remove dirt/grime layer form wheel

Discussion in 'Mechanics Garage' started by bluegen1e, Aug 22, 2011.

  1. bluegen1e

    bluegen1e New Member

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    hey guys, recently purchased a 95' vfr and the back wheel has a thick layer of what appears to dirt or grime. i put wheel cleaner solutions many times and scrubbed the hell out of it a few times but no luck. thinking of using very fine wet sand paper, what do ya'll think? any suggestions??

    btw it's only the back wheel, front wheel is nice and polished. :confused:
    thanks!
     

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  2. OSA 06

    OSA 06 New Member

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    I would suggest to try 3M rubbing compound before I would resort to wet sanding. Rubbing compound has enough grit to take most anything off, and it won't require near as much work to polish back out after cleaning. Hope that helps some.
     
  3. bluegen1e

    bluegen1e New Member

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    will give that a shot. any recommendations for a good wheel polish afterwards?
     
  4. Nitrousva

    Nitrousva New Member

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    S100 Motorcycle cleaner, or laquer thinner, then Mothers wheel polish.
     
  5. VT Viffer

    VT Viffer New Member

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    My bet is that it's chain "wax" overspray. Try brake cleaner first (this might dull the finish a lot), and bring it back with polish/wax.
     
  6. bluegen1e

    bluegen1e New Member

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    funny thing is it's only on the muffler side of the wheel, the chain side of the wheel is not so bad.
     
  7. GreyVF750F

    GreyVF750F Member

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    kerosine works wonders........try it.
     
  8. bluegen1e

    bluegen1e New Member

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    i've tried something like paint thinner and it didnt work. i would imagine it works the same as kerosine?
     
  9. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    IMO, somebody painted that part of the wheel and the paint is oxidising.

    Kerosene (in US lingo ain't good on rubber) Paint thinner (Stoddard solvent) or VM&P naptha won't do much to the existing surface if it is paint. Not real good for the rubber anyway.

    Test: Find a small spot and with a Qtip wet with lacquer thinner or acetone, see if whatever is on there comes off. This should also remove a pencil eraser size spot of paint, if that is what it is.

    If so do not use any of the paint strippers near your tires in an attempt to remove the rest.

    An alternative to the lacquer thinner or acetone is some nail polish remover.

    I know that a limited number of "members" here have some.
     
  10. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    BB has all sorts of nail polish remover if you have difficulties with your sexuality and don't want to go an buy some. I am sure he will send you some.
     
  11. Rollin_Again

    Rollin_Again Member

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    Does anyone know what is the best thing to use to clean my bong? It has a similar sticky buildup from the stanky stank.

    Rollin
     
  12. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    I have some nail polish remover that might work.
     
  13. GreyVF750F

    GreyVF750F Member

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    Kerosine works great on that too!

    "Kerosene (in US lingo ain't good on rubber) Paint thinner (Stoddard solvent) or VM&P naptha won't do much to the existing surface if it is paint. Not real good for the rubber anyway."

    Your not supposed to bathe in it. The rubber won't even know. I guess the tires on a lot of my vehicles should have fallen off then. Way to anal thinking.
     
  14. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    I truely like your "intellectual vs genius" tag but with just a smidgen of scrutiny your subjective version falls waaay short.

    Both spellings of said solvent are correct. Kerosene or kerosine in other English speaking climes is called paraffin, waxing eloquently..

    Bathing in the stuff is not a good idea and it may well soften some paints if indeed that is what is on the dudes wheel on one side, but I suppose there might be a little migration onto the rubber over the time it would take. The pro's do use it as a retarder in alkyd paints and glazes. Any thought that is is not harmful to tires is horse-pucky.

    Mostly for the other dudes that maybe are some anal about thier tires and maybe even thier rubbers being dipped in kerosine, some disinterested third party info might be of some use to the non-genius and pseudo-intellectuals who abound.

    Google: Hydrocarbon solvents and tires.


    Probably a good idea to give that bong a wipe with some acetone after the kerosine bath. In the solvent top ten or so, acetone is numero dos, right below ether, and kerosine is down towards the bottom of the pile. Never tried it but I would imagine some smoke with a kerosine overtone would not appeal to many.
     
  15. Nitrousva

    Nitrousva New Member

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    Do they still make 'Grunge off', as I recall it worked great.
     
  16. bluegen1e

    bluegen1e New Member

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    thanks badbilly, I will give acetone a try. at 99cents a bottle i cant go wrong, even if i do, wifey would be happy to get an extra bottle on the already crowded drawer. I'll be careful not to douse the tires with it. If that doesnt work I will try the Gunk products, they got engine degreasers. if that doesnt work i will take it up to 3M rubbing compound.

    will keep you guys posted.
    p.s. no bongs man, straight paper here. keep it old school.
     
  17. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    It still looks like paint to me. Too neat to be much of anything else. The acetone on a Qtip will dissolve or dilute any sort of goo on there and will degrade the paint film as well.

    Gunk is great stuff. I buy it by the gallon as a concentrate. NAPA has it. Mixed best IMO with #5 diesel or kerosine. It will remove or turn to a soap most crud including road tar. In a "strong" solution it might degrade the paint some.

    For general wheel goo removal including chain wax and dust from brake pads, I use another concentrate from Wally's or Costco. Diluted with water in varying proportions, it will dissolve even cup grease oil leaks on concrete and even asphalt as long as the asphalt is cured out some. A very dilute solution is mild enough to wash a bike or a cage.

    Old school is a cornhusk...;)
     
  18. Terrone

    Terrone New Member

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    Rubbing alcohol gets my rims really clean with no dulling.
     
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