is nothing you can really do to "restore" except have a plater strip and re-chrome. Polish them up, sell 'em cheap and use the money for a new set?