# Help cleaning ITP SS212 (machined) wheels...might have got screwed on the deal



## NickS

Does anyone have any tips on cleaning these wheels? I think I might have got screwed on these, or not. They were a VERY good deal, and to be honest, I'll probably screw them up anyways . When I got them, they looked like they were rusted. I know that they are aluminum, so can't rust. They just haven't been cleaned obviously in a LONG time. It's that red Texas mud. I figured that I could just spray some stuff on them, and hit them on high with my pressure washer (2700 psi) and be fine.

These wheels look like they have small grooves on all of the chrome, and it looks like stuff is down in there. Well, I've sprayed the hell out of them with my pressure washer without much help. I have also hit these with Simple Green, and Turtle Wax Chrome Polish and Rust Remover. I applied that with a buffer attachment on my drill hoping it would get in the grooves with no luck. I can't tell if these are scratches, or something down in there. Either way, nothing will get these clean. I did get the center caps buffed fine, but the wheels are another story. Are there any good tips / tricks or products that you think will get this stuff out? Like I said, a lot of people reccomended Simple Green, which I didn't have much luck with. I even let it sit for a couple of minutes and scrubbed a little with a toothbrush. Any help would be appreciated....

































By the way, this is the worst one. The others aren't nearly this bad...


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## tx_brute_rider

That is EXACTLY how mine are, just a bit more stained. Have tried aluminum polish and a few other chemical with no luck. It's the dang mud/water that corrodes them:aargh4: Would also like to know if this is cleanable:33:


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## muddaholic 09

i have the same rims in crome.. mine are worse than that and they are like only 8 months old.. looks like mud satins and scratches.. i pretty much gave up on mine, but they will get worse if left alone.. sorry for not being able to help..


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## Polaris425

I think they have like a protective film over them, for lack of better words. My SS rims did the same from riding in the creek full of sand/rocks. It eats away at it.


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## LM83

Polaris425 said:


> I think they have like a protective film over them, for lack of better words. My SS rims did the same from riding in the creek full of sand/rocks. It eats away at it.


Correct. Not much you can do. Once that film tears, it starts. That's why I finally had mine powder coated. 


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## kawboy1

Plast dip them, it's cheap and easy. You will end up with nice new looking black (or other color) wheels for very little money/effort.


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## blue beast

Ok I got an idea ...They are aluminum...Alumabrite(goes by other names too) This stuff is an acid for aluminum...
..They spray it on the tanks and wheels on big semi-trucks..it will leave a dull finish on it ..Then u can polish out the dull look...and clear coat it

The only thing I don't know if it ill take the black powder coat off...could probably put it on with a tooth brush to reduce the probibility of taking the black off..

It will eat away the protective coating... (had a set of weld racing wheels that this happened to, and we did this process to them ...sprayed them, polished them, then resprayed them)..

remember it is only a thought...i did this on my raditor when i relocated it(minus the clearcoat), then polished it out with mothers polish

anybody see a problem with my thinkin? yall think it would work on these wheels ,they have little grooves by the look of the pic


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## tx_brute_rider

I tried eagle mag on the radiator and on stock brute wheels and it cleans it very good but it eats away the coating. You have to put an aluminum polish and it goes back to the stock silver color. On the stock brute wheel it turned them white then you add the aluminum polisher and they went back to chrome, like if it was new.:rockn:

Does the plasti-dip corrode or scratch off, seems like it would be a bit delicate.:thinking:


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## bayou_boy_22

Be careful with alumabrite or mag cleaner. They will eat the black off your wheel. My dad uses the alumabrite on his shrimp boat and it will eat anything off the aluminum.


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## Polaris425

tx_brute_rider said:


> I tried eagle mag on the radiator and on stock brute wheels and it cleans it very good but it eats away the coating. You have to put an aluminum polish and it goes back to the stock silver color. On the stock brute wheel it turned them white then you add the aluminum polisher and they went back to chrome, like if it was new.:rockn:
> 
> Does the plasti-dip corrode or scratch off, seems like it would be a bit delicate.:thinking:


not really, if it does you just spray it a little more to touch it up.


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## crwBrute7504x4I

the best way I have found to clean them is to get some sos pads with the blue soap in them from wal mart and scrub the hell out of them.


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## rubiconrider

its almost like a clear coat they put on those things and once water and mud gets under it and starts corroding the aluminum ur hooped. u pretty much gotta get that film off there and clean up the aluminum and spray a new coat of clear or something on em. my dads 94 chev was the same way and we sent em to a place and thats what they did.


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## Coolwizard

A guy I know had a motorcycle with aluminum rims that had a protective coating. He used oven cleaner to remove the coating and then was able to polish them to perfection. Some oven cleaners are BAD for aluminum, choose carefully. I'm not sure what brand he used .....try this at your own risk


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## tx_brute_rider

The only reason I got mine as these machined wheels, is because I couldn't pass up the deal with 27' Mudlites on them already. if I were to buy new I would get black wheels or some powder coated ones. All I did was restore the chrome center caps, with chrome polish so they look new now. I used turtle chrome repair, btw.


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## NickS

I might have to try the oven cleaner thing. May try eagle 1 mag cleaner as well. Something has to be able to get these clean.


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## NMKawierider

Oh.. don't clean them...leave them alone. You'll just feel bad when you get them dirty or scratched. RUN'EM, and have some fun...Its a quad...not a show car. Thay look just fine.  JMO


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## filthyredneck

nmkawierider said:


> Oh.. don't clean them...leave them alone. You'll just feel bad when you get them dirty or scratched. RUN'EM, and have some fun...Its a quad...not a show car. Thay look just fine.  JMO


^Bwahahaha:haha:
I couldn't have said that any better.... just ride through one mud hole and they are fixed, nobody will ever tell. My ride is almost never put up muddy, I try to always make sure that the plastics, skids, motor, etc is free of any mud/dirt, but I hardly ever worry about polishing it all up unless I'm showing up to a big event ride somewhere, I just hit it with soap and water....and then its only pretty till it comes off the trailer:rockn:


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## rmax

x2 ride an have fun, the first hole will take care of it


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## NickS

Right, same here. However, these have no tires mounted yet, so they are easy to clean. I doubt it will look bad at all once mounted on the four wheeler. I also do clean and detail everything after every ride. Usually do the wheels with class cleaner, and the plastics with WD-40. I'm just wanting to give them a good cleaning to get them to the best they will be. I never neglect the wheels as bad as the previous owner did. Once I get them as clean as possible, then I will know the best to expect after I detail them after a ride.


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## Polaris425

Well you can stop doing your plastics w/ WD-40, unless you want them to look like crap later....


Its gonna fade them and make them brittle.


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## NMKawierider

Polaris425 said:


> Well you can stop doing your plastics w/ WD-40, unless you want them to look like crap later....
> 
> 
> Its gonna fade them and make them brittle.


 
I have to agree. Any oil, even fish oil on plastics will alter the surface structure in time. Just my opinion but I'd clean it with some wax & grease remover and start using SC1 Silicone Detailer. You will be much happier now....and later.


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## brutematt750

Here's some before and after pics of some aluminum rims I put on my truck. I cleaned them with SOS pads then some never dull an wiped them down with a clean rag after. What a difference it made. 


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## CumminsPower24

^ wow that looks pretty good.


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## The Big Bad Wolf

If you REALLY want just the silver section cleaned up back to original. You can Bring them to an auto body shop and Negotiate them milling off a thin layer. You should try it yourself first since your wheel design isn't complicated(they are silver on only one plane). Only do yourself if you have steady hands. Once scratches are removed polish w a buffing wheel Once satisfied only use high temp gloss to seal off the aluminum and stop oxidation. I bet you could remove those scratches w 220 or higher multipurpose sandpaper since your worst wheel is not that bad. Start w highest grit it'l take longer but you wont over do it . Dont use any lower grit than that! aluminum is Really soft. Just to be safe tape off the Rest of the wheel. I've redone aluminum edging that way. Try it yourself first . You can always try the body shop as a last resort.


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## The Big Bad Wolf

Really nice job on those rims!


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## NickS

I did the WD-40 on my last fourwheeler with no issues at all. De-greaser didn't do anything. The WD-40 would make it shine and cover up a lot of the smaller scratches on the green plastics. My current fourwheeler is a NRA edition camo. Maybe I'll re-think it, I only had my last atv for a year and a half, so maybe it didn't have time to fade.


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## Polaris425

Yep. And that camo is not molded plastic, so it's going to make it worse.

WD-40 is a solvent, it's made to eat away stuff, it's not a lubricant. Think of your plastic like your skin, dont want it to get dry and crack.


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## sondog

I use Pledge multi surface cleaner, or the original lemon one on items like my mountain bike ( mud removal is easier ), Shoei helmet (bug removal is easier ), it will probably do a great job on the quad as well.

For the plastic, not the rims!


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## CRAZYCRACKAZ71

^^
hes 100% right and dont use armor all eaither plastics will crack.


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