salt and aluminum whheels

05kjrenny · **Posted:** Tue Jan 30, 2007 5:04 pm

just got a set of M/T clasic II wheels last week, drove threw snow for like 20 minutes and now they have a residue i cant seem to get off, ive tried eveyrthing from mothers to the powerball with different kinds of polish and nothings working. im not an expert on polishing aluminum but it cant be trashed already? there only a week old.

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 30, 2007 11:14 pm

They shouldn't have corroded that fast! I used to have chrome rims that would get some dull spots on them but after a couple of polishes with mothers brankd wheel cleaner - back to normal.

Did the rims have a clear coating on them? My factory rims look almost brand new still...

Donkeykong · **Posted:** Tue Jan 30, 2007 11:40 pm

If they don't have clear coating on them you will have to polish them with some steel wool, and then get some wheel wax stuff on them....

A trick that the VW guys did to polish their FWD wheels would be to jack up the drive wheels and run the transmission in the drive, and use sandpaper (high grit) to polish off the ugliness, and then use the wheel wax stuff. I can't say that's a good idea in any vehicle, but unless you have access to a lathe, you might be able to do the above, or do it entirely manually. Just make sure your libby is in 2wd, and not 4 full time......

I hope that common sense will ensue, and no one willhurt themselves based on what some VW kids have done to save some aftermarket wheels....

(In other words, don't do this..... some VW kids did it, but it won't work for jeeps :roll:

)
-Mark

05kjrenny · **Posted:** Wed Jan 31, 2007 7:07 pm

they are not clear coated, m/t recomends steelwool and wd-40, i think im going to clean them up and sell them

Kniggit · **Posted:** Wed Jan 31, 2007 7:50 pm

How about clean them up and clear coat them?

Liberator · **Joined:** Sun Jul 24, 2005 3:42 am **Posts:** 397

We need pix...

are they clad in plstic fascia like the OEM chrome??

Steel wool??? :shock:

Donkeykong · **Posted:** Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:25 pm

Liberator wrote:

Steel wool??? :shock:

Yeah, it's really good for polishing stuff.... scotch brite works better tho because it won't embed in the aluminum and rust. It won't leave a glossy polish, more of a brushed finish, but it looks good as long as you keep your strokes consistent (hence the whole volkswagen post above)
-Mark

05kjrenny · **Posted:** Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:58 pm

this is the only pics i have can get some close ups later of salt damage, this pic is from first day i put them on

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Thu Feb 01, 2007 4:07 pm

Do all tj's sit lower in the rear than the front?

05kjrenny · **Posted:** Thu Feb 01, 2007 4:19 pm

Jeepjeepster wrote:

Do all tj's sit lower in the rear than the front?

Its just the way its parked, the yard is sloped down, it really sits higher in the rear

grumppee · **Posted:** Thu Feb 01, 2007 5:10 pm

MT Classic IIs should not be exposed to the road salt and sand. They are pollished and are NOT sealed. They will pit and corrode if you continue to use them throughout the winter.

I bought a set last spring, within the first week the finish became milky looking. I used Mothers Aluminium wheel polish to bring back the shine. However, they become hazy very quickly with exposure to water, brake dust and the "elements". I find them difficult to maintain and wouldn't reccomend them to anyone.

05kjrenny · **Posted:** Thu Feb 01, 2007 5:59 pm

Im with grumppee

I wouldnt recomend these wheels unless just for show, they are going to be a pain in the booty, Maybe I will just paint them black!

Donkeykong · **Posted:** Fri Feb 02, 2007 9:54 am

What about getting them clear anodised?
That would probably solve the corrosion problem.... you would have to clean them up and then get them into the shop before the natural corrosion begins again.... I can go into great detail, but the reason Aluminum doesn't rust is because it gets a thin layer of corrosion over it that sort of protects it, but it doesn't always look uniform.

Or maybe have them powdercoated black, or even a matching red....
-Mark

05kjrenny · **Posted:** Fri Feb 02, 2007 1:05 pm

Donkeykong wrote:

What about getting them clear anodised?
That would probably solve the corrosion problem.... you would have to clean them up and then get them into the shop before the natural corrosion begins again.... I can go into great detail, but the reason Aluminum doesn't rust is because it gets a thin layer of corrosion over it that sort of protects it, but it doesn't always look uniform.

Or maybe have them powdercoated black, or even a matching red....
-Mark

thought about powder coating but the price of that plus dismounting and remounting doesnt make sense, ill just buy another set of black wheels, and the jeep is orange not red

05kjrenny · **Posted:** Sun Feb 18, 2007 4:12 pm

Just wanted to let thows know who have these type of wheels, I used every cleaner out there, and found a polish called NOXON 7 metal polish, its the only thing that cut threw the crap. The wheels look brand new again!!

tommudd · **Posted:** Sun Feb 18, 2007 4:30 pm

These wheels are really working man wheels............you have to keep working on them every week or so :wink:

I have had them before and sold after a short time due to being too lazy to keep up with them all the time. I got to the point that I would spray them every morning in the winter with WD 40 and claean it off after I got home from work every night, like I said too much work

thebenagade · **Posted:** Sun Feb 18, 2007 10:23 pm

I have the same wheels on my dakota and they are 4 yrs old now. Every spring and fall I have to take them off and polish them. DO NOT USE sand paper and I would'n't even use steal wool. I use Mother's BILLET polish it seems to work the best. I got a 3 inch polisher/buffer from sears that cuts the work time in half. The key is use only a little polish at a time and work a small area at a time, don't try to do the whole wheel at once.

Donkeykong · **Posted:** Sun Feb 18, 2007 11:19 pm

Awesome, it it an acid base, or is it a polosh? I tried this blue acid stuff on my hondas wheels, but if I left it on there too long it would stain the aluminum. Thats a good think to know exists for anyone with anything aluminum, not only the wheels!
-Mark

RFCRD · **Posted:** Mon Feb 19, 2007 5:48 am

Unsealed aluminum wheels will turn "white" or "haze" when exposed to road salt or even some car-wash soaps. Will actually loose their luster just exposed to air over time. Polishing compound and a high-speed buffer will fix it. If you want a lower maintenance polished look, need to seal them with a clear-coat laqure after they are polished. Alcoa does this with their commercial truck wheels which works OK, just don't use anything abrasive on them after they are sealed.

KJ808 · **Posted:** Mon Feb 19, 2007 5:56 am

I'm no expert but how about powder coating them? I heard there's even clear coating. Just a thought....

salt and aluminum whheels

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