How do you polish corrosion off aluminum wheels?

Clifton

Clifton

Well-known member
UKGSer Subscriber
Joined
Jun 29, 2011
Messages
6,312
Reaction score
2,678
Location
WV, US
The 2008 Roadster I picked up yesterday is in pretty good condition overall but an area that needs attention are the wheels, and I figure riders in England should be adept in dealing with corrosion. I want to polish out the splotchy oxidation but am wondering what to use and how best to do it without getting polish in the black coating? Or when I do how can polish be removed from the black without ruining it? It seems like a good time to clean them up as I'll be removing the (original) tyres.

 
I've seen it on shelves here. I know that whatever it is it will have to be with a buffing wheel of some kind because there's just too much and it's too deep for me to try and rub out with my fingers. Then what effectively removes the excess from the black coating?
 
I would just use a spray on cleaner using a soft brush then hose off for the black.
 
Unless you seal the surface, it's just going to keep coming back ...
 
OK I was just concerned that light metal polish could be difficult to remove from the black? That'll be great if cleaner will remove it.

Yes I will definitely seal the aluminum after polishing.
 
I'll give that a try thanks Doris. I'll see if I can find one as a buffer pad that I can fit on a drill.

I don't want to get into clear coating them. The surface varies from polished to rough cast and some areas have black paint. I think I'll just wax/seal the polished areas.
 
Clifton said:
I'll give that a try thanks Doris. I'll see if I can find one as a buffer pad that I can fit on a drill.

I don't want to get into clear coating them. The surface varies from polished to rough cast and some areas have black paint. I think I'll just wax/seal the polished areas.
Click to expand...
Just do it by hand…..it doesn’t take long.
 
Doris said:
Just do it by hand…..it doesn’t take long.
Click to expand...
Agreed, it looks manly like surface corrosion and with Solvol on a cloth, using your fingers, it will clean up quickly and you'll probably not get polish on the black bits.

Plus you get that unique, tactile, mano-a-mano bonding experience with your new machine. :D
 
Presuming that the rims are not lacquered…
Tackle bad aluminium rash with 1500 emery cloth and water, then metal polish up.

I use Belgum polish as it contains wax which helps keep the shine for longer.
👍
 
If you dont want to buff off some of the black carefully mask it.
 
A previous Superglide had similar oxidation, only not as severe as this, and after working a couple hours with polish by hand (I didn't have a polishing wheel) I finally gave up because I needed to get the tyres on it for a ride the next day. I also recall spending a lot of time scrubbing the green polish residue out of the black paint. Those wheels looked better than before I started but they really needed at least that much more time again on them, preferably with a polishing wheel. I'm not looking forward to this but at least this time I have various wheels for a Dremel and drill.

Here it is when I brought it home and from a distance, and with panniers covering the rear, the wheels don't look too bad. But close up is a different story. I know they need attention too but I'm not polishing the trailer wheels.

What's unusual about this 15 year old Sportster is that it's completely stock.

 
Mzokk said:
If you dont want to buff off some of the black carefully mask it.
Click to expand...
Thanks I may have too but am hoping not as that would require a lot of tedious masking.
 
Of you get polish on the black, try the genuine Harley Engine Bright aerosol.
Keeps the matt and semi-matt black finishes as new. Not cheap around £20,
but the best I have found for the intended purpose,
I believe SDoc100 make a similar product but not tried it.
 
Thanks GSite, I use S100 Engine Brightener which works well to restore black engine parts which have grayed and faded. I'll look for HD's version next time but do you feel it would remove the bright green metal polish if I get it on black wheels?
 
All I can say is that the Harley stuff removes Solvo Autosol from the stippled semi- rough finish of the engine and matt of the wheels. If the Sdoc also does so it could be worth looking into the contents of both products, would not be suprised if very similar or even the same stuff.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Tetley
How do I deal with Flaking paint and corrosion 2014 GS
2
Replies
22
Views
9,833
Warlord
Warlord


Back
Top Bottom