Help!! cant clean my ltw wheels

[BmwAlpinaB2.5]

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a83/pc2650/Bmw/DSC00014.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a83/pc2650/Bmw/DSC00013.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a83/pc2650/Bmw/DSC00012.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a83/pc2650/Bmw/DSC00015.jpg

I cant get this black dirty(whatever you want to call it)off my wheels!! :mad I tried the wheel cleaner and still no luck. so far I have use sandpaper(only a small piece, just to try)I dont think using sandpaper will be good for my wheels but it works, the black dirt came off pretty easy. is there a other way to get this black dirt off? is using sandpaper ok?

any advice will be great.

Thanks

sorry for the huge pics I dont know how to adjust.

[LeMansGTS]

sorry, i cant help but how the hell did that happen?

how long did you not clean them for?

[bmwjuggalo]

SANDPAPER???!!:confused
dude, no way. unless you wanna repaint the rims or something

[twhlax3]

dude i think its fairly obvious that those wheels are toast. they need to be refinished. that stuff on there has damaged the finish, you can see how uneven it is. even if you could get the black stuff off the wheel would look pretty pitted and raw.

[photopaintball]

acetaline

[forumjp59]

woa....:eek: ...good luck man, but i think ur outa luck...they're toast

[ShoreBimmerBoi]

did you drive through a fire or something?

[BmwAlpinaB2.5]

sorry, i cant help but how the hell did that happen?

how long did you not clean them for?


the whole winter time

[roberttran]

What kind of wheel wash did you use? How long did you let the brake dust bake on?

[BmwAlpinaB2.5]

dude i think its fairly obvious that those wheels are toast. they need to be refinished. that stuff on there has damaged the finish, you can see how uneven it is. even if you could get the black stuff off the wheel would look pretty pitted and raw.

crap, so I have to refinish those wheels? how much is refinish wheels going to cost?

[BmwAlpinaB2.5]

What kind of wheel wash did you use? How long did you let the brake dust bake on?

I used Armor All Wheel Cleaner. brake dust? I dont understand, sorry foreigner

[shoman24v]

Those are aluminum correct? See if you can get them sanded and polished. Whatever it was ate the metal.

[SuperXFR]

i'll take them off your hands if you like! :D

[BmwAlpinaB2.5]

will this affect my car's performance?

[arpecker]

could it have been from road salt? those rims are destroyed.

[MorningWood]

Might be a dumb suggestion, but have you tried degreaser?

[BmwAlpinaB2.5]

Might be a dumb suggestion, but have you tried degreaser?

no I havent try degreaser, is that bad for the rims? if not I'll try it


man, everybody is saying these rims are destroy, so there is no way to fix them besides refinish them huh?tie on money too. :(

I learnd my lesson, next winter I'll go buy some winter rims and I'll make sure these ltw will be store in the garage.

[MegaShifty]

Wow, looks like someone abandoned their LTW wheels. :nono

[arpecker]

no I havent try degreaser, is that bad for the rims? if not I'll try it


man, everybody is saying these rims are destroy, so there is no way to fix them besides refinish them huh?tie on money too. :(

I learnd my lesson, next winter I'll go buy some winter rims and I'll make sure these ltw will be store in the garage.

used pool cleaner to clean 2 years worth of brake dust and grime off some chrome AR wheels, worked great. (friend didnt realize what he was cleaning with until his dad told him later, didnt destroy the chrome)

[roberttran]

I used Armor All Wheel Cleaner. brake dust? I dont understand, sorry foreigner

That black stuff might be the dust from your brake pads. They stick to your wheels and since the brake system generates heat, it heats up the wheels and causes the dust to bake onto the paint/metal of the wheels. Try Eagle1's wheels cleaner to see if more black stuff comes off. If it does, keep using it and wipe with a rag. Any left over specks or spots can be removed from any light polishing compounds like scratch removers.

[MorningWood]

no I havent try degreaser, is that bad for the rims? if not I'll try it


man, everybody is saying these rims are destroy, so there is no way to fix them besides refinish them huh?tie on money too. :(

I learnd my lesson, next winter I'll go buy some winter rims and I'll make sure these ltw will be store in the garage.


Not to be a dick, but if worst comes to worst, I might be interested in them.

[Daved]

I also think you'll need to get them refinished.

[chippy17]

those things are lonnngggg gone. Trust me, I know. That's why I got steelies for the winter.

[Laguner]

That Eagle 1 cleaner, especially their cleaner for rough aluminum (can't remember the exact name) will tackle the brake dust with a plastic dish washing brush and a bottle cleaning brush. However, the plastic coating has been eaten away and road salt has pitted the wheel, so those will be your winter wheels.

[Mekihead]

I had a similar problem with my wheels last winter. My caliper piston locked up and the result was brake dust and rust and metallic powder all over my wheel. I used brake cleaner, engine degreaser and LOTS of elbow greese with a scotch pad, *not to be confused with and S.O.S. or steel wool pad* and it came off.

It just boils down to elbow greese and patience. They're fine! Brake dust does not form some magical chemical bond that fuses it to wheels. You just need to take the wheel off the car, take it to the utility sinks in you basement or mudroom and scrub that shit off.

[Max M3]

Use Brake cleaner... It'll take a bit of "over and over", but that should do it.

[-ursa-]

are you in MA? If so take them to www.rimpro.com and get them refinished.

[BmwAlpinaB2.5]

I went to my mechanic and he gave me this.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a83/pc2650/Bmw/DSC00016.jpg

he use a little bit on the rims, just to show me how it will turn out.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a83/pc2650/Bmw/DSC00017.jpg

can you guys see the difference? is a camera phone so the pic is not that good.

Also bought this
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a83/pc2650/Bmw/DSC00018.jpg


what do you guys think? looks like my ltw rims will be ok:stickoutt

after I get this black stuff out then I am going to refinish the 2 front rims, my mechanic told me the back rims is fine.


can this thread be move to the proper place? if so, please let me know.

thanks

[Daved]

Wow, what a difference.

Go clean one completely and take some decent pics.

[twhlax3]

yeah go clean an entire wheel and show the difference. the metal just looks pitted and the finish looks rough on the inner part of the lip.

[HBpredhunter]

you have two options for the next time this happens (cuase those rims are DONE)

a) dont drive you car in the winter! get a pile for winter driving
b)move the away from snow. snow is LAME

[Pman]

Given all of the doom-and-gloom diagnosis, I would start with something gentle then work my way up to something more abrasive.
- start with the suggestions above (brake cleaner, Simple Green, etc.)
- try Comet. It's a little abrasive, but usually works pretty well and wheel finish can usually handle it.
- Try Nevr-Dull or Brasso (that's normally used to take the tarnish off of brass). I will also remove fine scratches from some softer materials (metal, plastic). This may do some damage to the finish on your wheels, but then again, what do you have to lose?
- If all else fails, go with the sandpaper. It's at least worth a try before you pay for refinishing. Besides, they'll be sanded before they're refinished anyway, so if you're at that point, you're not doing anything wrong and the "last resort" just might work. Start with a very fine sandpaper -- something like 1500 or 1200. I've used this on clear finishes before to bring out a shine (I've heard it is even used on painted and clear-coated surfaces). If that doesn't work, work toward something more coarse -- 500 or 225.

good luck

[Pman]

Option B would be to save the time and money on refinishing, buy a new set of wheels, and make those your winter wheels. (otherwise you may go through this again next spring).

by the way, I just happen to have a set of DSII's for sale...