My wheels were neglected before I got the car and I can't seem to bring them back to good condition. I have tried many wheel cleaners simple green and many other things that did not work. Instead of trying to explain what they look like here are some pics.

<img src="http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/Wheel1.JPG" alt=" - " />

<img src="http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/wheel2.JPG" alt=" - " />

 

Autosol metal polish. Works like a hot damn.

Nice clubsport wheels BTW. I had mine polished and then clear coated. They look amazing, and require much less maintenance now.

 

Thanks Ian I will see if I can find that somewhere local.

 

Won't a metal polish eat through the anodization?

I think these wheels are Anodized anyway....

 

I have heard they were anodized also. Anybody know if that will hurt them?

 

Watch out! I destroyed a set of anodized 928-style flat wheels by trying to clean them up. Don't use any solvents on those... I can't say from those pics if the anodization is already gone or not, it just might be too late by now...

If you're going to polish them, it doesn't really matter if the (rest of the) anodization goes or not - since you can just clear-coat them afterwards.

 

Before going to a lot of trouble I would suggest P21S Gel Wheel Cleaner. It is totally safe for alloy wheels and I love the stuff. It comes in a spray bottle and because it's a gel will stay where you sprayed it. You let it soak on the wheel for a while and then scrub a little with a wet sponge. I've been using this product on my phone dials for years with great results. The real proof is when I used the P21S on my old VW GTI wheels that had been neglected for a very long time. The brake dust had really worked its way into the finish, but the P21S got them back to almost new! Of course the best part is that there is practically no work involved.

 

It's not the anodic coating your eating through. You are damaging the seal on the wheels. If the seal is good and anodic coating is reasonable, a mild detergent will get it clean.(Some solvents like Acetone and MEK will not damage anodized wheels that have not been clear coated.) The marks on that wheel appear to be corrosion from a 2000 series alloy or, more than likely, very stubborn brake dust. The way you can tell if your wheel is anodized is to place a continuity meter on the wheel. Anodic coatings are non-conductive and the substrate will conduct very well. (It also will not conduct if it has been clear coated.)

The disclaimer here is to only use solvents on wheels you are certain do not have any clear coat!! Besides, they will only clean grease, not that stuff!

 

Hey Tom, these wheels are forged and anodized.

I am also debating on what to do with my forged cups which have been partially etched by the PO. I just got 17" so once I get around to putting them on, I will deal with the cups.
FYI, it will cost about $100/ea to have it polished and clearcoated or powder coated or painted.... I have heard great things about the P21S...you may also try Eagle wheel cleaner...

 

Anodization defeats the electrical conductivity of metals so if the wheel is already stripped to the bone putting a multimeter on two points of the wheel will indicate 0 or little resistance. If there's no continuity there is some anodization or clear coating or something left.

 

Well I could not find the polish that Ian suggested so I tried some Bluemagic. It did take some of the dirt of but it does not look much different. I only tried it on the wheel that is in the worse condition figured I had nothing to loose. It did not hurt the finish of the wheel at all as far as I can tell. I will just live with them the way they are until I need new tires then I will decide on new rims or to refinish these. I have heard good things about P21S and just never got around to ordering it. I will have to give that a try sometime. Thanks for all the input.

 

I would get some heavy duty stuff like P21S. Then remove the wheels from the car, one by one....saturate with P21S...scrub with a brush....and wash with a high powered pressure washer! The pressure washer will work wonders.

 

Is this P21S the same stuff in a little white spray bottle that's kinda green? Someone said gel, so I'm hoping there's some other heavier-duty stuff...The P21S isn't all that amazing (it's good), and it eats your finish if you leave it on.

Gotta find someone with a pressure washer...THose things are friggin' rad.

 

You could also try "Mother's Billet Metal Polish". I've never tried it, but I've heard it works quite well, similar to the Autosol stuff. BTW, Autosol comes in a black and gold tube, like a tube of toothpaste. It's great stuff. I used it to clean and shine up all the metal parts of my brothers Norton Commando bike. My buddy uses it religously to keep his polished Fuchs wheels shiny on his 911 Carrera Cabriolet.

 

Tremelune, yeah the gel P21S is a heavier-duty version of the liquid. And yes it will eat the finish if you leave it on for a long time, but you would have to leave it on for hours to have it do any damage (it only takes about 5-10 minutes). It is water-soluable so to remove it from the wheels you just need to thoroughly rinse with a garden hose. It's the best cleaner for removing brake dust that I have found.