What is this on my wheels??!! And how to get rid of?
09-02-2018, 03:18 PM
#1
What is this on my wheels??!! And how to get rid of?
This dark brown/grey stuff appears on the “forward” surfaces of my wheels. The wheels have a metallic grey paint on all surfaces and polished alloy on the outside surfaces. Genuine Porsche turbo wheels.
When dirty, they are covered in dark brown/grey dirt that wipes off easily (presumably brake dust). However, on these surfaces (and NOT the trailing surfaces) there is this hard “scale” underneath the dirt. Bug and tar remover doesn’t seem to touch it (or hardly does). It honestly looks somewhat like rust, but it can’t be, can it?? These are highly polished, painted surfaces.
I am am at a loss.
09-02-2018, 03:33 PM
#3
Nordschleife Master
If wheel cleaner and tar remover are not getting it off, I have a feeling that brake dust or harsh chemicals have eaten into the finish and your finish is flaking off. Hope I am wrong, but that is what it looks like to me.
09-02-2018, 03:50 PM
#5
I have some of that on my wheels from the previous owner. I am going to try and give them another good clean, then polish, then coat them with CQuartz since that should add another layer of protection and make it wipe off easier in the future.
09-02-2018, 04:18 PM
#6
As it turns out, I CAN scrape it off with my fingernails. And the finish underneath is fine. But I don’t have enough fingernails in a lifetime to do that. I’ll try brake dust cleaner and a few other products and see if it will eat through it.
Judd
Judd
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09-02-2018, 06:06 PM
#8
09-03-2018, 01:33 PM
#10
Rennlist Member
Spray with brake cleaner and then use something like PBblaster and rub it in. If its superficial it will come off. Let it soak and rub in.
if its not then you should be able to see pitting. You can also take close up shots with your cell phone and zoom in to see whats going on.
if its not then you should be able to see pitting. You can also take close up shots with your cell phone and zoom in to see whats going on.
09-04-2018, 11:48 AM
#12
Instructor
Gyeon Iron
09-04-2018, 03:26 PM
#13
My go-to magical cleaning solution is called Oil-Flo Safety Solvent. It works when all else fails, and so far I've never experienced any damage from it. I bought a Ferrari 360 a while back that was 4.5 years old. There was a warning sticker glued to the dash (that was always meant to be removed, but never was). When I took it off, it left behind an ugly adhesive residue. Oil Flo got it off and there was no trace of adhesive and no damage to the leather. On 2 other occasions, careless NYC parking lot attendance got pen on the interior of my Panamera and separately my wife's Audi and the Oil Flow got it off. When I need to clean nasty wheels (especially the barrels when they're off the car), this stuff does the trick. It's available on Amazon.
09-04-2018, 04:24 PM
#14
Oil-Flo Should Be In Your Cleaning Kit
My go-to magical cleaning solution is called Oil-Flo Safety Solvent. It works when all else fails, and so far I've never experienced any damage from it. I bought a Ferrari 360 a while back that was 4.5 years old. There was a warning sticker glued to the dash (that was always meant to be removed, but never was). When I took it off, it left behind an ugly adhesive residue. Oil Flo got it off and there was no trace of adhesive and no damage to the leather. On 2 other occasions, careless NYC parking lot attendance got pen on the interior of my Panamera and separately my wife's Audi and the Oil Flow got it off. When I need to clean nasty wheels (especially the barrels when they're off the car), this stuff does the trick. It's available on Amazon.
See, <https://store.carcareonline.com/titanoilflosafetysolvent-16ozpumpspray.aspx>, which the following write-up is taken from.
Oil-Flo Safety Solvent is "[a] neutral pH, water soluble, liquid solvent that is colorless, non-foaming and rinses clean with water leaving no residue. May be diluted with water to the desired strength for a particular job. It removes grease, tar, oils, adhesives, tree sap, rubber marks, exhaust and many other stains that are considered difficult. Do not use on polycarbonate or polystyrene plastics. Oil Flo is the best product, we have found, that will easily remove wheel weight adhesive without harming the wheel finish. ...."
For the task at hand, cut a t-shirt into strips and lay the individual strips which are lightly soaked with Oil-Flo for about 5 to 10 minutes on the built-up areas of debris deposited on the individual spokes of your wheels. You can reuse those strips on other spokes. Wipe the Oil-Flo soaked debris and flush with water; all of Oil Flo Safety Solvent along with the debris will be flushed. Polish the wheels with your regular paint sealant.
Note, in the interior, I would be cautious (read test in an secluded area) about using Oil-Flo on a light-colored leather, as it could leave the leather lightly discolored with a water-like stain, but with with darker leather, brown or black there is no discoloration. Type 2
Last edited by Type 2; 09-04-2018 at 04:28 PM. Reason: Caps
