SEMI transport truck pointers

Vegas Transplant said:
Tuscarora Dave has a method where he chases an acid wash with an alkaline wash or rinse...i forget which.
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envious2014 said:
or is this Metal Polish to be used only on the metal?
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Check out post #56 in this thread.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...comment-bus-recons-commercial-vehicles-6.html

It shows both the acid spot wash chased with an alkaline cleaner to neutralize the acid. It also shows how little effect the acid/alkaline has on the paint's staining, then how well the metal polish works on the paint instead.
 
When you get a vehicle that has so much metal fallout on the rear bumper / tailgate that is feels and looks like orange Fred Flintstone razor stubble, this acid wash chased with an alkaline works to very easily and quickly remove all of the metal fallout. It's really nothing new as the method has been used for as long as I can remember, but it works and is way cheaper than IronX but of course you don't get the cutesy little purple bleeding effect.
 
So the acid cleaner helps remove the rust, iron, stains. Guess that's why most wheel cleaners have been acidic. Never knew why they were.
 
The acid helps in removing the build up of gunk that comes off of metal parts and attaches itself on the surface of the paint or gel coat. It doesn't do a lot for the deeply embedded stains, that's where the metal polish works well at cleaning the paint or gel coat up. The metal polish does nothing for removing the extreme oxidation found on some gel coat finishes. It will clean that extreme oxidation but won't remove it. Mechanical abrasion is needed to remove that heavy oxidation, whether it be sanding, scuffing it off with scuff pads then following with rotary+wool pad+heavy duty compound etc.
 
Thanks again guys.

Any thing different about cleaning wheels/brake dust on these trucks? Seems they dust a less than car for how many miles are put on them, but I do us my engine brake as much as I can though.
 
What I do on wheels that look like the ones on your hay hauler follows...

1. wash loose crud off of wheel then let dry.

2. with the hose handy and turned on, I spray a good acid wheel cleaner over the entire wheel starting from the bottom of the face of the wheel and spraying from there to the top of the wheel so no drips of acid are allowed to run down over a dry wheel causing streak etchings.

3.I stand there occasionally respraying the acid on the wheel to maintain a consistent wet coating of wheel cleaner as it dwells. I allow 3 to 4 minutes of consistently wet dwell time.

4. I quickly rinse the wheel with the garden hose/ pressure washer etc. before the acid wheel cleaner is allowed to dry. I rinse for a good minute or 2 with the water.

5. I spray a consistently wet (bottom to top) coating of an alkaline cleaner with at least 1 minute total dwell time then rinse well.

A lot of the times, the wheel looks very nice after this procedure and nothing more is needed. If you're looking to bling these wheels out, then this procedure is the first step to prep before your blinging steps begin.
 
Thanks Dave. I thought I was going to have to do some serious scrubbing, I will try that first.
 
Mantilgh said:
Thanks Dave. I thought I was going to have to do some serious scrubbing, I will try that first.
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You're welcome.

It's very important to be sure there is no water laying in the hub area or down in the bottom lip of the rim when you do the acid dwell method. If there is water laying anywhere on the rim or aluminum near the hub, the acid won't perform it's work where that water is laying and you'll have an ugly mark there after it's all rinsed away.

If you're not in a hurry, brush wash the wheel with a good effective cleaner then wipe away any leftover water and wait a few hours before starting the acid step.

If you're in more of a hurry, use compressed air to blow away any water then double check for water before applying the acid to the wheel.
 
Good to know.

Does it need to be acid wheel cleaner, or will the acid used for the wash work the same?
 
Mantilgh said:
Good to know.

Does it need to be acid wheel cleaner, or will the acid used for the wash work the same?
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You'll have to test what you have on hand. I've done this with a leading (production detailing) manufacturer's wheel acid and I've mixed up my own mix of Muriatic acid water about 30% acid 70% water and it works too. I'd add more acid for cruddier wheels.

The most important thing is to use proper PPE when working with these acids.
 
And as all the chemists I've ever known told me, "Do as you aughta, add acid to wata."
 
tuscarora dave said:
When you get a vehicle that has so much metal fallout on the rear bumper / tailgate that is feels and looks like orange Fred Flintstone razor stubble, this acid wash chased with an alkaline works to very easily and quickly remove all of the metal fallout. It's really nothing new as the method has been used for as long as I can remember, but it works and is way cheaper than IronX but of course you don't get the cutesy little purple bleeding effect.
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Do you scrub with the acid wash, or just spray and rinse?
 
Mantilgh said:
Do you scrub with the acid wash, or just spray and rinse?
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I have a 100% pure bristle parts cleaning brush that I use. I spray the acid on and let it dwell for a minute or so, keeping it wet with my spray bottle of acid I lightly brush back and forth and in circles for a minute or so then rinse with water. I work small sections at a time rinsing after each section so I never have any acid drying on the paint and don't allow the acid to dwell for too long in any one section.

After I work my way around all of the affected area I spray the entire area with an alkaline cleaner, let dwell for a minute or so and then rinse well with water.
 
Wow, I see how the description "feels and looks like orange Fred Flintstone razor stubble" would apply. That's a lot of attached rust/contaminants
 
Mantilgh said:
Wow, I see how the description "feels and looks like orange Fred Flintstone razor stubble" would apply. That's a lot of attached rust/contaminants
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Yeah... Most guys have 5 O'clock shadow, I think Fred had a lunch time shadow.:laughing:

I see that condition a lot on the commercial wheelchair vans I see in the line of my daily travels.

After performing the above outlined acid wash followed by a 25 minute pass over the entire van with with my trusty 3401 and metal polish, the van comes out bright white and shining like it did as new.

Sometimes just a well thought out and performed caustic wash makes them shine as new, but when they have that type and concentration of fallout they need the acid wash. What costs me about $1 in wheel cleaner couldn't be done with $100 worth of Iron-X.
 
Lots of valuable info shared here!! Thanks Dave and all that contributed to this thread!
 
Kevin Cullen said:
Lots of valuable info shared here!! Thanks Dave and all that contributed to this thread!
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Hi Kevin!!!

I think of you every time I involve myself in commercial vehicle threads. I wonder where you're at and if you're well. Very nice to see you appear in this thread, and only hope it keeps going and involves a little more about metal polishing, especially now that you're here.
 
Hey Dave, I have been trying to slow down on the aluminum polishing as I am getting tired of being black with aluminum dust/ polish. More and more concentrating on interiors and paint polishing. Your info that you give and given here is worth more than the price of gold!
 
Does the particular type of acid matter, or are there some that should be avoided?

I read that oxalic acid softens paint and causes damage over time. This was from a acid decontamination product that claimed not to contain it for this reason.

I bought some EagleOne Chrome Wheel Cleaner the other day to use on some chrome wheels and possibly for the acid wash if it is suitable.

From the msds sheet it contains:
PHOSPHORIC ACID
ETHANEDIOIC ACID
SULFURIC ACID
HYDROFLUORIC ACID

Ph 2.8

Would this be usable at a certain percentage?
 
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