When I got my Dodge Ram new in 2002 the chrome rims were all nice and shiny. Now they have a red dust on them. I think it is from the brakes. It doesn't hose off, nor will a pressure washer remove it. Soap and water won't remove it. Is there something else I can try?
I used a light grit rubbing compound, followed by a soap and rinse, followed by a chrome polish on my fathers 99 Ram that had been neglected since 2006 and shocked the hell out of Mom and Pops. Chrome looked fantastic with very small pitting embedded too deep. His looked similar to your pics bud prior to the detailing.
Wow! Any idea what caused them to get to that point?
I'll be honest, they look like they've been neglected big time!
I've never had to address something that extreme so I'm hoping someone else can chime and assist.
I will throw this out there though: Naval Jelly
I've used it to restore completely rusted chrome [quality] socket/wrench sets to heavily rusted bolts/nuts. If you do go this route, I do STRONGLY recommend applying it in a well ventilated area and with gloves on.
It's an amazing product that should sell for a lot more than what it does.
IMHO you got a lot of work in front of you. It may be better in your case, with your medical problems etc, to see if you can find a good set of used wheels at a reasonable price.
Jay
they do look pretty bad unfortunately, but i will tell you IF they are goiung to come clean, i have just the products.
1st up, try and get 1z Einszett colourtec wheel cleaner, or Sonax full effect wheel cleaner. both are very good at eating built up grime and brake dust.
Then, you pay need to polish come life back into them. for that i like p21s polishing soap or menzerna metal polish. they dont appear to be clad rims, so you might also get away with some eagle one nevr dull and some elbow grease.
You are probably going to laugh but I will explain my reasoning. I looked online and on youtube and here too. There are all sorts of suggestions on what to use ranging from Diet coke and Aluminum foil to miracle polish to 409 and a scrub brush.
I looked around at what I had and I was pretty sure that if a power washer and soap didn't remove it before they probably weren't going to do the job now. So I looked at what I had in the shop and in the house. I tried rubbing alcohol first, but that only removed a top thin glaze layer and not much else. The rim looked pretty much as before.
Then I though about the Coke idea. This isn't as crazy as it sounds at first as the phosphoric acid in coke reacts with rust to help remove it. Commercial chrome sprays such as Mother's have phosphoric acid, just in higher quantities. I got a bottle out of the fridge and dumped it on there. Waited and sprayed and...nothing.
I figured I would turn this into a real experiment of sorts so I started thinking of some common products I could try. I mean, the rims are basically ruined anyway if I cannot clean them right? I looked on the shelf and saw a can of Goop hand cleaner and thought why not? I rubbed some in and then used a nylon scrub brush and amazingly it started coming off. It really was caked in brake dust and not rust.
So this is Dodgey's secret ******* chrome rim cleaning miracle:
Wash off with soap and water and dry.
Feel free to crack all the jokes you want about this, It is so off the wall that I am laughing myself.
I will tell you about one product that I used & didn't follow directions to a T & ruined a good set of REAL CHROME rims
I used a product called EAGLE ONE
i used the first part of that product & everything was looking great
then i used the 2nd part, i think it is a neutralizer & apparently i did not follow the directions fully.
within a couple days, my nice chrome was bubbling & flaking
that was back in the early 1970s, when i lived just south of Palm Springs Ca
Soak them in viniger... Then I would use gas/soap/and water.....mixed in a bucket and use a brush to clean it.... No guarantees but I would try it.... Vinegar breaks up rust and loosens it ... Good luck
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