Cleaning Stock NA Rims?

harlansmart · Post by **harlansmart** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 12:27 pm

Hey Team,

Need some advice (please) - have a set of the stock 5.5 x 14" NA rims sitting next to my desk here and I really need them to be 'gone' - was going to use Simple Green w/ a soft wire brush... anyone got better ideas, what's the recommended formula to clean these things up for sale?

These rims here:

WideOpenThrottle · Post by **WideOpenThrottle** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 3:37 pm

Silver spraycan?

harlansmart · Post by **harlansmart** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 6:59 pm

Lol, but only rattle can I got is rescue orange and I need to save it to get wasted for driving the kids to school in the AM

WideOpenThrottle wrote:Silver spraycan?

WideOpenThrottle · Post by **WideOpenThrottle** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 7:13 pm

harlansmart wrote:Lol, but only rattle can I got is rescue orange and I need to save it to get wasted for driving the kids to school in the AM

WideOpenThrottle wrote:Silver spraycan?

Can't argue with that!

dynofiend · Post by **dynofiend** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 7:38 pm

Yup, good scrub with a degreaser (washing up liquid will work), rinse, dry, spray, done.

WideOpenThrottle · Post by **WideOpenThrottle** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 7:51 pm

Cut & polish?

brownie · Post by **brownie** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 11:07 pm

PACER car cleaning products,They will have the good alloy cleaner they sell to Car Groomers.
Acid based cleaner would be best,Will clean up brake dust like you wouldn't believe,But hard to find now days,The good stuff is usually only commercially available and in 20ltr containers,
We use the REALLY good shit at work,Got to glove up to use it,Makes filthy engines like new,Strips alloy back to as new condition./

If you have access to a water blaster as well,it will make the job easier

SLYDIT · Post by **SLYDIT** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 7:22 pm

+1 for pacer products
ihave been using thier stuff for 20 years.
the multi purpose cleaner is fantastic. you just water it down depending on what you are cleaning.... 3:1 for degreasing or 10:1 for upholstery etc.... great cheap cleaner....try it out.

harlansmart · Post by **harlansmart** » Mon Jun 11, 2012 9:50 pm

Thanks kids - went out to Ha Road in Wiri today and got some acid based stuff (right hand bottle) for unfinished alloys like the stock mini-lites and some other stuff (an alkaline) called Multi Purpose Plus which they reckoned would be pretty sweet on our finished rims (RAYS etc) and their painted and polished surfaces.

Next up need some Rain-X Xtreme Clean that crap Fleur used looks amazing and might do a better job than my G7 cutting compound on the UUBER Silver MX5 which has a hazy window.

Mr. Shine · Post by **Mr. Shine** » Tue Jun 12, 2012 10:03 am

harlansmart wrote:Thanks kids - went out to Ha Road in Wiri today and got some acid based stuff (right hand bottle) for unfinished alloys like the stock mini-lites

I didn't realise factory daisies were unfinished, I'll have to have a go with some acid-based wheel cleaner myself in that case; they do look especially good when all cleaned up without centre caps and with black extended wheel nuts!

harlansmart · Post by **harlansmart** » Tue Jun 12, 2012 12:31 pm

Please - I'm only going on what people are telling me... I'm not a metallurgist does anyone know the facts?

Mr. Shine wrote:I didn't realise factory daisies were unfinished

Keith Jones · Post by **Keith Jones** » Tue Jun 12, 2012 1:38 pm

The factory daisies have a clear coat finish.
If they were left bare metal the surface would oxidise in a very short time.

Mr. Shine · Post by **Mr. Shine** » Tue Jun 12, 2012 2:47 pm

I'd thought that should be the case... considering getting mine redone, or whether to get my NA8 hollow spoke wheels redone to mount my tyres on.

harlansmart · Post by **harlansmart** » Tue Jun 12, 2012 4:10 pm

Hi Keith,

Please, those wheel in that picture above, which are the factory rims which used to on the UUBER NA MX5, do we call them 'Daises'?

So we should not use this acid based 'Pacer' product on these factory Mazda NA alloys after all?

Cheers, Hman

(Had always thought we called them 'mini-lite copies/reps' that's all)

Keith Jones wrote:The factory daisies have a clear coat finish.
If they were left bare metal the surface would oxidise in a very short time.

Keith Jones · Post by **Keith Jones** » Tue Jun 12, 2012 4:50 pm

I'd never heard the term "daisies" before this thread.
"5 spoke" is a more common description.

Without knowing the pH of the Pacer product I wouldn't want to comment one way or the other on its suitability for cleaning the factory rims.
You could check it out by trying on a part of the wheel that isn't easily visible, eg. the back side of a spoke. If the spoke disappears in a cloud of smoke you'll know it's not suitable !!!!!!

Mr. Shine · Post by **Mr. Shine** » Tue Jun 12, 2012 7:14 pm

General info I've read on acid-based wheel cleaners is that they're fine for the occasional use, but over time they will eat away clear coat and paint finishes. So possibly for really filthy wheels, but use non-acid wheel cleaner more frequently so you don't need a heavy-duty acid-based clean?

Definitely a good idea to do a test patch first, though!

Born_disturbed · Post by **Born_disturbed** » Tue Jun 12, 2012 8:26 pm

As a side note I have always called them daisies, they kinda look to fail to be compared to minilights imho

Growler · Post by **Growler** » Tue Jun 12, 2012 11:33 pm

Mr. Shine wrote:General info I've read on acid-based wheel cleaners is that they're fine for the occasional use, but over time they will eat away clear coat and paint finishes. So possibly for really filthy wheels, but use non-acid wheel cleaner more frequently so you don't need a heavy-duty acid-based clean?

Definitely a good idea to do a test patch first, though!

However if he is only wanting to clean them up for sale it wouldn't matter.

Cleaning Stock NA Rims?

Cleaning Stock NA Rims?

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