I got some used aluminum rims for my truck a while back which, to look at em, you wouldn't think had been cleaned in their life (which makes no sense to me. why would they put these nice shiny rims on your truck and let them get all nasty and dull? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?...anyway...) They've got some pretty bad brake dust buildup and I was wondering how to remedy this. The guy at Napa gave me some of the Heavy Metal polishing compound and, while it works to some extent, it takes a loooong time and they still aren't fully clean (I haven't even got a single wheel done yet). There's got to be a better way, right? Any help is much apreciated

 

Are you sure that it is just brake dust?? Any good kind of rust remover or chome polish should cut through brake dust fairly easy.

Derek

 

I have a friend that does some pressure washing for big rigs. He uses some kind of acid to clean the aluminum. He says it makes it look new.

 

I have used Never-Dull and Rebels Metal polish on my aluminum wheels. Rebels seems to work the best. I have seen aluminum polish from Colorado Custom Wheels too. The problem on my wheels is not break dust but oxidation (sp?) form the magnesium chloride they put on the roads around here in the winter. It dulls the wheels up real bad. So once a year, in the spring, I take my wheels off one by one and polish them with Rebels Metal Polish and I am happy with the results. I bought it online from there website. I think it was like 20 bucks for a 16 Oz. Mountain Dew bottle. That's right it comes in a Mountain Dew Bottle with a new label stuck on it. I thought it was a joke at first. He must mix the stuff up in his bathtub or something. Any way it works well and a little goes a long way. Good Luck!

 

Brake dust can be pretty nasty if it is let stand for too long. I have used Mothers Mag and Alum polish with limited success. Poorboy's Pro Polish so far has worked best for me. If it is too stubborn break out the dremal with a polishing bit and got to work. After, its all polished up, you can use a good wax or Wheel Wax. That way when you wash again it should come off much easier

Good luck

Cujo