can you clean up oxidized aluminum slotted wheels??

[72timemachine]

If you have some heavy oxidation on an aluminum wheel can you blast it off with crushed walnut shells or is there a better way to restore the finish?

Here is a photo of what they look like but it is not my actual wheel.

Thanks for any help.

[cdowns]

wheels like that the first thing i do is scrub them real good with BRILLO soap pads to see whar i have. then if needed i go thru compound and polishing to desired finish

[Mike 85]

Yup.Use a Brillo pad or soap & water or a MAG wheel cleaner to start with because these wheels are MAGNESIUM not ALUMINUM and IF you use the WRONG chemical cleaner,WILL turn them BLACK from a reaction of the cleaner.ALWAYS test a spot on the backside FIRST if using an unknown cleaner.
The problem will be pitting,which depending on how deep it is will depend on how much work you have to put into them and if it's even possible to "save" them.
Walnut shells are for "polishing/cleaning" basically of motor parts where the residue won't have any effect if left behind or extremely soft cutting of metals for VERY minor material removal.Unless these wheels are in exceptional condition,you'll likely end up going to a more aggressive media to clean them up.If you have access to a blast cabinet,I use #13 glass bead to start with then go to wet sand paper,again,depending on what I have to remove scratch wise before the polishing phase.You can't polish out scratches or pits,they HAVE to be removed by sanding or they just come back.If the pit's are deep,well,it's either live with them or get some better wheels if you want a super nice wheel because after your sand them out,you'll have a BAD balance issue as well as a "dimple" effect from the deep sanding.
Case in point,My polished wheels were oxidized and I started with 2000 gt. paper wet to smooth them out and finished up with a Mothers Power Ball & compound for the finish.About 2 hr's work on each wheel.But this was just oxidation,no major pits and only very minor scratches.

[foxhole]

i've found a good place to start is a quick dose of wheel acid, you can get it at most truck shops. don't leave it on long though, it works real quick but will get the first step done in seconds. In fact if you imeadiatly follow rinsing the acid off with rubbing them down with some autosol or mothers ect they will come up pretty nice pretty quick. i do the alcolas on my dually like this evey couple weeks and when i got the truck they looked screwed.

[oldblue1968chevy]

How nice you want em, theres a thread just for these around here somehwere..

Cleaning slot wheels:
1st. clean em up. I used oven cleaner and a scotch brite this time. followed with sos pad to get the cleaner off and any left over crud.

2nd. take care of any bumps and scars with agressive sanding. I had to use a file on the lips of a couple.

3rd. start sanding with 600 grit then graduate to 1000, then 1500, then 2000.
If you have a set thats not scared up like these you may be able to go strait to 1000. Usually don't have to spend alot of time with each grade, just enound to remove a fine layer of oxidized metal. The 2000 grit will tell the tale. And then your ready to polish.

4th. I used a buffer with fine cut compound and a sprinkle of water, then followed it with "mother's" on a cloth. could use a "powerball" if you have it. That might even work better.
that's it. It takes a little time, but I love to take something that looks used up and bring it back.

search 'slot lovers unite'

[oldblue1968chevy]

before during after

1-wash with soapy water scotch brite pad

2-spray with eagle 1 etching mag cleaner

3-polish with mothers alum. mag cleaner polish

Coulda done MUCH better with more sanding filing on edges etc etc etc

[primrrd]

ive seen guys rub em out with the bank sand that you find down by the river here in s/e texas. really.. it makes em shine like polished! but probably takes a little longer!

[oldblue1968chevy]

lol^

ya got to work on your wheels yet man? let us know how it goes with pictures also please