I really need you guidance..

[parad1mg]

i recently scored a good deal on some Mickey Thompson Classic II Wheels with tires on them.. they are aluminum wheels WITHOUT any coating on them whatsoever.. ( link: http://www.mickeythompsontires.com/w...item=ClassicII ) unfortunately the wheels were not maintained and were exposed and used in winter conditions, so it had road grime, crusty brake dust, road salt, gunk, etc..

i tried everything just to remove all that hard dirt stuck on the wheels.. the only thing that successfully removed it was WD40 and 0000 steel wool.. now i'm left with a smooth finish but it has pits and white spots on it!!! i cannot remove them for the love of god with any off the shelf aluminum polish.. i already tried mother's products, eagle one products and whatever i could find at the local auto parts store..

here's some pics of what i'm stuck with..

CLOSE-UP OF THE SPOTS AND SMALL PITTED AREAS:




i havent finished cleaning it off 'cuz i got so frustrated on why those spots wouldnt go away.. so, pleeeeaaasseee? somebody guide me to the right way?
i only have a dremel tool, a VSR drill, my aching arms and a wallet that's exhausted from buying products that do not work.. i just want to make it look like new again, almost like chrome, and possibly my face on the reflection.. lol..

[mpierich]

Originally Posted by parad1mg

i recently scored a good deal on some Mickey Thompson Classic II Wheels with tires on them.. they are aluminum wheels WITHOUT any coating on them whatsoever.. ( link: http://www.mickeythompsontires.com/w...item=ClassicII ) unfortunately the wheels were not maintained and were exposed and used in winter conditions, so it had road grime, crusty brake dust, road salt, gunk, etc..

i tried everything just to remove all that hard dirt stuck on the wheels.. the only thing that successfully removed it was WD40 and 0000 steel wool.. now i'm left with a smooth finish but it has pits and white spots on it!!! i cannot remove them for the love of god with any off the shelf aluminum polish.. i already tried mother's products, eagle one products and whatever i could find at the local auto parts store..

i havent finished cleaning it off 'cuz i got so frustrated on why those spots wouldnt go away.. so, pleeeeaaasseee? somebody guide me to the right way?
i only have a dremel tool, a VSR drill, my aching arms and a wallet that's exhausted from buying products that do not work.. i just want to make it look like new again, almost like chrome, and possibly my face on the reflection.. lol..

If you're sure there's absolutely no coating on it (including anodizing), all I can tell you is it's time to start sanding if you want mirrror-finished wheels. Try an small area, start with 500 or 600-grit - get the kind they sell at auto supply stores and try it wet. Use a rubber block with sandpaper. If you have power tools there are ways to use them, too.

If 500/600 doesn't get off all the spots, try 320; if that doesn't work, go down to 220 (that's probably low enough), then come back up thru the grits, then you can polish with a drill and buffing wheels. There's plenty of info in here, just do a search on actual procedures.

[jrow]

parad1mg,

It looks like those wheels had a protective coating on them when they came from the factory! I'd do a search for the Mickey Thompson manufacturing site and contact them and see what they put on the wheels as a final coat. If your going to polish these to a chrome like finish then your in for a lot of work. One thing you can try if you don't mind ruining the finish would be to put some Aircraft Paint Stripper on the back of the wheel and see if it will wrinkle the coating. The white spots you are seeing are probably oxidation. If your really gutsy you can try some 400 grit wet and dry on the back, use it wet, and see what happens! If you try the stripper and it doesn't work let us know, it could be an anodized top coat.

John

[parad1mg]

jrow, i already posted a link to thier website on my first post and contacted them last week and they don't have any kind of coating on them.. no powdercoat, clear coat, anodized coating, protective coating on it..

1500 got rid of the spots when i tested it on some areas.. i think i'll be ok going down to 600 and no lower.. i'm still new on this aluminum buffing thing and i already spent a lot on cleaners nad polishers that i found out i never really needed..

what would effectively remove those sanding scratches? emery, tripoli or white rouge? i only have a dremel and a VSR drill to work with..

Thanks!

[mpierich]

Originally Posted by parad1mg

jrow, i already posted a link to thier website on my first post and contacted them last week and they don't have any kind of coating on them.. no powdercoat, clear coat, anodized coating, protective coating on it..

1500 got rid of the spots when i tested it on some areas.. i think i'll be ok going down to 600 and no lower.. i'm still new on this aluminum buffing thing and i already spent a lot on cleaners nad polishers that i found out i never really needed..

what would effectively remove those sanding scratches? emery, tripoli or white rouge? i only have a dremel and a VSR drill to work with..

Thanks!

If you do a good job with the 600, try tripoli on a 4"cotton wheel on your drill. If that leaves it hazy, drop back to emery compound and finish it up with white.

[parad1mg]

Thanks mpierich! i'll try that out..

[baz]

most of these wheels cam out with liquid or powder clear coat on them .
some company s leave them uncoated like weld wheels or centerline
very very few wheels were anodized , the porous material used for casting these wheels does not respond very well to anodize but there are exeptions .
if you say these spots go away with 600 , then it should be quite easy to do
sand and buff . show us some pics when done