Cleaner stock wheels!

[fooldall1]

Just wanted to share.. My stock 16s had been neglected by the PO and had a bunch of bonded brake dust and grime.. After I got my new Ko2s, the wheel condition was glaringly bad.

So, if anyone cares- I was able to get most of the crap off of the wheels after failing with almost every solvent by soaking a rag with penetrating oil and wiping down the wheels..let sit for an hour, then wiping with a clean rag. Repeated that process, then a light scrub with a cheap brillo pad removed nearly ALL of that bonded crap. Last step, apply a polymer sealant layer of cQuartz.

Looks much better!

 

[2000UZJ]

Replace those lug nuts for an even cleaner look.

 

[fooldall1]

Oh yeah- definitely..that's next

 

[YardPig]

Wow, looks great! The brillo didn't scratch the finish?

 

[uzj100]

Looks great!

and throw the wheel locks in the trash - ;<)

 

[FxFormat]

Yeah I hate wheel locks, if you’ve ever had a flat on a rainy night and can’t find your wheel lock you’d understand. Nobody steal wheels anymore I’d just get rid of it.

OTOH the wheels look much better now.

 

[Dwight S]

Replace those lug nuts for an even cleaner look.

@2000UZJ... Why you lurking around??? HURRY UP and buy one already!!!! We miss you & need you back on a regular basis.

 

[Dwight S]

@fooldall1, wheels look good. I'd get rid of those locking lug nuts as well.

 

[suprarx7nut]

I just put my stock wheels with winter tires back on my 99 and it really made me realize how unclean they are, even after "cleaning them with my typical cleaner and brush.

This is awesome motivation. Nice work!

 

[fooldall1]

Yes, the finish does get some abrasion marks, but I can polish those out with the Mother's Powerball, and then seal with a long lasting polymer sealant. Even if they're not perfect up close, at least they aren't tarnished and nasty looking

 

[YardPig]

Great idea, they look great, I'm going to give it a shot myself! Thanks for the tips.

 

[Kabanstva]

Looks great, which penetrating oil did you use?

 

[fooldall1]

Looks great, which penetrating oil did you use?

Just PB Blaster, the usual stuff

 

[flintknapper]

I use Mineral Spirits in a spray bottle. Just 'mist' it on...let it sit for a few minutes, wipe off with paper towels. It removes pretty much anything but road tar. Then I follow up with soapy water and rinse.

 

[fooldall1]

I use Mineral Spirits in a spray bottle. Just 'mist' it on...let it sit for a few minutes, wipe off with paper towels. It removes pretty much anything but road tar. Then I follow up with soapy water and rinse.

I tried that, too.. Along with acetone, different alcohols..nothing worked. I guess the light pitting of the aluminum in my case required a little more elbow grease

 

[fooldall1]

I'm pretty happy with the results.

Can someone recommend a specific lug nut? I ordered a few "acorn style" nuts but the OEM are different with a built in locking washer, by the looks of it.

 

[DuckLN]

They still steal wheels in Arkansas! Not old ones but yea you’ll be on blocks if youre not careful with that new denali.

 

[TXLX100]

Yeah I hate wheel locks, if you’ve ever had a flat on a rainy night and can’t find your wheel lock you’d understand. Nobody steal wheels anymore I’d just get rid of it.

OTOH the wheels look much better now.

Wheel locks are the worst. My 20 year old key is about worn out and I'm sure shops have impacted with it many times. I'm in the process of hammering mine off right now. I wish someone would come steal the wheels and tires off my LX right now, save me the trouble of hammering off the locks. Takes a few minutes, but wheel locks are easy to get off with a 3/4 12 point socket hammered on.

 

[lhommec13]

They still steal wheels in Arkansas! Not old ones but yea you’ll be on blocks if youre not careful with that new denali.

Absolutely. Not just in AR but all over. Not necessarily something we have to worry about with our unique (aka rare 5x150) lug pattern, but it most certainly happens.

 

[Matserelli]

I highly recommend this wheel cleaner...
https://www.amazon.com/Sonax-230200...?ie=UTF8&qid=1510268108&sr=8-2&keywords=sonax
Thank me later!

The OEM wheel lock keys are notorious for failing when mechanics don't properly torque the lugs. If you still want to lock your wheels up these are a great solution to that problem.
Gorilla Automotive Products