Steel wool (0000)

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08krewkab

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Can i use steel wool (0000) to clean the inside of some BMW wheels? I have used p21s gel cleaner and they are clean but has some rusted little spots all over the back side....i dont know if BMW wheels are coated on the back side.. Is it safe to use some p21s gel wheel cleaner with some steel wool to get them back to like new conditions only in the inside of the rim not on the outside? Thanks
 
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08krewkab said:
Can i use steel wool (0000) to clean the inside of some BMW wheels? I have used p21s gel cleaner and they are clean but has some rusted little spots all over the back side....i dont know if BMW wheels are coated on the back side.. Is it safe to use some p21s gel wheel cleaner with some steel wool to get them back to like new conditions only in the inside of the rim not on the outside? Thanks
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Have you tried detailing clay yet? That would be my first choice before trying the steel wool.
 
sorry, i did use a clay bar with no success.... that is why i was wanting to the the steel wool but dont want to damage it
 
Steel wool is very aggressive against smooth surfaces, maybe take the wheels off and use a stiff wheel cleaning brush?

Make sure there's no protective coating before doing anything that can scratches the coating.

If they're not coated and you care more about getting them clean than anything else then pick up some green Scotch-Brite Pads, these are very aggressive but not as aggressive as steelwool.

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steelwool_Full.jpg
 
^^^^^^^Good advice. I was slow on the tree.

Whatever damage you would inflict with the #0000 you could easily polish out with a fine metal polish.

If you are planning on keeping the "barrels" clean from now on, the it may be worth it to you to hit the entire inside with #0000, then polish and then seal them. This is assuming (quite dangerously) that the insides aren't coated however. If they are, you should take a much less aggressive approach for fear of eating off the coating unnecessarily.

One thing you could be fairly certain about though - the parts that are showing rust have either lost their coating, or never had it there.

Another option you have (depending on how bad it bothers you and how clean you want this area to remain) is to clean [#0000] and polish them, then clear coat them with a wheel spray. (eg:Wurth High Gloss Clear Lacquer Spray) I would trust my wheels to Wurth's products, as any I have ever used from them have been of excellent quality even though they wholesale. Then, protect them (wheel glaze/wax).

Now, what I am about to say is contraband in the world of pro detailing, but I have been surprised by it a few times.
You could try rubbing the said areas with <cough>Turtle Wax Rubbing or Polishing Compound<cough>. I know, this is considered to be the devil in a can, but for the inside of wheels (or other not so precious hard parts) I have seen it take rust off and leave a nice [enough] finish behind. You can then perfect the area after that.

Just offering up some ideas. Maybe I didn't answer your question, but hopefully helped in some way.

DLB
 
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If the surface is textured, I've had good luck with a stiff nylon brush or brass brush and something like Comet

Stoddard Solvent, which is non-flammable parts cleaning solvent can work well too.

There's other things that clean really well but can damage the pretty surfaces...


:D
 
The comment about "rusted little spots" probably means they are steel wheels, right?

If they are painted, then I wouldn't use anything but very mildly abrasive chemical cleaners.
Anything you feel would scratch the paint on your car will probably scratch the paint on your wheels.

If they are chrome, the 0000 steel wool and a chrome cleaner will probably work as good as anything.
The 0000 steel wool is not terribly aggressive and I have used and a chrome polish o some pretty badly rusted chrome with good luck. Rub gently.
Surface rust is not too difficult to remove.
The chrome can actually be pitted enough that you won't be able to do a lot with the problem. You will be able to remove the rust, but the only thing keeping the rust from coming back is whatever wax/sealant you apply.
Try an area and see what happens. Doesn't sound like you are happy with the way they are now.
 
0000 Steel wool is awesome for windows/glass, I wouldn't use on painted surfaces, but wheels are tough to say, whether coated or non etc. I have chrome wheels and it worked with AIO w/o damage but ya never know. I tested a small spot first, as it worked great to remove bits that were pitted that claying etc wouldn't. Test a small part first and then go from there.
 
I use 0000 Steel Wool on tailpipes with great success too.
 
Is the areas or spots you call rust actually rust or just simply embedded brake dust? BMW (and most German marques) use semi-metallic pads for good performance and when driven hard, fragments of the brake pad shear off and frequently land on the wheel and melt. It's a fact of life with the original type pads, only option would be to switch to a ceramic or organic blend pad which will have poorer initial bite when not warmed up. I use these on my '01 BMW but they don't feel as nice as stock pads, a trade-off for wheels that stay clean with only light gray dust.

A Scotchbrite pad will damage the wheel finish, even on the backside, so you'd want to be careful and test out if the area is visible from the outside of the wheel when mounted. I used a Scotchbrite pad and sand paper while cleaning some '98 BMW wheels being prepped for paint. These particular wheels were just painted aluminum ones, not polished and coated like some of the optional or sport package wheel choices. The backside was a grayish basecoat and primer, which easily scratched and was worn through with a Scotchbrite pad trying to remove the pad material deposits. No big deal when you are repainting them, but my goal was to leave as much of the original layer as possible since it was factory applied and bonded to the aluminum, however, you can't paint over brake pad deposits if the end result is to be presentable!

I also cleaned up some 2002 7-series wheels for resale and the backside primer or paint seemed more durable, perhaps it would tolerate Scotchbrite pad use. They were on the car for a short while and there was no need to go aggressive. Just experiment with your particular wheels before you goto town and possibly make them ugly. Later BMW wheels seem to have more durable finishes.
 
Lot of options. Which is the least aggressive?

edit: Only asked because a detail shop used media blaster on my stock 88Honda painted rims. (They are now out of business)

They took it down to bare metal in some spots. I am afraid steel wool will increase he permiter of the area available for new rust.
But 0000 is really fine. But...it's steel.
 
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