Wheel Acid - not always a bad thing......still hate it though.....

[Crazy Amos]

I know some people have asked about wheel acid and what it can do so I thought I would share this with you.

Sometimes wheel acid is needed. Take this particular case.

When I tell you this keep in mind, I never drive my wifes car….ever.

Well, Sunday we went over to my mother and father in laws for supper and decided to take her car. It was covered with road salt and grime from two weeks of snow, and the wheels were covered with brake dust, all four. We pull out of the driveway, proceed to the stop sign down the road and when I pressed the brakes to stop, all I heard was “KRRRRRR-CH-CH-KRRRRRR”, pure metal on metal grinding!

I asked when in the heck (for lack of a better word) did this start making this noise? She said “Well, it started squeeking a couple weeks ago and it just started sounding like that.” Just to let you know, it was probably more like a month ago…..

Fast forward to last night. I bought new pads and rotors all the way around to replace the old. But, before I did, I wanted to clean the brake dust off of the wheels and the ice out of the wells to make my job a little cleaner. I sprayed OPC at 1:1 on the wheels, tires and wells then cleaned with a wheel brush. When I rinsed I found brown stains and pits all over the inside of the spokes. That told me the brakes had been like that for a while, the metal had corroded the coating and embedded itself into the wheel itself. Since the OPC and 105 with a Powerball didn’t work, I went straight for the acid.

I put on my nitrile gloves and mask open the garage door and sprayed the acid (10:1) directly onto the wheel after soaking the nearby panels with water. While working one wheel at a time I let it dwell for about 10 seconds and agitated with the same brush and soap as I did before, rinsed and then soaked the wheel and everything behind it again with OPC to neutralize any left over acid (rinsed well but wanted to be safe), dried them and applied 2 coats of CG Wheel Guard to each wheel.

The results were pretty good. Take a look below. Pics are before sealing.

Note: Do not ever use acid as your primary cleaner. It is nasty stuff and should be avoided whenever possible. If you decide to use it, dilute to the proper amount, wear proper protection, rinse for at least a minute and always re-seal the wheel because it will strip everything off including the coating if it sits too long.

After OPC and brush. Check out the rotor behind the wheel.

This isn't the same wheel - thought I took a closeup pic but didn't. They all looked the same though. You get the idea.

Missed a couple spots but not hitting it again with it.

I have had the same gallon of this stuff for years and I don't use it often but its nice when needed.

I am sure their are plenty of people who will say not to use this stuff, and I have to agree-it hate it. But in times like this, its all that worked.

 

[Flash Gordon]

Probally knocked 6 months off your life, but at last you have clean wheels now oke:

 

[Crazy Amos]

Probally knocked 6 months off your life, but at last you have clean wheels now oke:

Well at the rate this car is going and the way she drives it, it won't last that long! :laughing:

 

[FUNX650]

Glad you're still with us:laughing: Nice job on the wheels. Noticed you said that you had this gallon of acid for awhile---what acid is it, if I may ask?

Over the years I've also used different acids on wheels--hated it--an acid like Hydrfluoric even diluted @ 50% could kill if inhaled or burn you if spilled/splattered on you. Having a HF acid burn was bad enough, but HF would go after calcium in your body(think bones). Another one of HF uses is to clean concrete--Strong Stuff! Other acids I remember using, among many, were nitric, sulphuric, phosphoric--all potentially harmful to you, the environment, and vehicles.

Nowadays to be on the "safer" side I try to use, when needed, wheel cleaners that contain Oxalic acid--safer than the acids listed above--but still an acid. All safety precautions like you used should still be followed.

Thanks for your :goodpost:---brought back many memories of: OOCH, OUCH, DAG BLAME IT, SONOFABLANKETYBLANK, SHOOT FIRE, DABNATION, OWWEEWOOSYIm the MAN

 

[sohail99]

I too have used acid based wheel cleaners in the past!

But it only has like 2-3% oxalic acid! and it works quite good!! and are relatively safer!

but now, I only use non acid based cleaners like dp cleanse-all if absolutely necessary. Otherwise, for normal cleaning its ONR or car wash shampoo!

I wonder, what'd happen if one uses a daytona wheel brush to agitate the acid!!

 

[tuscarora dave]

I'm sure there is metal and brake dust embedded all over the sides of the car as well. You may want to clay the entire car before it gets too bad. My Dad did this with his white Trans Am and the paint was literally covered with little rusty iron spots on/in the white paint. Nice job on the wheels.

What brand wheel acid do you have?

 

[apg39]

One of our suppliers has an aluminum brightener which he swears by for cleaning wheels, did a sample for me & it was pretty impressive...wheels cleaned right up.

Only has 1% hydroflouric acid, which you then dilute 2:1 or 1:1 for harder stuff so it's less than .5% when you're actually in contact with it. He is trying to convince me that as long as I wear Nitrile gloves, glasses & breathing mask then I'll be fine.

Is he full of BS or is it much better having 0.5% HF compared to all the horror stories we read about?

 

[Crazy Amos]

Glad you're still with us:laughing: Nice job on the wheels. Noticed you said that you had this gallon of acid for awhile---what acid is it, if I may ask?

Over the years I've also used different acids on wheels--hated it--an acid like Hydrfluoric even diluted @ 50% could kill if inhaled or burn you if spilled/splattered on you. Having a HF acid burn was bad enough, but HF would go after calcium in your body(think bones). Another one of HF uses is to clean concrete--Strong Stuff! Other acids I remember using, among many, were nitric, sulphuric, phosphoric--all potentially harmful to you, the environment, and vehicles.

Its a combo of hydrofluric and phosphoric-nasty stuff and is absolutely not VOC complient LOL. It kind of smells like rotten eggs.

I got a little bit on my fingers before after cutting the nails too short and it felt like they were going to melt off!!!! OUCH!!!!

Nowadays to be on the "safer" side I try to use, when needed, wheel cleaners that contain Oxalic acid--safer than the acids listed above--but still an acid. All safety precautions like you used should still be followed.

Yep, me too. Luckily I poured the last bit out that night in my sprayer. Won't be tempted to use it anymore....

Thanks for your :goodpost:---brought back many memories of: OOCH, OUCH, DAG BLAME IT, SONOFABLANKETYBLANK, SHOOT FIRE, DABNATION, OWWEEWOOSY

Haha! No problem.
Im the MAN

Filling some space here

 

[Crazy Amos]

I'm sure there is metal and brake dust embedded all over the sides of the car as well. You may want to clay the entire car before it gets too bad. My Dad did this with his white Trans Am and the paint was literally covered with little rusty iron spots on/in the white paint. Nice job on the wheels.

What brand wheel acid do you have?

Yep, it needs a good claying. I washed it and noticed the panel is really rough down the sides. Will hopefully get to it soon-have a couple jobs to do first. Dont want to go to too long though like you said or it will ruin the paint.

The brand is called Destinctive Details and I think they are based out of Michigan. Pretty good products for the price. They have a couple things i use from time to time.

 

[D_Nyholm]

What acid did you use? We used to use acid years ago on BMW and MB wheels that hadn't been cleaned up for a while. Spray on the acid, hit it with a power washer, and DONE! That stuff BURNED when it went up your nose (I was young and stupid) and made your hands burn if you didnt wash it off quickly.

Fast foward to this past week, i used Meg's Wheel Brightener for the first time and wasn't very impressed. It wasn't very powerful and almost didn't seem like acid at all!! You could still smell it through the mask I used and it smelled almost good, like all Meg's stuff smells pretty good. I wonder what has changed...

 

[ShaunD]

Oh my goodness! You people kill me; more likely to actually kill yourselves. Nitrile gloves and paper dust mask are not intended for strong chemicals and acids. If you can smell what you are using through a mask then that means the mask isn't doing anything. Anytime you smell anything that means a particle of whatever you are using is now in your nasal passage. Anyone doing heavy sanding, messing with/mixing chemicals should be wearing the PROPER PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT(PPE). If you can't get a respirator with built-in eye protection then you should be wearing splash proof goggles and a face shield (yes both would be ideal). And as far as gloves, you need actual chemical/acid proof rubber gloves like the ones you wore in science class. Especially considering how easy you can cut open a pair of nitrile gloves and even the all-purpose chemical resistant orange gloves, which are a way better idea than nitrile considering they are much more chemical resistant and have a gauntlet(cuff) that covers all your wrist. I had a friend who cleaned pools and lost his sense of smell for a few several years from chemical burns in his nasal passage; not to mention some hair lose. So acids in any ratio should used with extreme CAUTION(not a note). FYI, I spent 11 years in the Navy and had all the HAZMAT training to back up my statements here. With that being said you guys should keep the MSDS sheets handy for any of these chemicals/acids you are using so if something happens to you or anyone around you house that comes into contact with any of it you know what to do and not to do to treat them and can give the ER the MSDS so they can better treat the vic. Just looking out for my fellow detailers and everyone around them. Don't want to hear about someone on here getting seriously injured because they didn't know and I didn't speak up. By the way I had an STI wheel get covered in burned up rotor and pad material and used some Advanced Auto wheel cleaner mostly and an occasional spray of brake cleaner and a Scotch-Brite scrub to get most of the stuff off. It didn't really even scratch the finish.

 

[Crazy Amos]

I agree but the nitrile gloves were all I had so I used them and made sure it didn't get on my skin. Used a respirator type mask-no smell and a pair of glasses I use when cutting wood. This is what I had so I just used it-it worked well. The acid wasn't strong enough to go through the gloves in a matter of seconds though. Don't get me wrong it would have eventually.

Again, I agree to use the proper protection and thanks for letting us know what the proper protection is. I too don't want anyone to get hurt.