Wheel cleaner for old wheels (behind the spokes)

[Kaban]

Guys, I am trying to clean some old wheels off a 98 Lexus from Arizona.

Back then Toyota/Lexus never painted/powdercoated the barrels and the areas behind the spokes so it's all exposed alloy.

I got the rear barrels all cleaned up. The area I am having a hard time cleaning is cast aluminum behind the spokes. It's a textured non coated aluminum.

I got most of it cleaned up but in the deep pockets there are chunks of black residue,etc. that just won't come off no matter what.

I tried: Iron x and iron x-gel and let is dwell for hours with no effect.

Brake-Off 1:1 also sprayed inside the pockets (with the wheel flipped upside down laying on its face) and also dwelling for 45 minutes plus. Even tried agitating the area with a brass metal brush and steel wool. Nothing.

APC, Sonax, etc. didn't do anything at all. Tried tar removers (3M and Tar-x) to see if it was maybe chunks of tar, but that didn't do anything either.

The wheels are all original silver face and machine polished barrels and are in amazing condition. I would not want to refinish them just because this area didn't clean up 100%, this area isn't visible anyways.

I am making this thread just to gain knowledge if there's something else you guys have tried on old wheels that worked. I know my powdercoater can media blast these sections and they would look like new but I don't want to go that route because of cost and amount of prep to mask the other areas from getting stripped.

[Matt@Revive]

Post a picture of them.

I had some alloy wheels that were really nasty, after a good scrub and some ironX i used a metal polish and rubbed until my hands were sore. They came out great in the end.

If the chunks look like stuck on rocks you may want to try a solvent like Goof Off, this will help break down the chunks.

[Eldorado2k]

Magic Eraser will work, as long as the surface isn't so rough that it rips the sponge into bits while trying to use it... But I think it should survive that part. Lube the Magic Eraser with rinseless wash or diluted APC or even Super Degreaser. Give us an update and let us know how it went.


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[Bill1234]

Try Brown royal wheel cleaner at higher strength

[Eldorado2k]

Try Brown royal wheel cleaner at higher strength

It won't work on those un coated aluminum grooves that he's talking about.


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[Crispy]

It won't work on those un coated aluminum grooves that he's talking about.


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This is exactly what Brown Royal will work on.

If it is black it is brake dust likely and not rust or tar.

Wet it, apply Brown Royal full strength, let dwell, agitate with detail brush, rinse and repeat.

May take a few applications.

If all else fails you can always paint them instead of powder coating (less cost and work).

[Bill1234]

This is exactly what Brown Royal will work on.

If it is black it is brake dust likely and not rust or tar.

Wet it, apply Brown Royal full strength, let dwell, agitate with detail brush, rinse and repeat.

May take a few applications.

If all else fails you can always paint them instead of powder coating (less cost and work).

Brown royal even shows this in their product videos

Dont know if im allowed to post but it removes caked on brake dust from a car from the 1980s

[expdetailing]

Flitz Instant calcium, rust ,and lime remover will work. I know what you're facing. Ive used this method. It worked five time better than ironx, and other color changing cleaners. Megs Wheel Brightner could work well too.

[AutowerxDetailing]

Brown Royal or Aluminum Brightener, either should work. Just opposite extremes on the pH scale.

[Bill1234]

Brown royal is just high alkaline whereas wheel brightener probably has a very low ph